Malaysia
Singapore
Thailand
I’ve always associated Buddha Jumps Over The Wall in the same realm as Peking Duck and Bird’s Nest, which are food usually served in lavish Chinese restaurants. So imagine my astonishment seeing it on the menu, alongside other double-boiled soups at Ah Cheng Lao Huo Tang 阿成老火汤 within Marsiling Mall Hawker Centre.
Previously, the stall was operating from the defunct Woodlands Centre Road Food Centre near Woodlands checkpoint. Perhaps it was the buzz from photos showing insanely long queues at the stall that drove me to arrive at the hawker centre by 11am, which proved worthwhile. Why? Because there was hardly anyone— hip hip hooray!
There were several large silver cauldrons of soup lined up at the stall, each containing piping hot broths of goodness.
What I tried at Ah Cheng Lao Huo Tang 阿成老火汤
I started my double-boiled soup voyage with the opulent-sounding Buddha Jumps Over The Wall (S$8.50). Of course, this was a hawker stall and I wasn’t expecting much.
First impressions, the broth looked thick and luscious with a light-brown opaqueness which hid all its treasures from sight. The taste of the soup won me over from the first sip, it was seasoned to perfection and possessed a dried squid aftertaste, similar to peanut soup.
Armed with my chopsticks, I was struggling to lift up the hefty chicken drumstick which was quite substantial in size. The meat was soft and required minimal effort to bite into. However, taste wise, it was slightly bland.
The fish maw strips were like pieces of microfibre cloth, which absorbed copious amounts of broth and released the savoury goodness when my teeth bit into them.
The Buddha Jumps Over The Wall also had wolfberry bits, pieces of earthy black mushrooms, a single mussel and mock abalone pieces. Not bad for S$8.50, I must say!
I was only exposed to Watercress Pork Ribs Soup (S$5.50) when I went into the army. From then on, I developed a fondness for it and it has become one of my go-to soups whenever I have the feels. The clear broth was refreshing and slightly herbal with the distinctive taste of watercress.
The watercress was cooked just right, not too soft and overly tough to chew.
The pieces of pork ribs looked promising with bits of fat and tendon happening in between the meat. If I had to describe it in 1 word, it would be ‘inconsistent’. The first massive rib that I had melted in my mouth together with creamy fats while the next piece was a little tough.
The last soup that I tried was the Lotus Root Peanut Pork Ribs Soup (S$6.50). I’m a regular of Heng Heng Herbal Soup for the same soup, so I was eager to see if this rendition could match up. It felt as though time stood still for a split second, as I composed myself with what I had just tasted.
The broth was incredibly robust with a strong peanut taste, but yet was light enough to prevent me from feeling jelak— it was entirely on another level!
The peanuts were also significantly larger in size, and crumbled instantly in my mouth. All its goodness had already been absorbed by the broth.
Unlike the pork ribs in the Watercress Pork Ribs Soup earlier, the pieces here were like the wagyu of all pork ribs; super tender and extremely yummy. I reckon even if my grandma had forgotten her dentures, she could still chew them with ease— they were braised to perfection.
The thinly-sliced discs of lotus root were also a delight to have; soft and oh so satisfying.
If White Rice (S$0.50) is too basic, the stall offers Pumpkin Rice (S$1) to accompany your heartwarming bowls of soup. There were bits of cabbage scattered throughout, but I felt like I was on a scavenger hunt trying to find pumpkin bits. In the end, I only managed to find one and wished there was more.
To be honest, it tasted decent but wasn’t the best I’ve had.
The Olive Rice (S$1) was more subtle in taste, with bits of preserved olive embedded within. Each time I paired it with the soup, I had mistaken it for plain rice. In my opinion, it could have a stronger favour presence.
Final thoughts
When it comes to brewing double-boiled soups, Ah Cheng Lao Huo Tang 阿成老火汤 really mean business. I really enjoyed the Buddha Jumps Over The Wall and Lotus Root Peanut Pork Ribs Soup but feel that the recipe for their rice could be improved to improve the overall experience.
Regulars of this stall, do drop a comment if you feel otherwise.
If I’m around the Marsiling area in future, I will not hesitate to visit this stall once again to warm up my soul and entire being. Till then… adios!
Expected damage: S$5.50 – S$9.50 per pax
