Kin Turtle Soup: Light yet flavourful delicacy in nondescript coffeeshop at Geylang
To be honest, I have never fathomed the idea of eating turtle meat, let alone having it in a soup. So finding myself at Kin Turtle Soup in Geylang was quite out of the ordinary. Nonetheless, it was an exciting and eye-opening gastronomic adventure to try out this delicacy.
As I blindly followed Google Maps, I was led to Sin Huat Eating House at the end of the road after a brief walk. The coffee shop was very unassuming and largely devoid of life apart from a few people enjoying what seemed like piping hot bowls of soup.
Only on walking further down did I spot Kin Turtle Soup. The stall is tucked away at the corner of the coffee shop, with nothing but a brightly lit fluorescent lamp lighting up its interior.
The Uncle that owns and runs Kin Turtle Soup is assisted by his wife, who helps to take orders and serve customers. They were incredibly friendly and cheery, making me feel right at home.
What I tried at Kin Turtle Soup
Unsure of what size of turtle soup to get, I asked Uncle for his recommendation. As suggested, I opted for the Medium Claypot (S$25), which is meant to be enough for 2 people. Truthfully, the Small Claypot (S$15) was really quite small. Judging by the size of the medium one, one person would likely be able to finish it on their own, too — there was actually another customer enjoying a medium pot to himself!
I’m a firm believer that soup can never go without Rice (S$0.50 per bowl), so I got some to go with my meal as well.
After a short wait, a piping hot claypot filled with aromatic soup was brought to our table along with rice, chilli and cutlery. I was delighted to hear from Auntie that their turtle soup is refillable free of charge. Just from smelling the soup, I already knew I had to ask for seconds.
The soup was delightfully light and clean yet flavourful, making it extremely easy to drink. It was filled with turtle meat, turtle skin, dang gui, dang shen, cilantro, wolf berries and other Chinese herbs. The dang gui gave the soup a distinct herbal smell, but it was not overpowering in the least bit.
Interestingly enough, the soup seemed a bit “diluted” or not as gao, considering how much collagen and gelatin the skin of the turtle meat contained. Personally, I loved how light it was, but if you are used to the thicker turtle soup variety, this one might come as a surprise.
It is also worthy to note, however, that the soup was on the saltier side. But truth be told, the salt was not all that noticeable because of all the added herbs and only tasted too salty towards the end of my meal.
As this was my first time having turtle meat, I was not entirely sure what to expect. To my pleasant surprise, the meatier parts of the flesh tasted a little like chicken, albeit on the tougher side. The softer, more tender parts were pure bliss and reminded me of frog meat.
The turtle meat was not in the least bit smelly or gamey and was very well-cleansed. I could actually only smell the dang gui, and not a whiff of the “fishiness” that some use to describe turtle meat. Perhaps all the dang gui used was one of the secrets to why the meat was so delicious.
The medium claypot was very generous with the turtle skin. The skin was impossibly soft and gelatinous, with a lot of collagen. It melted in my mouth and the contrast between the thinner parts of skin and those attached to the meat was irresistible.
The chilli that was provided complimented the turtle meat very well, too. Lightly spicy with plenty of calamansi and red chilli, the tangy chilli paired perfectly with the gelatinous skin.
Final Thoughts
Despite how small the medium pot of turtle soup appeared, it made for a surprisingly satisfying and filling meal. I left feeling full and extremely pleased; I’m perfectly happy to spend S$25 again on a medium-sized claypot despite its steeper price point.
From what I’ve read, Kin Turtle Soup’s soup is a lot cleaner and lighter than other variations of the dish, and I am excited to try other turtle soup fare in future!
For now, however, it was truly a delightful bowl of good turtle soup that is undefeated in my books. If you’re an adventurous soul, I highly recommend giving the turtle soup at Kin Turtle Soup a try before the dish disappears from the culinary scene in Singapore.
Expected damage: S$13 – S$25.50 per pax
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