How Many Calories in Sup Ikan?

Sup ikan is a clear Malaysian fish soup, usually ikan jenahak or kembung with tofu, tomatoes, and cabbage in a ginger-lemongrass broth, served at Malay hawker stalls and kopitiams.

290kcal / 1 bowl (clear sup ikan, fish pieces + tofu + veg + broth, no rice or noodles)

A standard bowl of clear sup ikan comes in at around 290 calories for roughly 640g of food, with 34g of protein, 10g of fat, and only 4g of carbs. That's the version with fish pieces, soft tofu, veg, and broth but no noodles or rice. Add bihun and you're at 420 calories. Add a plate of white rice and you're at 580. The base bowl on its own is one of the leaner things you can order at a hawker stall.

Nutrition facts

Per 1 bowl (clear sup ikan, fish pieces + tofu + veg + broth, no rice or noodles) (640g)	Amount	Per 100g
Calories	290 kcal	45 kcal
Protein	34 g	5 g
Carbs	4 g	1 g
Fat	10 g	2 g

Where the calories come from

White fish pieces (ikan jenahak/kembung, cooked)150g

188 kcal

Clear broth (water, aromatics, ginger, lemongrass)350g

20 kcal

Soft tofu80g

44 kcal

Vegetables (tomato, cabbage, spring onion)60g

12 kcal

Oil/fat in broth3g

26 kcal

The real talk

Sup ikan is basically fish cooked in a clear, mildly spiced broth with aromatics like ginger and lemongrass, soft tofu, tomatoes, and whatever greens the stall has. It's a regular fixture at Malay hawker stalls and nasi campur places, and it's genuinely one of the lightest hot dishes you'll find. At 290 calories with 34g of protein, the clear version is almost unfairly good for a dieter. The fish does most of the heavy lifting here, 150g of cooked ikan jenahak or kembung sitting at 188 calories. The broth itself? Only 20 calories. Fair warning though: these are ballpark estimates. Hard calorie data on Malaysian hawker soups is thin, and the fish portion, oil used, and broth concentration will vary stall to stall.

What actually moves the numbers is what you order with it and how much oil the cook adds to the broth. The clear soup version keeps fat low at 10g, but an asam pedas-style sour fish soup pushes you to 350 calories from the tamarind, chilli paste, and extra oil used in the base. Throw in a bowl of bihun, that's an extra 130 calories bringing you to 420 total. Order it with rice and you're at 580 for the full meal. If you want to stay at the 290 base, eat it plain, ask for less oil if you can, and go heavy on the fish and tofu rather than padding it with carbs.

Sup Ikan variants, ranked by calories

Variant	Calories	Notes
Clear sup ikan (no noodles/rice)	290 kcal	Fish, tofu, veg in clear broth. Lightest version, typical Malay hawker or kopitiam bowl.
Sup ikan with bihun (rice vermicelli)	420 kcal	Add ~130g cooked bihun (~130 kcal). Common ordering style at kedai makan.
Asam pedas-style sour fish soup	350 kcal	Tamarind, dried chillies, and more oil push calories up. Usually served as a lauk with rice rather than a standalone bowl.
Sup ikan dengan nasi (with white rice)	580 kcal	Add 200g cooked white rice (~260 kcal). Full meal as typically eaten for lunch.

How to eat it lighter

Order clear sup ikan without bihun or rice, you save 130 to 290 calories right there.
Ask the stallholder to go light on oil in the broth. Most will oblige if you ask nicely.
Pile on the tofu and veg rather than asking for extra fish if cost is a concern, the tofu adds protein for very few calories.
Skip the asam pedas version if you're counting. The tamarind and chilli paste base adds oil that bumps you from 290 to 350.
Eat the soup first before the rice. You'll feel fuller faster and naturally eat less rice.

Common questions

How many calories in Sup Ikan?

A standard bowl of clear sup ikan with fish, tofu, veg, and broth (no rice or noodles) is around 290 calories. Add bihun and it goes to 420. With a plate of white rice, you're looking at 580 calories for the full meal.

What exactly is sup ikan?

Sup ikan is a clear fish soup common at Malay hawker stalls and kopitiams. Usually ikan jenahak or kembung cooked in a light broth with ginger, lemongrass, soft tofu, tomatoes, and cabbage. Simple, clean, and genuinely filling for the calories.

Is sup ikan actually healthy?

Pretty much yes, for a hawker dish. 34g of protein and only 290 calories in a 640g bowl is a solid ratio. Low carbs, moderate fat, very filling. The main thing to watch is how much oil goes into the broth, and what you order alongside it.

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Calorie and macro figures are estimates for a typical hawker or kopitiam serving. Actual numbers vary by stall, recipe and portion size. Use them as a guide, not gospel.

New to all this? Read how I went from 128kg to 86kg without cutting rice →