My mum and I were out running errands, doing the usual “so what do we eat after this?” back-and-forth, when she announced she was craving turtle soup. Fine, no problem, except it was a Monday, and my usual go-to turtle soup stall is closed on Mondays. Damn!
So we went to Plan B: Fu He Turtle Soup at Berseh Food Centre. I should say up front that “Plan B” is not an insult here. I’ve been eating at Fu He on and off for more than a decade. It just isn’t my personal favourite (and no, I won’t be naming the favourite in this post). After ten-plus years, though, I think I know this bowl well enough to tell you whether it’s worth your trip.
Where It Is
Fu He is at Berseh Food Centre, #02-40, 166 Jalan Besar. It’s on the second floor, and you’ll spot the bright yellow signboard and the big red 福和 characters from a distance. There’s also a Michelin 2025 sticker on the signboard, if that sort of thing sways you.
It’s centrally located and easy to get to, which is part of why it’s been my fallback for so long. If you ride, you probably know this stretch already. I rode a motorcycle for more than 15 years, and Berseh Food Centre is smack right next to Lim Ah Boy and Regina Specialities, the two famous motorcycle gear shops on Jalan Besar. If you’re already in the area picking up a helmet or some riding gear, a bowl of turtle soup upstairs is right there. Opening hours are 11am to 8pm, and it’s closed on Fridays. Do take note before you make the trip.
Parking and Queue
If you drive, parking can be crazy. It’s mostly roadside parallel parking for cars around here, so good luck to you. If you ride, it should be easier, but the motorcycle lots can still get really packed depending on what time you arrive.
As for the queue at the stall, there was none. We got there around 1pm on a Monday and walked straight up to order. Your mileage may vary on weekends.
Price
The stewed turtle soup comes in four sizes: S$13 / S$15 / S$18 / S$20. You add on yam rice, plain rice or thick bee hoon separately.
We ordered two bowls:
- S$13 turtle soup with yam rice
- S$18 turtle soup with yam rice, plus S$3 of pig’s blood
For turtle soup, S$13 is a reasonable entry point. Will you get a Michelin-level experience at this price? Maybe not, but you get a proper bowl. There’s also a bigger menu if you’re feeling adventurous, with claypot herbal turtle, XO crocodile soup and a range of mutton soups. I’ve always stuck to the stewed turtle.
A small detail I appreciated is the framed notice beside the stall saying their turtle meat comes from a HACCP-certified slaughterhouse in Singapore. It’s reassuring when you’re eating something a bit more exotic than chicken.
The Soup
The broth is herbal, topped with a handful of Chinese celery and coriander. What stands out is the sweetness, which comes from the generous use of red dates and wolfberries (goji berries). You can see them scattered all over the bowl, and you can taste them in every spoonful. The best part is the free soup refill, which I’ll come back to.
I can’t say this is the best turtle soup in Singapore. It’s definitely among the better ones, though. The herbal flavour is clearly there, but it could be stronger. With all that natural sweetness from the dates and wolfberries, the herbs sometimes get a little drowned out. It’s very drinkable, but I always finish the bowl wishing the herbal kick went a little further. It’s good, not great.
The Turtle
The amount of meat and ingredients in the bowl felt reasonable for the price. I didn’t feel shortchanged. The quality just isn’t quite aligned to my preference.
The meat can get chewy, even the lean cuts. The turtle skin is on the thin side and can turn a bit spongy sometimes. I prefer my turtle skin thicker and collagen-rich, with that bouncy, QQ texture that makes turtle soup worth the trouble. Here, that wasn’t always the case.
The Pig’s Blood
This was the surprise of the meal, though not for me. It was for my mum.
She hadn’t had pig’s blood in decades, ever since Singapore banned it back in 1999 during the Nipah virus outbreak. The ban was only lifted this April, when the Singapore Food Agency approved imports of heat-treated pork blood, so for 27 years it simply wasn’t something you could order here. When I saw it on the menu, I added it to our bowl straight away.
It’s soft and smooth and soaks up the herbal broth nicely. At S$3 it’s an easy add-on, and judging by my mum’s face, worth every cent.
I’ll be honest: I have just one aim when I take my mum out to eat, and that’s to delight her whenever I can. S$3 of pig’s blood did that better than anything else on the table.
Yam Rice
The yam rice has some yam fragrance, though it isn’t overly strong, which seems to be the theme at Fu He. There are real bits of yam mixed in, which I’ll always give points for, since some stalls just colour the rice and call it a day. It’s a solid partner to the soup, but it won’t be the thing you remember.
The Chilli
This chilli packs a real punch. The heat is very much there. What it lacks is fragrance, since it’s mostly spice without much depth behind it.
The strange part is that it goes surprisingly well with the turtle soup. Dip a piece of turtle meat in it and the heat cuts through the herbal richness nicely. I didn’t expect to like the pairing as much as I did.
Service
This is where Fu He Turtle Soup really stands out. Service is top notch. The lady boss served us with a smile and kept reminding us that the soup could be refilled for free. She said it more than once, as if she genuinely wanted to make sure we didn’t leave hungry.
At a busy hawker centre, that kind of warmth isn’t a given. It’s also probably a big part of why I’ve kept coming back for ten years, even though this isn’t my favourite bowl.
The Verdict: Is Fu He Turtle Soup Worth It?
Is Fu He Turtle Soup the best in Singapore? In my books, no. My personal favourite is elsewhere, and I’ll stand by that.
Is it worth going? Absolutely. The soup is herbal, sweet and comforting, the portions are fair, the free refill makes S$13 feel even more reasonable, and the service is genuinely warm. The herbs could hit harder, and the meat and skin don’t quite match the texture I prefer, but it’s consistent, and after a decade of eating here, I’d call consistency a feature rather than a flaw.
My Rating
| Criteria | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Flavour | 4/5 | Herbal with natural sweetness from dates and wolfberries, but the herbs could be stronger |
| Ingredients | 3/5 | Fair portions, but chewy meat and thin, sometimes spongy skin |
| Yam rice | 3.5/5 | Real bits of yam, fragrance not overly strong |
| Chilli | 3.5/5 | Packs a real punch, lacks fragrance, pairs surprisingly well |
| Wait time | 4.5/5* | No queue at all |
| Service | 4.5/5 | Lady boss serves with a smile and keeps offering free refills |
| Overall | 3.8/5 |
*About that wait time: I was there around 1pm on a Monday,
My recommendation:
- If your usual turtle soup stall is closed: Fu He is a reliable, well-priced backup in a central location (hello, Mondays).
- If you want the most intensely herbal bowl, or thick, QQ collagen-rich skin: this probably isn’t it.
- Whatever you do: add the pig’s blood. Your mum will thank you.
After more than ten years, I’m still coming back. Not every week, and not as my first choice, but that says enough.
A quick disclaimer: taste is subjective and very personal. Something may or may not suit my palate, but I can’t say it’ll be the same for you. The best way to use my reviews is to read through a few of them, try some of the places yourself, and see how similar or different our palates are. That way, you’ll have a better sense of whether my recommendations make sense for you.
Fu He Turtle Soup Berseh Food Centre, #02-40, 166 Jalan Besar, Singapore 208877 11am–8pm daily, closed Fridays
