Dong Fang Hong Sotong Ball Seafood Soup @ @ Hong Lim Food Centre [Singapore] #honglimhawkercentre

I had been delaying the publication of this post as Hong Lim Food Centre was closed for two weeks due to its identification as a cluster for COVID-19 infections. Anyway, it should be opened tomorrow and while I noted that we must remain vigilant to fight the pandemic, we should still support the hawkers, where possible, by maintaining safe distancing and wearing a mask.

Today's stall was one that's no stranger to me as I had noticed it the very first time I had the kaya butter toasts, coffee and half boiled eggs from Zheng Ming Drinks Stall (正明茶室). As you can see, it's hard not to notice when the stall is located just next door! 

Despite the full order from Zheng Ming Drinks Stall, I finally caved it and decided to order from Dong Fang Hong Sotong Ball Seafood Soup. Those trays of balls were literally beckoning me to check them out! 

Frankly, I thought this looked more like fish, rather than a seafood soup even though fish is technically under seafood. People who have eaten from notable seafood soup stalls like Yan Ji would know what I meant as the soup would usually appear cloudy, rather than clear; latter of which would be more associated with fish soup. 

Let's take a bite of the balls! Comprising a mix of sotong balls, fish balls and meat balls, the taste was above average with a firm, QQ texture, although not incredibly addictive. Sotong balls were, undoubtedly, the best of the lot with pieces of delectable squid meat mashed in.

Soup was, as expected, more fish soup like with a light flavour. In my opinion, it did feel a lot healthier drinking this kind of soup versus the typically more savoury and richer seafood soup. What I like most from the soup was the sprinklers of fried garlic that added bursts of sharp, aromatic flavour whenever I bit into them! 

I was way too full and had to waste the healthy soup.

I did manage to pick up all the fried garlic though. 

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Address

531A Upper Cross St, 

Hong Lim Market & Food Centre, 

#01-47, Singapore 051531

Map

As above.

Menu 

As above.

Pricing

Soup (Small)- S$5.00