By Arthur Tam
Soup is one of the most defining dishes in Cantonese cuisine. To Hongkongers, high-quality soups are nutritious potions to replenish the mind, body and soul. So for those of us working hard at our jobs, a bowl of soup can help us stay on top of our game. We’ve contacted four soup specialists that deliver to Taikoo Place and Cityplaza, and asked them to recommend their seasonal favourites.
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Tong Crew (a pun for Tom Cruise)
Recommended: Double-boiled chicken soup with cordycep flowers and conch
This soup is a classic elixir. It is supposed to fortify your immune system by improving your liver and kidney function while alleviating tinnitus and joint pain. Apart from its health benefits, the clear, soothing broth is a balance of delicate flavours and offers a light, savoury sweetness that gently awakens the palate. Complement the soup with the tailor-made lunch meals from Tong Crew with new dishes introduced every month.
Ordering:
Place order through WhatsApp before 8pm the day before or before 10am the day of
Tel: 5698 1075; facebook.com/tongcrewsoup
Price: $38 (soup), $58 (meal set). Soup coupons are available at $350 (10 coupons) or $700 (21 coupons); each one is for one soup serving.
Flasoup
Recommended: Chicken soup prepared with sea cucumber, abalone, red dates, coconut, fish maw and milk
This rich, smooth bowl of soup is a decadent treat. Using delicacies like sea cucumber and abalone gives the broth a complex briny sweetness that enhances the floral notes of the red dates and coconut. This soup is said to brighten and improve your complexion. And we’re all a little vain, aren’t we? Flasoup also features a range of soups that lean on the luxurious side. Look out for special ingredients like geoduck, Chinese herbs and hasma (dried fatty tissue found near the fallopian tubes of true frogs) used in their soups.
Ordering:
Place order through WhatsApp before 6pm the day before
Tel: 5409 9902; flasoup.com
Price: $37 each
Soup Origin
Recommended: Papaya soup with sweet potato, corn and pork ribs
You might have heard from your grandma that papaya soup is good for women’s health and adolescent body development. Good for the ‘yin’ they say. But the fruit is generally good for all of us. It is naturally rich in vitamin C, vitamin E and helps improve gastrointestinal health. In combination with the vitamin A from sweet potato, this soup is packed with nutrients that help fight off colds. But best of all, the soup is a harmonious combination of sweet and savoury flavours that tantalise the tastebuds. Soup Origin also offers a range of Cantonese classic ‘old fire’ soups that focus on nutrition and home-style cooking. In fact, Soup Origin proudly employs housewives with years of experience making soup for their families.
Ordering:
Place order online before 6pm the day before
Tel: 6098 7097; souporigin.com
Soup stall location: Park'n Shop, 1/F, Metro City Plaza II, Tseung Kwan O
Price: $28 each
Order at Soup Origin now with the exclusive reader promotion code “THEMAG” and enjoy $3 off each bowl of soup!
Smart Soup
Recommended: Pork bones and partridge soup with fish maw, cordycep flowers, Chinese yam, goji berries, chestnut, red kidney beans, honey dates, dried orange peel
This soup’s many ingredients provide nutrients to the kidneys, heart, eyes, blood, skin and bones. Combining ingredients that represent earth, air and sea, the resulting broth is complex, rich in flavour and depth. Pair the soup with a hearty chicken stir-fry for a comforting and satisfying meal. Smart Soup develops their recipes by consulting popular author, instructor and expert on healthy Chinese cooking, Ms Cheung Pui-fong. So, you can rest assure that all combinations of soup on Smart Soup’s menu are good for you.
Ordering:
Place order through WhatsApp before 9:30am or online before 10:30am the day of
Tel: 9732 7412; smartsoup.com
Price: $46 (soup), $57 (meal set)