Feeling rather tired physically (and mentally) of late, I couldn't be more glad to hop over to Souper Tang 汤师父 for dinner. Why? Because the restaurant is best known for their lineup of herbal soups and nourishing fare. Need that boost of vitality real badly.
If the brand name sounds familiar, it's because the well-respected chain from Malaysia has 18 branches across its homeland. You might have came across it before when in Johor Bahru, Malacca, Kuala Lumpur, and Ipoh?
The recently-opened outlet at level 2 of Singapore's newly-revamped Centrepoint mall marks their first overseas outpost.
Souper Tang's founders started out running their own medical hall in Johor Bahru back in 1991 (can be assured of their expertise in Chinese herbs), and has since diversified the business to include hamper services (for customers keen on getting herbs as gifts for friends and family), and subsequently opened their first restaurant in 2009 serving soups enhanced with these beneficial herbs.
Convenient retail packs are available if you wish to brew a pot of herbal goodness at home, but for working adults like myself, visiting the restaurant would be the more hassle-free option.
I just want to laze down and enjoy a bowl of steaming hot double-boiled soup that has been simmered for over 8 hours. Options are quite aplenty, totaling 12 to be exact.
For individual servings, selection includes the "Original Six" which have been on the menu since its inception, namely, Panex Ginseng Chicken Soup ($15.90), American Ginseng Soup with Black Chicken ($15.90), Ning Shen Remedying Soup ($12.90), Tian Qi Nourishing Soup ($13.90), Gelatin Ba Zhen Nourishing Soup ($12.90) and Shi Quan - The 10 Herbs Soup ($13.90)
The ten-herb soup is one of the most common herbal formulas in Chinese medicine, and rather popular among diners as it is said to give the body an all-round boost and helps nourish the immunity system by stimulating the appetite (oops could it be why I ate so much that evening? Lol!)
Despite being robust in flavors, there wasn't any bitterness that's usually associated with herbal soup, but rounded off with an intense sweetness. Though enjoyable, it could be considered a tad rich for some.
I prefer the Souper Tang Signature Soup ($26.90 for 2pax, $39.90 for 4pax), which felt lighter, yet presented a whole realm of flavors that was extremely pleasant to the senses.
Fortified with American ginseng, ginseng root, cordyceps flower, conpoy (dried scallop), shiitake mushrooms, fish maw, chicken pieces and glutinous rice wine, the broth contained an abundance of wholesome deliciousness! Love it!
Another great pot for sharing is the super green Signature Souper Pesto Pot ($25.90 for 2-3pax). I wonder if the color of the broth would turn people off (especially those who are adverse to vegetables), but tastewise, the in-house pesto mix of green vegetables, basil, mint, laksa leaf and pine nut was actually delectable! Okay, I must add... in an unique way. The host of accompanying ingredients including Chinese spinach, corn, enoki mushrooms, beancurd sheets, firm tofu, black fungus and red sweet potato noodles soaked up the pesto broth just nicely.
More than just soup, Souper Tang also offers hearty dishes such as the Claypot Atlantic Cod & Fish Maw ($29.90) that helps in lowering cholesterol levels, a lip-smacking rendition of Braised Pork Belly ($18.90) in rich dark sauce and Angelica Roots, as well as succulent Steamed Chicken with Cordycep Flowers ($19.90) which has a whole bottle of chicken essence poured in right before serving for that added oomph.
The Stir-fried French Bean with Pu Er ($11.90) came highly recommended as a must-try item. Wow! It met almost all expectations with perfectly-executed crunch. How do I even describe the addictive-ness of the saltish seasoning and subtle hints of tea fragrance? The only drawback was that the dish was rather oily... I needed a bowl of white rice to counter that!
But I decided not to spend my carbs intake limit on the rice, and saved it for something even better..... Mee Suah tossed in Abalone Sauce ($3.90)!
Didn't think too much of the plain-looking wheat vermicelli initially, but it turned out to be awesome! Its springy texture coupled with bursts of umami flavors from the sauce was gratifying in every bite. The mee suah was the biggest surprise of the evening, and definitely left the deepest impression.
The Caramel Ginger Beancurd ($3.90) was another highlight! Not quite the traditional beancurd version, but lean towards a pudding-like texture albeit softer and silkier. The spicy twang and slight crunch from the ginger notched up the delightfulness of this dessert even higher.
One drawback about the entire food experience was that it felt increasingly heavy and greasy on the palate as we progressed further into the meal. Maybe I'm more accustomed to clearer and brighter dishes instead of the 重口味 (intense in taste) types.
That aside, overall it was still a delicious meal at Souper Tang. I will not hesitate to return for their signature soup, mee suah and caramel ginger beancurd, and perhaps to try their one-dish meal such as Simmered Sesame Chicken Pot ($12.90) and Souper Braised Pork Rice ($10.90) too.
Souper Tang 汤师父
Address: 176 Orchard Road, Centrepoint #02-52, Singapore 238843
Contact: +65 6737 6772
Website: http://soupertang.com/
Opening Hours: Daily 11.30am-10pm
Prices are (1) Stated in Singapore dollars (2) Subject to 10% service charge & 7% GST (3) Correct at point of published date.
Is the soup refillable ? just asking.
ReplyDeleteI wish it's refillable, but..... no
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