The Benefits and Restrictions of Drinking Chinese Soups

Mdm Saw Lye Chong, who was a judge for ASEAN games (taiji), explained to us the benefits of drinking soup. You cannot tell she’s 70-something. Obviously, the soups are working! She said, “I don’t have many skills to do charity work so boiling soups is my contribution to return something to the society.” She also said that it is very different for a person her age to “走出社会,” that is, to continue working at her age because many doors are closed to her. Ageism–as with other prejudices–is terrible. We admire and salute her zeal and spirit. Add oil!

The soups at Soup Guru is boiled at constant fire (老火) from 7am with fresh ingredients delivered to the stall daily. A constant fire ensures the essence of ingredients are infused into the soup. No MSG. Soups are refillable.

A section of the food court is reserved just for Soup Guru patrons.

You can choose from one of the three types of rice. Even the rice has health benefits!
Pumpkin rice:  beautifying
Brown rice: for elderly or people with joint problems and arthritis.
Yam rice: for muscle health

Taste-wise, we’d recommend the pumpkin rice, sweet and complex.

Pear and Apple Pork Ribs Soup ($4.50)
Benefits: Cooling for “heaty” people; detox; beautifying; and helps people with bloating problems or “wind” in their stomach.

Lotus Root Pork Ribs Soup ($5)
Benefits: Cooling, good for lungs and liver.

Old Cucumber Pork Ribs Soup ($5)
Benefits:  Cooling, detox, improves complexion.

Gingko Pork Tripe Pepper Soup ($5.50)
Benefits: Good for stomach and complexion; prevents vaginal discharge.
Restriction: Do not eat more than 15 gingko nuts a day; gingko is toxic in high amount.

Papaya pork ribs with white fungus soup ($5)
Benefits: Whitens, moisturizes, for youthfulness. (OMG, I need lots of this.)

Winter Melon Barley Detoxifying Soup ($5)
Benefits: cooling, good for complexion, regulates metabolic rate.
Restriction: Not suitable for people with weak constitution.

Chinese yam wolfberries pork ribs soup ($6.80)
Benefits: Strengthens the kidney and back (good for men for you-know-what and good for pregnant women to strengthen bones and back.) I need lots of this too!
Restriction:  Not for people with colds.

Ten tonic ginseng chicken soup ($8)
Benefits:  Good for anemics and menopausal women.
Restrictions: Not for “heaty” or hyperactive people. (Oh, I’m very heaty, this soup is not for me.)
Extra info: this soup is so potent that Mdm Soh told us that her customer told her he can 撞墙 (bang wall) after drinking the soup. The 48 men charged for sex with underaged prostitute must be having lots of this soup.

Buddha jumps over the wall ($8)
Benefits: Good for overall vitality and complexion.

How to tell if you have strong or weak constitution:
After drinking the soup, if you can’t sleep at night, it means you have a weak constitution and should improve it by drinking more soup.
If you sleep well like a baby (which I did), it means you have a strong constitution and should maintain it by drinking more soup.

Mdm Soh also told us that drinking soup at different times of the day have different effects:
早上喝汤，身体健康
晚上喝汤，长命百岁

It means if you drink in the day, you will be healthy. Drinking soups at night gives you longevity.

Tastewise, the soups are one of the sweetest I’ve drunk in my life, naturally sweetened by the hours of slow boiling. Using the same base broth, they taste similar. The sweetest soup–good for children–is the pear and apple. The lightest is winter melon soup. Gingko pork tripe soup is the spiciest while the most complex goes to Buddha.

Soup Guru 汤大师
313 Somerset Level 5
Singapore 238895

M-F, Sun & PH: 10am-10pm
Sat and eve of PH: 10am-11pm.

Outlet:
Food Opera @ Ion Orchard
2 Orchard Turn
Ion Ochard #B4-03/04
Singapore 238801

M-Th, Sun & PH: 10am-10pm
F, Sat & Eve: 10am-11pm

Rating: 3.813/5 stars

PS: We thank Joy, Daphne, Mdm Soh and the staff at Soup Guru for making this a memorable tasting. We are edified. Thanks!