The Painstaking Labour Behind Pig’s Organ Soup
Though this sounds like the start of a cliched horror story involving witchcraft, the organs in question are pig offal—ingredients for a young hawker’s pig organ soup (猪杂汤) and glutinous rice intestine (糯米肠). And Thomas is the 3rd generation hawker of Koh Brother Pig’s Organ Soup (许兄弟猪什汤), a family-run hawker business that started in 1955 as a push cart.
But why are stalls like Koh Brother so scarce? Why are they the only ones left selling glutinous rice wrapped in intestine? Offal is often thought of as “unwanted” or “discarded”, given that intestines are associated with bowel movements. And much like other organs like liver, they boast a texture that doesn’t feel quite the same as meat, making it a bit of an acquired taste. Likewise, when I spoke to a kway chap stall owner in Ang Mo Kio and another selling chicken feet (both declined to be named) about the perception of these rarer and more ‘divisive’ ingredients, both felt that the items they sell are dishes youngsters “don’t know how to eat”. The chicken feet seller suggested that “pork chops with pepper” would sell better, probably referring to the frequent crowds a Western stall in the same hawker centre receives.
So it was perhaps a little surprising to find Koh Brother with its fair share of loyal customers on a random weekday afternoon. While not the hour-long queues you find at Michelin-starred hawkers, you wouldn’t say that business isn’t good either. Using this crowd as a reference, you might actually say that Chinese Singaporeans love offal. And so I couldn’t help wondering: why do people really like these divisive ingredients? Is there some kind of a secret to unlocking one’s love for offal? Perhaps the best way to understand is to try the food for yourself.
Koh Brother Pig’s Organ Soup: First Organ Soup Stall With Michelin Bib Gourmand In Singapore
Like kway chap, pig’s organ soup is a dish you either love or can’t bear. If you’re in the former camp, we highly recommend you check out Koh Brother Pig’s Organ Soup, the only stall of its kind to have a place on the Michelin Bib Gourmand list.
As its name suggests, the heritage stall is run by the Koh family. Its roots stem back to 1955, when the stall was a pushcart outfit in Tiong Bahru, before occupying its current premises in Tiong Bahru Market and Food Centre.
They’re now in their third generation, and they’re famed for serving up Teochew-style pig’s organ soup. The stall sports consistently long queues during peak hours, and they tend to sell out before closing.
The broth here is clear but peppery and power-packed with flavour. Made fresh daily, the stock is prepared from slow-cooking pig’s bones and offal alongside preserved vegetables. If you’re someone who gets put off by the “stink” of offal dishes, you won’t find this here, as the stall goes the extra mile to ensure that their cuts are clean and scrubbed thoroughly before cooking.
Third Generation Hawker of Koh Brother Pig’s Organ Soup Opens A New Outlet In Maxwell
When you think of local food, pig’s organ soup or zhu zha tang is probably not the first food that comes to mind. However, to many millennials in Singapore, pig’s organ soup is actually considered to be one of their many comfort foods. Unfortunately, this tradition did not continue to the next generation. Most of us young people would shy away from having pig’s organ soup perhaps because the thought of eating pig innards sounds a little disgusting. This is exactly why Thomas Koh has decided to open his stall at Maxwell Food Centre, The Pig Organ Soup.
With Teochew origins, the Pig’s Organ Soup ($5.50) served here consists of a bowl of clear flavourful broth filled with pig innards such as the intestines, liver, heart, meatballs, pieces of lean meat as well as the most important ingredient, preserved mustard vegetables. It is usually eaten together with a bowl of rice and you could also take it with some side dishes. If you didn’t know, Thomas is in fact a third generation hawker whose grandfather used to run Koh Brother Pig’s Organ Soup in Tiong Bahru Market and Food Centre. Why the change in name and branding then? Thomas and his friends started this business with the aim of modernising the dish so that more young people can appreciate this Singaporean comfort food. While trying out more modern techniques in the preparation of the pig’s organ soup, Thomas also wants to ensure that the taste and flavour of the soup still stays true to its original heritage taste like the one at the Tiong Bahru branch.
With this new outlet, they have designed the stall to look more modern, with a simple yet trendy signboard, and a clean overall look. They also have a sign which lists out the ingredients in the dish with a rainbow coloured panel, enticing the younger crowd at Maxwell Food Centre. The Teochew style clear soup is made daily by boiling it with pig bones and salted pickled mustard vegetables. What is special is that Thomas and his friends take pride in making their soup clearer than the rest, with a slightly sweet base. One thing especially important when preparing pig’s organ soup is to clean the innards well, because you will certainly taste it if it wasn’t cleaned well. Of course with that being said, the intestines here are chewy, fresh, and void of any odour. They also cut the intestines open to ensure that it is clean, and it is also easier for eating,
Soon Lee Pig's Organ Soup
Since young, Mr Lee Kian Huat was determined to never walk the path of a hawker, but upon finding his grandfather's secret recipe of pig's organ soup, he decided to step out of his comfort zone and try something different. Since 1999, he has been serving pig's organ soup at Zion Riverside Food Centre while constantly revising the recipe to appeal to the younger generation.
This Popular Spot At Jalan Besar Serves Incredible Pig Organ Soup
Authentic Mun Chee Kee King of Pig’s Organ Soup at Jalan Besar is a popular go-to spot for many. Not only do they serve up comforting and tasty Pig Organ Soup, but they also serve other incredible dishes as well like their Vinegar Pig Trotters and Lu Rou Fan. If you’ve yet to check them out, this is a spot that’s not to be missed!
For those that didn’t know, Authentic Mun Chee Kee actually has two family outlets, with the other named Cheng Mun Chee Kee Pig Organ Soup located at Foch Road. Created by Uncle Mun Chee, the original recipe from 1973 continues to be used to this day, drawing customers from all over Singapore.
The stall offers a wide array of dishes ranging from Claypot Sesame Oil Chicken and Braised Pig Intestines to their popular Pig Organ Soup as well as their braised and vinegar pig trotters. With a ton of other side dishes to enjoy, it’s safe to say customers will definitely be spoiled for choice!
Ri Tao Fu Teochew Pig’s Organ Soup – Robust, Flavourful Bowls of Pig’s Organ Soup in Jalan Kukoh Food Centre!
Oftentimes, some of the best hawker dishes can be found in coffee shops that are slightly more out of the way but the journey is always 100% worth it. Ri Tao Fu Teochew Pig’s Organ Soup is one of those, and the literal hike up the small hill leading up to Jalan Kukoh Food Centre will bring you to one of the best pig’s organ soups in Singapore.
Tan Jo Huak has been dishing out piping hot bowls of pig’s organ soup since he was 20 and is still going strong at the age of 63. He officially took over the stall from his father about 40 years ago. He made the choice to focus on pig’s organ soup because he believes that too many dishes will cause his attention to be divided and affect the quality of the food.
“All we do is to do things honestly and with our passion,” he emphasised, as he continued sharing that he strives to keep his recipe authentic so everyone will be getting a taste of the original flavours of the pig’s organ soup even through the years.
10 places to get the best pig’s organ soup in Singapore
Including a stall that’s been awarded the Michelin Bib Gourmand for multiple years
When it comes to Teochew food, dishes such as braised duck, soon kueh and orh nee (yam’s paste) first come to mind. But another equally heart dish from the Chinese dialect group is the pig’s organ soup. Though the dish sounds deceptively simple, it actually is difficult to execute well. For starters, the pig’s offals such as the liver, kidney and intestines need to be washed thoroughly to remove any off-putting gamey stench. The broth then needs to balance the umami of the protein with other herbs and pepper added to make the comforting soup. Ahead are 10 hawker stalls that have mastered the dish and are ready to serve you a bowl of comforting pig’s organ soup:
- Koh Brother Pig's Organ Soup - Fans of pig’s organ soup would find Koh Brother a familiar name. After all, the family-run business has been around since its inception in 1955 by Koh Kee Teo before being managed by third-generation owners now.
- Authentic Mun Chee Kee King of Pig’s Organ Soup - There are two hawker stalls with similar names selling pig’s organ soup — Authentic Mun Chee Kee and the next on the list, Cheng Mun Chee Kee. Both of them originated from the same family before branching out.
- Cheng Mun Chee Kee Pig Organ Soup - Cheng Mun Chee Kee is just a few minutes walk from the previous entrant that shares a similar name. This means that you can easily try both on the same day and decide on your favourite.
- Soon Huat Pig's Organ Soup - Soon Huat is another reason to head to the popular Serangoon Garden Market & Food Centre. There’s usually a long line of people queueing to score a bowl of its tangy pig’s organ soup that is accented with preserved vegetables, tomato slices and fried garlic oil.
- Ah Keat Pig’s Organ Soup - Having been in the same coffee shop for over 30 years, Ah Keat continues to remain popular for its two namesake dishes — pig’s organ soup and kway cha
- Ri Tao Fu Teochew Pig Organ Soup - Good food is often elusive and needs some effort to get to. It is the same at Ri Tao Fu as it is located up a small hill at the Jalan Kukoh Food Centre. The stall is now headed by second-generation owner Tan Jo Huak who took over the reins from his father over 40 years ago.
- Aik Kee Haslet Soup - If you love your pig’s organ soup to be peppery and punchy in flavour almost akin to the peppery-style bak kut teh, head to Aik Kee.
- Jia Jia Xing Pig's Organ Soup - After an invigorating walk along the adjacent Lower Peirce Reservoir Park, head to Jia Jia Xing to rest your feet and refuel.
- Say Seng Cooked Food - Say Seng is located near Bugis MRT and adjacent to the Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple.
11 Pig’s Organ Soup Stalls In Singapore For Comforting Broth, Including A Stall Open Since 1950s
Pig’s organ soup, also known as 猪杂汤, is a Teochew dish that has taken on a life of its own in Malaysia and Singapore. Typically, a bowl comprises a light, clear broth that’s packed with a variety of pig offal: liver, intestines, stomach, heart, and pig’s blood are commonplace. The soup is enriched with preserved or fresh vegetables, as well as fried or fresh onions for flavour. Rice and a zingy chilli sauce finish the meal.
While the ingredients sound straightforward, the preparation of pig’s organ soup can be a tricky one. Offal can be “smelly” and offputting when not cleaned properly. So, if you’re looking for the best pig’s organ soup stalls in Singapore that do it right, look no further than this guide.
Best pig’s organ soup in Singapore:
Pig's organ soup (simplified Chinese: 猪杂汤; traditional Chinese: 豬雜湯; pinyin: zhū zá tāng; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: ti-cha̍p-thng, tu-cha̍p-thng) or chheng-thng (清湯), is a Malaysian and Singaporean soup that is made from pork offal. The dish is a clear soup, served with other optional side dishes as well as rice.
The broth is boiled from a mix of offal including liver, heart, intestines, stomach, tongue, pig blood curd, as well as pork meat slices, strips of salted vegetables, celtuce and a sprinkle of chopped onion leaves and pepper.
Side dishes include braised tofu puffs, and eggs and salted vegetables sometime are served. The meal is usually served with a special chili sauce or soy sauce with chopped hot chili.
