Fish soup lovers working in CBD will be happy to know that Yu Tang Clan has officially opened at 1 Shenton Way, near Raffles Place MRT. This new eatery offers a variety of tasty Teochew-style fish soup, breakfast, and dessert items.
The catchy neon light board had already caught the attention of many people for a few weeks. Therefore, expectations were high for this new fish soup joint with the pun-intended name (Yu Tang Clan is a play on the Chinese word for “fish soup” and “Wu-Tang Clan”, the American hip-hop group).
I noticed a few familiar faces among the stall helpers and upon taking a closer look, I realized that they were ex-workers from the now-defunct fish soup stall previously located along Philip Street.
Yes, the Philip Street Fish Soup aunties are back! Nostalgia outside, I was eager to find out if Yu Tang Clan would live up to the hype.
Vintage Design
Yu Tang Clan exudes a vintage vibe with its neon alphabet lights and Chinese logo light board, complete with metal tables covered in colorful old-school motifs and chunky wooden benches.
High-Tech Ordering System
But I was caught by surprise when I reached the counter; I had to place my orders through a touch screen computer! This was definitely NOT old-school.
In the same high-tech vein, payment can be done via Visa Flashpay or by inserting your cash / coins into slots. A receipt will then be generated.
Yes, this is one high-tech fish soup stall.
Tasty Teochew-Style Fish Soup!
I ordered the Mackerel Sliced Fish Soup ($10.80). This was classic Teochew-style fish soup with tau pok (fried beancurd), oregano leaves, tofu, and bits of salted vegetables. The soup was savoury with a slight tangy flavour from the salted veggie. On the whole, the flavours were well-balanced. The fish slices were very fresh and tasted chewy with just the right amount of bite. I dipped the fish in the stall’s chilli sauce and the combination tasted great.
Interesting Varieties!
Mango Sago Dessert
Other than the classic Teochew-style mackerel fish soup, Yu Tang Clan also offers interesting varieties such as the “Yu Tang Korean”, “Yu Tang Miso”, “Yu Tang Sichuan” and tom yam flavour. There are also breakfast items and desserts; I tried the mango sago dessert which was decent.
Delicious but Pricey
The fish soup definitely passed muster, and I’m happy to discover another decent fish soup joint in CBD. The stall is generous with its servings and there were an ample number of fish slices in the soup. However, $10.80 for a bowl of fish soup does seem a little over expensive. If the owners could lower the price I’m sure Yu Tang Clan would become even more popular.
Yu Tang Clan
Address: 1 Shenton Way, Singapore 068803
Directions:The eatery is a short ten-minute walk from Raffles Place MRT Station. Click here for directions.