Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam feature prominently in TasteAtlas’ latest ranking of Southeast Asian soups, with several traditional dishes earning ratings of 4.3 or higher out of five.
Indonesia’s Soto Betawi and the Philippines’ sinigang na baboy (pork sinigang) both received 4.4 ratings, matching Thailand’s tom kha gai and Vietnam’s beef pho.
Soto Betawi, a Jakarta specialty, is known for its coconut milk-based broth, which is seasoned with lemongrass, turmeric, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, and coriander. Beef and offal form the heart of the soup, while tomatoes, scallions, sweet soy sauce, and crispy emping crackers provide the finishing touches.
The Filipino entries include two versions of sinigang, both rated 4.4. Sinigang na baboy features pork simmered in a sour tamarind broth with vegetables, while the broader sinigang category covers variations prepared with different proteins, including fish, shrimp, beef and chicken. Some regional recipes use green mango or guava to create the dish’s characteristic tartness.
Vietnam’s beef pho also scored 4.4. Its broth is slowly prepared with beef bones and aromatic spices, then served with rice noodles and a choice of cuts such as brisket, flank, tendon, or rare beef.
Other dishes in the ranking received ratings of 4.3. These include Indonesia’s gulai and rawon, the Philippines’ bulalo, Malaysia’s Sarawak laksa, and Vietnam’s rare and well-done beef pho.
Rawon stands out for its dark broth, made with kluwak nuts, while Sarawak laksa is known for its complex spice paste and combination of chicken or shrimp stock, rice vermicelli, prawns and shredded chicken.
Outside the Top 10 best soups by TasteAtlas, Indonesia’s laksa and soto, the Philippines’ tinolang manok, Malaysia’s curry mee, Myanmar’s ohn no khao swè, and more made it to the rankings.
Vori-vori, Yokohama-style ramen, and more: Other global soups ranked by TasteAtlas
TasteAtlas is an experiential online travel and food guide dedicated to cataloging traditional dishes, local ingredients, and authentic restaurants around the world.
Founded by Matija Babić, it functions as a global food map and encyclopedia.
The website features multiple rankings that change in real time, including the 100 Best Cuisines, 100 Best Dishes, 100 Best Food Cities, and more.
Meanwhile, Paraguay’s vori-vori ranked first worldwide, with a 4.6 rating, while Turkey’s beyran çorbası placed second with 4.5.
Following behind soto betawi, Yokohama’s noodle dish, Yokohama-style ramen, ranked fourth with a 4.4 rating.
Finnish soup lohikeitto (salmon soup) also made it to the rankings, as well as caldo de queso from Sonora, Mexico, and Poland’s barszcz czysty czerwony.
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