Malaysia
Singapore
Thailand
I think it’s safe to say that turtle soup is a dying trade in Singapore. If I asked any of my Gen Z friends if they’ve ever tried it before, their answer would range from a dismissive no to an appalled stare. That’s why I was so curious to try out Wild Treasures Turtle Soup in Kim Keat Palm Market & Food Centre.
Unlike its sister dish, shark fin soup, it’s not easy to find a replacement for the key component of turtle soup — turtle meat. I’m sure many of you grew up watching documentaries in school about how endangered turtles are as a species. In fact, I even recall hearing about how several students from my Secondary School’s Boy Scout unit were sent overseas to learn about the effects of illegal turtle hunting.
Of course, I’m aware that some farms exist where turtles are ethically raised for consumption, which is likely where this stall sources their turtle meat from. Regardless, my curiosity to try an exotic dish has triumphed over my guilt. Here we go!
What I tried at Wild Treasures Turtle Soup
When the friendly uncle took my order, he then asked me where I was sitting. It turns out that he personally brings every single tray of food to the customer, which is a wonderful personal touch. I’d like to formally apologise to this kind man, as I moved to a table with better lighting and fewer stickers on it while he was cooking. Sorry!
The star of the show is Wild Treasure Turtle Soup’s Claypot Turtle Soup (S$12/17/22/27). I was dining solo, so I opted for the smallest portion. When I gazed into the ceramic clay pot, a soupy broth of dark green herbalness stared back. I was actually afraid that it appeared too murky, but the wolfberries that dotted the soup gave it a familiar fragrance that eased me in.
They also sold Herbal Black Chicken Soup (S$7) and Ginseng Chicken Soup (S$7), but they had run out of chickens when I arrived at 11am! What’s crazy is that they open at 10am, meaning either their supply was just low when I visited, or their chicken soup was just that popular.
Each bowl of turtle soup is prepared fresh, resulting in piping hot pots full of nourishing herbs and collagen. My first spoonful was rich in equal parts sweet and salty, with light undertones that made it very palatable. While I usually prefer more ‘gao‘ herbal soups, this thinner broth was a nice change of pace.
Unfortunately, the turtle meat didn’t really stick for me. Like most exotic meats, you can compare the texture to that of chicken, but that doesn’t really tell the whole story. Despite being submerged in soup, the turtle meat was chewy and tough. It didn’t help that the pieces were small and unassuming.
For my first impression of turtle meat, it’s not all that amazing. Perhaps I’m missing out on something?
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I liked the soft, gelatinous collagen-filled turtle skin, as it dissolved pleasantly like jelly in my mouth. My only gripe was that it was as sparse as the turtle meat.
As is customary with most other turtle soup shops, I was provided with a saucer of Wild Treasure Turtle Soup’s house-made chilli. I believe the thin, clean-tasting soup is meant to counter the thick, garlicky chilli, and vice versa.
Its strong flavours helped to cut through the firmness of the turtle meat and made chewing it a less agonising experience.
From what I heard, their Yam Rice (S$1.50) is a must-try. After tasting it for myself, I must recommend it to you as well. Each brown grain was coated in a faint sheen of sweet stickiness, just enough to convey the yam taste without forming clumps of rice.
The subtly sweet flavour of the yams was accompanied by mild fungal hints from the mushrooms, along with a powerful umami aftertaste. After doing some digging into the rice, I found tiny little shrimps scattered throughout the bowl, which explained this explosion of umami.
If the rice is still a bit too sticky for you, I highly encourage pouring the turtle soup into the rice.
Final thoughts
For my first rodeo into turtle soup, I’d say Wild Treasures Turtle Soup was a good introduction. I think their thin and herbally balanced soup serves as a good bowl to ease picky eaters into consuming traditional Chinese herbal soups, and that’s always a good thing. I hope we one day find an appropriate alternative to turtle meat, as I’d hate to see stalls like these go away.
Expected damage: S$12 per pax
