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People have always remarked on my adventurous palate. However, that’s mainly due to the fact that I live by the motto ‘try everything once’ – that way, you can properly decide if you love it or hate it. This mindset was ingrained in me from a young age when my sister would make me try all kinds of ‘weird’ food. I’m talking kway chap, escargot, and her personal favourite, Pig Organ Soup.
So when I saw the rave reviews online for Ri Tao Fu Teochew Pig Organ Soup, my inner child was ecstatic to give it a go. With a history spanning 2 generations, this stall is quietly tucked away in Jalan Kukoh Food Centre which is somewhere along the outskirts of Chinatown. Bear in mind though, you might have to take a small hike up a hill to get there!
Entering the food centre, I was surprised that this quiet, run-of-the-mill location could house one of the best Pig Organ Soups I’ve had in my life. As I placed my order– in whatever broken Mandarin I could muster, as the uncle mainly spoke Mandarin– he immediately knew what I was there for and ushered me to take a seat at a nearby table while he prepared the dishes.
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What I tried at Ri Tao Fu Teochew Pig Organ Soup
I didn’t have to worry about overeating here, as I only tried 2 of their star dishes, both of which came highly recommended by online reviews.
First off, the star of the show: the Pig Organ Soup (S$5/S$6). The uncle immediately gave me the S$5 portion (mainly for 1 person), which was definitely plenty.
The bowl was piled with copious amounts of ingredients: liver, stomach, meatballs, and other offal, along with traditional pork slices – all perfectly cleaned and cooked until tender. Both the pig’s liver and meatballs had a nice firmness, with the liver possessing a certain mealy texture, while the stomach was pleasantly chewy.
All the cuts were enjoyable alone or when paired with their homemade chilli sauce, which had a tangy, spicy kick and was overall just super addictive! The broth was just as exemplary, with a robust savoury flavour profile, a slight kick from the sprinkled white pepper and the pickled vegetables, added another layer of flavour with its tanginess.
Moving on to the Braised Meat (S$5/S$6), which featured a medley of pork belly, tau pok, and an egg on the side, with a generous ladle of braising sauce all over the plate.
What can I say? Everything worked amazingly well. The meat was incredibly tender with an almost melt-in-your-mouth texture and paired wonderfully with rice. The tau pok did a fantastic job of soaking up the braising liquid and was incredibly soft and flavourful.
My only gripe with this dish was that the braising liquid didn’t have a stronger flavour profile. Other than that, everything was spot-on with this dish!
Final Thoughts
Pig Organ Soup was a dish I grew up with, and while it had been a long time since I’d eaten it, I was pleasantly surprised that this place brought back all those childhood memories.
The only downside is its out-of-the-way location, but I genuinely wouldn’t mind making this trip occasionally. I’d probably bring my sister here the next time since she was the one who introduced pig organ soup to me in the first place.
Expected damage: S$10 – S$15 per pax
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