A long queue has formed before the opening hours of 11am at Block 115 Bukit Merah View Hawker Centre, all to get their hands on a bowl of hot Mutton Soup.
Chai Chuan Tou Yang Rou Tang 柴船头羊肉汤 with more than 30 years of history, has been included in the Michelin Bib Gourmand.
Could be a slight surprise to some.
Not that the Mutton Soup is not worthy, but the Michelin inspectors are actually accepting of the not-so-conventional street food filled with innards and even lamb brain.
This seems to be popular food for the older generation, as the stall attracts a long line of taxi driver uncles and workers during lunch time.
Do the young even drink Mutton Soup nowadays? But we don’t even see many of such stalls around nowadays.
There was a line of about 20 to 30 people after I left. I was Number 10 in the queue, and it was about a 20 minutes’ wait or so.
The stall serves up a variety, from mutton meat, balls, tendon, tripe to even brain, all priced affordable at $5, $6, $7 or $8.
A very friendly lady came forward to ask what you would want, ask a few questions (like whether you want additional parts, or takeaway) and shouted her order across.
The person inside could actually remember ALL OF THAT – of orders of different combinations… more tripe, no balls, less this, more of that.
I ordered a Mixed Bowl, and all of that with rice is only at $7. Plus, I hear that soup is re-fillable.
Compared to the Hainanese styles, this soup is more towards the Teochew-style which is slightly peppery and herbal.
The Mutton Soup came across very pleasant, flavourful with slight aromatic herbal taste that didn’t overpower (compared to some other soups which could be just one-dimensional herbal or peppery).
The meats and parts came across as tender and soft, had slight gamey taste, best savoured with a dip of the tangy chilli (similar to what you get from a beef noodle stall).
A straw was also given for you to suck through the mutton marrow.
The only thing was, drinking the entire bowl of soup made me feel rather ‘heaty’, and having a cooling drink would have helped.
Loved it. For those with the impression Mutton Soup could be too ‘adventurous’ or strong-smelling, could give Chai Chuan Tou Mutton Soup a try.
Only thing is, it operates from 11am and often gets sold out by 2pm.
If you are there at Bukit Merah View Hawker Centre, another Michelin Bib Gourmand Singapore stall is Na Na Homemade Curry, though its queue is not half as long.
Chai Chuan Tou Yang Rou Tang 柴船头羊肉汤
Bukit Merah View Hawker Centre #01-51, 115 Bukit Merah View, Singapore 151115
Opening Hours: 11am – 1:30pm (Tues – Sat), Closed Sun, Mon
Other Related Entries
Na Na Homemade Curry (Bukit Merah View)
New World Mutton Soup (Bedok Interchange Food Centre)
Ivy’s Hainanese Herbal Mutton Soup (Pasir Panjang Food Centre)
Koh Brother Pig’s Organ Soup (Tiong Bahru Food Centre)
Song Fa Bak Kut Teh (New Bridge Road)
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