Latest update (22.12.2014): Fassler’s new retail outlet at Tiong Bahru is now open! Check out my post here.
I was unlucky to have torn a ligament on my right foot earlier and my doctor had suggested that I consume more salmon to speed up the healing process hence this spurred my decision to visit the salmon factory at Woodlands Terrace just so I could buy the fish in bulk.
Actually I had heard about these food factories in Woodlands 8 years ago when one of my colleagues then would drive a few of us there to grab some of the best brownies and gelatos I ever had so this time round, I decided to go exploring the entire Woodlands Terrace stretch with my godma who is always game for deals & bargains like me.
This blog post will be split into 3 parts as we managed to visit 3 factories within 2 hours in the morning. A fruitful trip with a bountiful loot. Let’s read on.
If you’re heading to Woodlands Terrace by public transport, take the MRT to Admiralty Station, cross the overhead bridge and take bus service 964. Alight at the 10th bus stop along Woodlands Link. You’d see a road slightly ahead that turns to the left. This is Woodlands Terrace where a number of food factories are open for business to the public. Products you can get from these factories range from frozen food, bottled sauces, canned food, seafood, chinese steamed buns & dim sum items, beef, mutton, sausages, ham, steamboat ingredients like fish balls, dried goods, snacks and desserts.
Just remember if you intend to buy frozen food and seafood, do bring along a cooler bag or box to keep your products fresh.
We arrived in Woodlands Terrace just before 9am and headed straight to Fassler Gourmet which is a factory dealing mainly with salmon & seafood.
Facade of the Fassler factory
Fresh salmon & tuna sashimi are available for sale too in pre-cut slices and uncut blocks
This is the freezer that houses all the frozen seafood at -18 deg C
A word of caution – it is very, very cold inside. I could barely withstand the cold and had to keep popping outside to ‘defrost’ myself. I was wearing flip flops because of my bandaged foot and my toes felt numb and frozen. Jackets and coats are provided on-site if you need them. Or cover yourself up in long pants, long sleeves and shoes before you come here.
This is one half of the freezer on the right hand side
There are different grades of salmon in various cuts, marinated and non-marinated ones too
Selections of smoked salmon as well as different sashimi which you can just defrost and consume
Other fish and Canadian lobsters are available too
Different types of prawns (ang ka, grey, white and tiger), scallops (de-shelled, half-shelled or wholes), shishamo (pregnant fish), calamaris to choose from
I did not manage to take a picture of the other half of the freezer where more salmon, sauces, soups were because of condensation on my camera lens.
A glimpse of my loot from Fassler:
Broccoli Cheese Soup $3.50, Bostom Clam Chowder $3.80 & Cream of Lobster Bisque $5.00
Each pack of soup is 500g, good enough for sharing between 2 persons. The Boston Clam Chowder is rich and creamy, with plenty of clams inside! Haven’t tried the other two yet.
Smoked salmon ($8.90 per pack) – I love!
I made salads with these smoked salmon and with just a light dressing of lemon juice and fish sauce. Tastes good!
Seasoned baby octopus, just like what you’d get at Japanese sushi places
This same quantity would have cost $14 from NTUC Fairprice’s sushi counter so it’s 60% cheaper at Fassler. And it tastes exactly the same as the supermarket’s. Probably both have the same supplier?
2 kg of salmon belly cubes, 1 kg of salmon slices, 3 huge pieces of salmon fillets and 1 big bag of salmon jaws & cheeks
Price for the salmon belly cubes was just $10.00/kg. For $5-$6, I could only get a few pieces from NTUC Fairprice. Salmon belly tastes good when pan-fried or added to miso soups. The salmon slices was $12.00/kg. What a steal, really. All pure meat with no bones. Perfect for pan-frying or fried rice. The salmon fillet was $22/kg which is about 20% cheaper than Fairprice’s lowest grade of salmon. And the bag of odds and ends with jaws and cheeks? Only $2.00 per bag. Though it looks like it’s only a bag of bones, any salmon (or fish) connoisseur would know that the best bits are in the cheek area. I used them for fish stock as well as to pan-fry till crisp and then eat it alone like a snack. One auntie customer there suggested to me to cook the jaws and cheeks with tau cheo (fermented soya beans). Will try that next time.
My godma bought the more premium grades of salmon as well as several packs of saba fillets, unagi (eel) and ebiko (prawn roe) because her sons love them.
300g pre-cut salmon sashimi slices at $12 per pack
This is probably the most affordable sashimi in Singapore. 300g comprises of approximately 34 slices. The husband and I had it for dinner, so much for the two of us, that I felt sickly of it. The sashimi is of course not of Japanese air-flown standard but they are very fresh and sweet and of mid-range Japanese restaurants’ standard like Sakae, Ichiban or Sushi Tei. I like that Fassler sells fresh wasabi too at $0.60 per 50g tub and Kikkoman sashimi soy sauce $3.30 so you can get everything at once and enjoy your sashimi immediately when home.
If you’re tempted by these bargains and are planning to make a trip down, do check out their website for the updated price list (in excel format) as well as opening hours (for January & February 2014) during this CNY festive season. I’m heading there again to grab some seafood for CNY steamboat as well as the salmon sashimi for Lo Hei so if you see me there, do say hello!
Do note Fassler only accepts cash and cheque payments (no NETS or credit cards) so bring ample cash along. You can easily spend over $100 here, probably more if you have a big family and if you need to stock up.
Happy shopping!
Fassler Gourmet Pte Ltd
46 Woodlands Terrace
Website
[In Part 2 of this post, I will be covering Melvados where you can get some of the best tasting chocolate brownies, D24 durian cake, gelatos, lasagnes, baked pasta & rice and more. Check out Food Factory Outlet Shopping at Woodlands Terrace (Part 2 of 3): Melvados]
[In Part 3 of this post, I will be introducing CS Tay where you can get frozen quick-meal meat products like Japanese seaweed chicken, nuggets and more. Check out Food Factory Outlet Shopping at Woodlands Terrace (Part 3 of 3): CS Tay]
[Update 12/06/14: Got some great buys from my second shopping trip at Fassler. Check out Food Factory Outlet Shopping at Woodlands Terrace: Fassler Gourmet and Zac Meat & Poultry]
hello, do you know if they sell whole salmons? (not chopped up) the whole fish still in 1 piece
Hi, they do sell whole salmons but without the heads. Current price is $17.50 per kg. You can check out their price list on their website for salmon prices. Cheers.
Just to add on, these salmon are whole.. meaning from the head point to tail has different texture. Not suggesting anyone to get the whole fillet if it is just particularly for 1 type of cooking.
Get the portioned fillet.. same at fassler, which if i am not wrong would be $7plus. Very well proportioned.
Also to add on, never use these frozen salmon as sashimi.
Good point made. Thanks for sharing, Lloyd.
Hi! Just read your post and would like to find out if they have items for steamboat. Like those fish tofu, cheese tofu, crab meatballs and things like that. Thanks!
Hi Bernie, Fassler doesn’t sell steamboat ingredients as it specialises mainly in salmon & other seafood. However you can get steamboat products from Li Chuan Food Products at 40 Woodlands Terrace. Check out their website http://www.lichuan.com.sg/ for more info. Hope this helps. Cheers!
Thanks Geri! Will check them out!
No problem, Bernie 🙂 Have a good day!
Hi, I believe that the wasabi isn’t the fresh grated from root kind actually. It’s those that is made from powder (and not actually “real” wasabi) IIRC.
You might be right cos’ the colour looked a little too green (artificial). They mentioned it was freshly prepared so I thought it was the grated kind. Thanks for letting me know!
WOW!!! This is so near my house and being a Sashimi lover, I must really explore this place!
Lucky you! And yes you should go check it out 🙂
Hi Geri, I saw your pictures above that they sell sockeye salmon fillets but I don’t see them when I made my trip down today. I only saw salmon fillets but the origin was not mentioned.
Hi Michelle, I haven’t seen sockeye salmon being stocked up for quite some time in my last few trips. It’s always best to call them to check on availability of products before you head down esp. if you’re only looking at a particular range of salmon. The salmon fillets that I had previously bought on a few occasions at $22/kg were from China (will be stated on the labels). For those with no mention, it’s best to check with the staff directly. Cheers.
Do u know if the prices are comparable with Song fish at pandan loop area
Hello Francis, prices are equally competitive at both places for eg. frozen salmon at $22/kg (same price). Of course, there are hits & misses depending on what product you’re looking for. Only difference is the origin of products may be different and that Fassler doesn’t carry fresh fish like Song does. Cheers.
Is it opening sunday? Walk in will do?
The factory is not open on Sunday but you can head over to their retail outlet at Tiong Bahru which is open on weekends from 9am to 6pm. Prices at both outlet and factory are the same. Do check out their website for more info. Cheers.