Maki Soup

Maki soup or Pork Maki is a Filipino thick pork tenderloin soup made from pork pounded with a mallet, marinated in soy sauce, garlic, black pepper, rice wine and onions then covered with starch.   Pork is then cooked in tapioca starch thickened stock.

Soup week: Day 3. What we will be making today is Maki Soup! Yes, you’ve seen it right! This is not the maki you know about and those two are not related. Maki Soup is far from being Japanese dish but it is a Filipino Chinese soup dish which is flavoured with fluffy tender pork pieces. This soup is popular in the Filipino Chinese area in Manila called Binondo. It is a very thick soup similar to the consistency of a raw egg white. A very simple soup usually enjoyed on its own or with noodles.

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Maki Soup 2

Maki Soup

  • Author: Raymund
  • Prep Time: 30 mins
  • Cook Time: 30 mins
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: 4-6 1x
  • Category: Main Course
  • Cuisine: Filipino

Description

Maki soup or Pork Maki is a Filipino thick pork tenderloin soup made from pork pounded with a mallet, marinated in soy sauce, garlic, black pepper, rice wine and onions then covered with starch.   Pork is then cooked in tapioca starch thickened stock.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 500g pork tenderloin, thinly sliced
  • 4 pcs dried shiitake mushrooms
  • 4 cups beef stock
  • 1 cup hot water
  • 1/2 cup tapioca starch
  • soy sauce
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 2 tbsp Chinese cooking wine
  • 1 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 3 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • spring onions, chopped
  • salt
  • freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. Using the back of the knife or a meat mallet, pound the meat slices a bit to tenderize it further. This step is needed to have a fluffy meat texture and let the starch cling easily.
  2. In a bowl mix together light soy sauce, Chinese cooking wine, garlic, baking soda, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Once evenly mixed, add sliced pork then set it aside for at least 30 minutes.  Place pork pieces on a plate, sprinkle cornstarch on one side, turn over then sprinkle remaining cornstarch on the other side.
  3. Rehydrate shiitake mushrooms in 1 cup of hot water. Once mushrooms are soft, chop it then set it aside.
  4. In a pot pour water from rehydrated mushrooms, beef stock, chopped mushrooms and soy sauce for colour, bring it to a boil then once boiling drop pork pieces one at a time to avoid sticking.
  5. Mix together tapioca starch and 1/2 cup water, gently pour it on the soup a tablespoon at a time and once desired consistency is achieved set heat to low.
  6. Add egg yolks and mildly stir soup to form strands.
  7. Add sesame oil then season with salt if needed. Garnish with spring onion. Serve hot.

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50 Responses

  1. nors says:

    Mukang masarap na almusal pre… Parang mushroom soup

  2. Hehe I thought it was just the thick soup recipe. It’s the whole Maki-mi na pala. Whenever I go to Binondo, I find it hard to resist getting a small bowl of these for merienda 🙂 Thanks for sharing 😀

  3. BTW, I read from somewhere that in the absence of Chinese cooking wine, you can use gin. What’s your take on this?

    • rsmacaalay says:

      Never had tried it yet so I cant further comment, but for me if there is now Chinese wine I use dry sherry

      • Jake B. Vincoy says:

        I can’t find tapioca starch in SM supermarkets. Can you tell me where I can buy?
        Also with regards to baking soda, what does it do to the meat?

        • rsmacaalay says:

          If you cant find tapioca starch the best alternative is potato starch. I am living in NZ and I got it from Asian shops, you might be able to find one in Binondo or some Chinese specialty shops there. As for the baking soda it acts as a tenderizer that is the reason why beef in Chinese restaurants are so tender and like jelly in texture.

  4. I love dried shitakes. This looks wonderful.

  5. Joanne says:

    This is very interesting, I’ve never heard of this kind of soup before. The broth looks so flavorful!

  6. Kristy says:

    I would have guessed that this was a Japanese dish too from the name. It looks delicious – I love a good thick soup. 🙂

  7. Eri says:

    Where do you find all these fantastic recipes, I love this soup!!!

  8. I am all for this soup.. since pork tenderloin is involved lol

  9. foodjaunts says:

    Ooo I’ve never had this before. It looks super delicious, I can just imagine the texture

  10. k.m. says:

    I like thick soups, egg drop soup and hot and sour soup in particular. This sounds pretty tasty and perfect for these last few cold days of spring.

  11. I have to admit that I did think of Japanese maki when I first saw this, but what you’re describing sounds SO much better!!!

  12. I’ve never had this soup before but it looks very thick and hearty. I think just a bowl will really fill me up. Thank, Raymund!

  13. Aileen says:

    I’ve been to Binondo lots of times before but I feel bad for not knowing this dish! Haha, I shall pester my Chinese friends and ask about this soup XD

  14. PolaM says:

    Looks delicious!

  15. meri says:

    You are the soup master!

  16. Simply Tia says:

    This sounds fantastic!!!

  17. Yum this looks amazing – will definitely be trying this !

  18. This looks delicious – Thanks for sharing!

  19. Jhaz says:

    I don’t have Tapioca starch, is it ok if I will use cornstarch instead?

    • rsmacaalay says:

      I haven’t tried that yet but I am sure you wont get the same texture that you get from tapioca starch, with cornstarch it would just be thick but not slimy thick (if you know what I mean) which is the key texture of this dish.

  20. aiko says:

    OMG!!!!! i love this!! havent been eating this in 5 yrs. my family loves to eat this with kiampong at binondo. saaarrrraaapppp

  21. mao says:

    not only in Binondo, as a salesman,I lived for 10 yrs in San Pablo City where a local chinese restaurant serve this for breakfast..at least twice a week, we ate MAKI together with Kaning Pula and buto buto soup…I’ll introduce it to my friends here in Canada

  22. kyla says:

    i wud love to try this recipe for biz…how many servings to this recipe for the same bowl size served by the pares street vendor? cost per serving pls?
    i want to compete with the pares street vendor side by side…i will serve maki with rice or noodles…what condiments go with this? i am sure this will be a big hit!
    instead of pork tenderloin, can we substitute it for something cheaper? ty

  23. Chris says:

    This doesn’t add up…. Step #2

    Mixing the Cornstarch with liquid will give you a clayish texture. It would be close to impossible distributing this evenly on the meat. Any tip?

    • rsmacaalay says:

      Don’t need to distribute evenly as long as the pork is coated its ok. If you still have hard time on this one you can marinate pork first in the mixture without the cornstarch, then sprinkle the cornstarch on the meat that is laid down flat on a plate then running the cornstarch through a fine sieve.

  24. Sasha Meyer says:

    I have tried this already and the consistency of the soup is very interesting. The taste is somewhat sweet and salty at the same time.

  25. AB says:

    i tried the recipe, but used the whole egg, not just the yolk. still ok, but doesn’t look like the picture. added a little bit of malt vinegar. I remember eating this in ha yuan with malt vinegar.

  26. Rene says:

    Thanks for sharing,i I was looking for this recipe….

  27. edgar says:

    eto ang miss na miss ko na…kasama machang…grabe… pguwi ko talagang ito mga kakainin ko….

  28. GarlicRose says:

    Try Potato Starch pampalapot, Cornstarch will make it floury and white. Sabayan niyo ng black vinegar…yum. Also tried this marinated chicken breasts (in soy sauce, shaoxing wine and potato starch ) masarap din….HA YUAN original!

  29. dan says:

    it is cassava starch dat chinese use, in local chinese grocery its called AA starch to designate it from cornstarch

  30. jesa47 says:

    Thanks a lot! been craving for 25 years , This is really a ONE OF A KIND SOUP! mixed some fresh egg noodles and its a meal! I am happy and found the recipe. I used to eat @ SM Cubao food court in mid 1980’s. More Power to YOU xoxo!!!

  31. con42 says:

    Try this at Manosa in Binondo … sarap talaga

  32. Mang Bert says:

    the dish is not limited to the Binondo area. i used to feast on it in SM Food courts,
    Cubao being my favorite.

  33. Lyne says:

    I have eaten Maki mi but it s with noodles here in Bacolod. It tasted interesting & addicting too. I actually want to try this & sell. Thanks for this recipe. Atlast! I was able to find d cassava starch from d grocery.

  34. Jirahxs says:

    Thank u soo much for sharing this… I so love this soup <3

  35. Mommy Nell says:

    Thank you so much for sharing the recipe. Been trying to look for this for a long time, till I bumped into yours. I find some other ones, but when I look at the recipes, those ones don’t look anything like the one I used to have with my Lola when I was a little girl pa. Yours, without having tried it, exactly looks and sounds like the way I remember it. Thank you!!!

  36. Stephen Chu says:

    I was also looking for this recipe for a long time. One of my favorites since i was young, i even learned how to cook it but have long since forgotten it. Btw, we used Cassava flour which gives the same transparent but thick soup. Can’t wait to try this recipe, but from the looks it certainly is the ONE!

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