Were you a picky eater as a kid? I know I was since I would pick out all the peas and carrots off my plate of fried rice and bean sprouts from my char kway teow. But there’s just this one dish that my grandmother got me addicted to—an off-radar soup item that might not appeal to all but if you muster the courage to try, it might get you hooked on forever. It’s pig’s organ soup.
Having stayed around Serangoon for most of my life, my to-go choice for a good bowl of pig’s organ soup would probably be Soon Huat Pig’s Organ Soup at Serangoon Garden. However, I was soon a convert when a fellow foodie friend of mine introduced me to Koh Brother Pig’s Organ Soup.
Koh Brother Pig’s Organ Soup started out in the 50s as a pushcart by Mr Koh Kee Teo. With his secret recipe, the dish became a hit, attracting the likes of many diners and grew to the stall it is today. Currently helmed by the family’s third generation—Thomas Koh, Koh Brother Pig’s Organ Soup continues to serve the family’s original recipe to new and regular patrons at Tiong Bahru Food Centre.
What I tried
The first pig’s organ soup stall to be awarded the Michelin Bib Gourmand Singapore 2019, I soon realised how this humble bowl of soup made from parts of the pig we would normally discard became such a hit after trying it for myself.
I have had my fair share of pig’s organ soup, but never have I seen one that was as clear as the Pig’s Organ Soup (S$4.50/S$5.50) sold at this stall. Specialising in Teochew-style clear soup, the broth is made daily with pig’s bones after hours of boiling. It is then cooked with a generous serving of salted mustard vegetables, lean meat, meatballs and different offals such as kidneys, intestines, heart, and tripe.
One sip of the soup and I instantly felt all the fatigue in my body being washed away. Flavoured heavily by the salted mustard vegetables, the soup steered towards the tangy side, with subtle hints of natural sweetness imparted to the stock from the pork bones and offals.
What I particularly enjoyed about this hearty bowl of soup was it did not rely on strong peppery flavours to mask the offensive smell of the pig organs. In fact, there wasn’t any nasty smell at all—a clear indication of how much effort the owners took to clean out the innards before they serve them to customers.
The pig’s organs were all cooked to perfection and out of the variety in the bowl, my favourite was definitely the large intestines that were cut into halves and scraped absolutely clean. The intestines had a nice chewy texture and slightly pungent taste that paired extremely well with the chilli and dark soy sauce served on the sides. The dark horse of this dish was certainly the salted mustard vegetable as it added a finishing touch to the soup by bringing the flavours together and elevating its texture with a bit of crunch.
Besides the Pig’s Organ Soup, the stall also sells an off-menu item from yesteryears that is not commonly seen in hawker stalls or restaurants today—Large Intestines Stuffed With Glutinous Rice And Chestnuts (S$3). Due to its fastidious preparation, this is a dish that is slowly fading away as the decades move along.
Warm, soft and sticky, although the glutinous rice soaked up the savouriness of the pig’s intestines and exuded a subtle sweetness from the steamed chestnuts, I felt that it still tasted a little too bland when eaten alone. That’s when the dark soy sauce came into play, enhancing the flavours of the dish with an additional touch of umami.
Final thoughts
Not staying in the vicinity? Worry not, as they are also doing delivery on WhyQ. Pop in your postal code into WhyQ’s application or website and who knows, you might be able to get them to deliver to your doorstep!
P.S.: A little tip for you if you are tapau–ing the Large Intestines Stuffed With Glutinous Rice And Chestnuts: try panfrying them for a few minutes before eating. You will be surprised by how good this dish taste when the glutinous rice crisp up and get a little burnt on its sides.
Expected damage: S$4.50 – S$8 per pax
Price: $
Our Rating: 4 / 5
Koh Brother Pig’s Organ Soup
30 Seng Poh Road, Tiong Bahru Market and Food Centre, Singapore 168898
Koh Brother Pig’s Organ Soup
30 Seng Poh Road, Tiong Bahru Market and Food Centre, Singapore 168898