Sometimes Less Than 10 Bowls Sold A Day, But Hawker Confident He Serves “Best Tom Saap In S’pore”
“I’m very confident in my food,” says the engineer-cum-hawker of his punchy Isan soup, a meatier version of tom yum. Pity his new stall is hidden in a quiet corner.
Despite the array of good Thai joints in Singapore, Benjamin Kum, 43, found it hard to track down his favourite dish: tom saap. For the uninitiated, tom saap is a spicy and sour soup that originated from the Isan region in northeast Thailand. It’s a lot like the more popular clear tom yum (which was born in central Thailand). Both use the same aromatics like lemongrass, galangal and kaffir lime, though authentic tom saap features pork and chicken feet as the main protein instead of tom yum’s usual seafood toppings. The struggle led Benjamin to start his own home-based business. “Since I couldn’t find a satisfying version of the soup that I like here, I thought there’s potential to introduce authentic tom saap to people in Singapore,” he tells 8days.sg. In 2021, he launched Superbone (named after the soup’s Thai moniker “super”) on Facebook.
Encouraged by the positive response, Benjamin opened a brick-and-mortar outlet for Superbone a month ago, sharing a 16-seat shophouse unit that looks like a small kopitiam with S’ban Siew Pow at Smith Street in Chinatown. Besides tom saap, the eatery also serves a few other Thai dishes like braised pork leg and fried chicken wings.
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Worked in Thailand for a decade
Twenty years ago, Benjamin relocated to Bangkok to set up a mechanical engineering business. “I used to work for a Singaporean company that tasked me to set up a branch office in Bangkok. After building connections there, I saw the potential to set up my own company.”
While living there, a Thai friend – who cooks at a family-style eatery – showed him the ropes in Thai cooking. “At the time, I didn’t know how to cook at all! I learned from scratch,” he shares. Since then, the avid cook has mastered various Thai dishes – including those currently served at Superbone.
About ten years ago, Benjamin returned to Singapore to take care of his sick father. Now, he continues to run a one-man engineering firm handling “contract jobs for the navy” while managing his new eatery. Benjamin doesn’t intend to give up on the former, which has “flexible hours”, to focus on F&B. “I plan to run both for as long as I can manage. So far it has not been a challenge [to juggle both],” says the entrepreneur. Benjamin cooks at the shop daily, while his camera-shy mum, who declined to be interviewed, helps out with orders on most days.
Serving the “best tom saap in Singapore”
While not as ubiquitous as tom yum, you can still sample this dish at several Thai restaurants in Singapore, including casual eatery chain Nakhon Kitchen.
“I’ve tried many places in Singapore that sell this soup, including [the eateries at now-defunct] Golden Mile. I find that they are on the sweeter side. When I cook, I want my food to be authentic and taste like what I had in Thailand. I’m very confident in my food. My Thai customers have approved of the taste – I don’t tweak my cooking to suit the local palate. People usually don’t sell chicken feet soup here but I dare to do it because that’s what they have in Thailand.”
He boldly states: “Until I try something better, I believe this is the best tom saap in Singapore.”
Regrets opening shop in “hidden” location
Since its opening, Superbone’s sales fluctuate between “less than 10 to over 20” orders a day. Tucked away at Smith Street, Superbone’s unassuming shopfront – which is shared with the more prominent S’ban Siew Pow signage – could be a reason for the lacklustre business.
“I picked this place as it’s in the CBD and near town. But after opening, I realised nobody really walks down this street. Business has been slow, which is unexpected,” says Benjamin, who adds that he’s “no good at social media”. “I’ve read reviews that call this place a ‘hidden gem’ and I was like yeah it’s really hidden!” he quips.
Despite his eatery not being profitable yet – taking in as little as $100 a day – Benjamin remains unfazed as his engineering biz provides him with financial support. He declined to share how much was invested into Superbone so far. “I’m a risk taker. I’ve mentally prepared myself [for whatever happens]. If people like my food, great. If they don’t, then I will stop. I’m not so ambitious and thinking of opening a standalone eatery. I just want people to enjoy my food. Maybe there will be investors to take Superbone to the next level someday, that would be my goal.”
Tom Saap Kradu Moo (Pork Soft Bone) with rice, $6.80 (8 DAYS Pick!)
Is this the best tom saap in Singapore? Possibly. While we’re no experts of this particular Thai soup, we did find Benjamin’s version to be punchier than the usual tom yum broth. Despite its plain looks, it tastes deeply aromatic and puckeringly tart. The soup offers a great balance between spicy and refreshing. Its standard Thai-level spice is pretty hot, but can be dialled down upon request. Our bowl had four sizable chunks of pork soft bones, tender and slightly mottled with fat. Very hearty and nourishing.
Tom Saap Tin Gai (Chicken Feet) with rice, $5.80
Props to Benjamin for offering the real Thai deal, but we’ll happily stick to the pork version – it’s easier to eat. That said, the chicken feet are well-prepped and meatier than most, so it’s worth a try if you’re not turned off by claws.
Braised Pork Leg (Kha Moo) with rice, $7.80
Benjamin isn’t a fan of the sweeter Thai-style braised pork, so he’s opted to use his mum’s own ter kah recipe for this dish instead. Flanked by jiggly fatty skin, the meat is rich and redolent of spices. Fluffy jasmine rice and a braised egg round up this satisfying meal – don’t miss the feisty house-made chilli dip.
Thai-Style Fried Chicken Mid Wing, $4.50 for 4 pcs
Crispy strips of half-cut middle chicken wings marinated in “secret spices”. Very aromatic, but could be a tad saltier.
Bottom line
We see why Benjamin is so confident about his tom saap – the soup’s unapologetically bold flavours and tender meat make it a supremely satisfying meal. Think of it as punchier, zingier clear tom yum soup. While the star dish is tasty, Superbone’s sparse menu and low-key shopfront may prove to work against it in the long run. Still, it’s worth a visit if you’re in the area and hankering for an authentically hearty Thai soup.
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