Regardless of the time and occasion, hot, tasty bowls of soup have never failed to elicit satisfied undertones of “ahhh” with those first few sips. One of the simplest, yet most pleasing, indulgences for a society in love with our food, here are 5 of the most irresistible soup dishes from our vibrant hawker scene for that tantalising perk-me-up through gloomy days and rainy weather.
Day Night Herbal Soup
(Image: foodpanda)
Whenever we think of an ideal Asian homecooked meal, many of us also envision a nourishing bowl of soup, lovingly boiled over hours using methods and ingredients as taught by our forefathers. Serving a wide array of traditional herbal soups to heartlanders around the island, Day Night Herbal Soup offers up some of the most heart-warming dining experiences with classics like ABC Chicken Soup, Peanut with Chicken Feet Soup, and Watercress with Pork Ribs Soup, and more nutrient-packed options such as Black Chicken Herbal Soup, Ginseng Chicken Soup, and Assorted Herbal Duck Soup. Find them at Bedok Interchange Hawker Centre (208B New Upper Changi Road, #01-21), Clifford Centre (24 Raffles Place, #B1-01/10), Our Tampines Hub (51 Tampines Ave 4, #01-35), Bukit Panjang Hawker Centre and Market (2 Bukit Panjang Ring Road, #01-22), Kampung Admiralty Hawker Centre (676 Woodlands Drive 71, #02-08), and Kopitiam at Northpoint City (930 Yishun Ave 2, #B2-12).
Feng Xiang Bak Kut Teh
Founded amidst a global lockdown brought on by the pandemic, Feng Xiang Bak Kut Teh was born out of the founders’ craving for a taste of their hometown in Klang. Internationally famed for their bak kut teh, Feng Xiang Bak Kut Teh brings the signature taste of Klang’s herbal bak kut teh to Singaporeans using age-old family recipes, painstakingly brewing their soup using quality herbs, spices, and the freshest of ingredients over long hours to bring out authentic flavours that do right by their heritage. To complement your bak kut teh meal, there’s also their Fried Porridge, a unique Klang dish bursting with umami and wokhei flavours. Visit them at their newest outlet within Beauty World Food Centre (144 Upper Bukit Timah Road, #04-65), or head over to Fernvale Hawker Centre & CC (21 Sengkang West Ave, #03-01), Food Republic @ Breadtalk IHQ (30 Tai Seng Street, #01-06), or Food Republic @ VivoCity (1 HarbourFront Walk, #03-01).
Spinach Yong Tau Foo Soup
(Image: Arevainna)
A recent hawker trend for those amongst us who prefer healthier diets, spinach soup has become a common sight in many hawker and food centres island-wide. And of those, one of the most popular standout stalls is this one, conveniently located within the heart of Ang Mo Kio, famed for their bowls of nourishing greens complemented with a variety of yong tau foo bites that are made fresh daily. Using equally abundant amounts of spinach and yellow beans, their soup packs an unforgettable sweet-savoury punch. Find them at Ang Mo Kio Central Market & Food Centre (724 Ang Mo Kio Ave 6, #01-40), or drop by their other outlets at Bukit Merah View Market & Hawker Centre (115 Bukit Merah View, #01-16), and Albert Centre (270 Queen St, #01-58).
Xing Ji Rou Cuo Mian
If you don’t recognise the name right off the bat, that may be because they’re also better known as that Bedok 85 Soup Bak Chor Mee. Proudly serving the only authentic soup based minced meat noodle in Singapore for over 50 years, they’re a perennial fixture on any list of local hawker fare, garnering an array of accolades over multiple generations of foodies. Standing out with their distinct noodle soup – a definitively different experience from our usual dry minced meat noodles – their soup boasts a consistent, rich flavour, along with generous servings of fresh minced pork and meatballs that accompany springy noodles. You’d already know it – but just in case, find them at Fengshan Food Centre (85 Bedok North Road, #01-07).
Yan Ji Seafood Soup
For almost 4 decades, Yan Ji Seafood Soup has been a mainstay on the list of our local hawker scene’s souper-heroes. Now helmed by the late founder’s son, they offer a taste of tradition and proud family heritage. From what started as a novelty in the 80s, they successfully created a new hawker fixture and built a firm following of fans with their piping hot bowls of rich broth, slow-cooked for up to 6 hours with old hen, pork ribs, Chinese ham, and Japanese scallops – then enhanced with minced pork, dried mushroom, and dried sole fish over high heat for that added incredible flavour. Find their newest outlet at Foodhub @ Bedok (209 New Upper Changi Road, #01-633), or drop by Marsiling Mall Hawker Centre (4 Woodlands St 12, #01-26), 19 Marsiling Lane, #01-283, or 219 Jalan Besar.
