A Bowl of Porky Perfection at Old Tiong Bahru Bak Kut Teh
8:00 PM
Most people who may eat pork, love pork and all dishes that are made with it. Bak kut teh is no exception. Bak kut teh is a popular pork soup dish that dates back to hundreds of years ago, with a recipe that has been passed down from generation to generation. There are a couple of ways to cook this dish, and the method used in Old Tiong Bahru Bak Kut Teh, Singapore, is one of the favourites. Why, you ask? The clear broth is the key.
A LITTLE HISTORY ON BAK KUT TEH
It is believed that bak kut teh originates from the Hokkien and Teochew people in China. Rumour has it that its spread in Indonesia began from the Chinese community in Riau — which is a mostly irrelevant fact, since we’re talking about a restaurant in Singapore. Bak kut teh, which literally means meat - bone - tea (thank you Wikipedia), is a meaty pork ribs served in a complex broth of herbs and spices. You might automatically think that it must have tea as one of the ingredients, but apparently it isn’t. Weird, I know.
Usually a Hokkien or Teochew family would eat bak kut teh for breakfast, accompanied with a bowl of warm rice and cakwe (a.k.a. youtiao — a delicious but definitely-unhealthy strip of fried dough) dipped into the soup. Yes, it is indeed very yummy and typing this is totally making me hungry right now. Some people like to spice their bak kut teh with a little soy sauce, chilli, and garlic.
OLD TIONG BAHRU BAK KUT TEH
Old Tiong Bahru Bak Kut Teh looks like a typical local hawker food restaurant. They use a simple wooden table and bright red plastic chairs. It’s definitely not a fancy place, there’s no need to dress up nor put lots of make-up. After a bowl of hot soup, you’re going to sweat anyway. But the yummy food is worth every drop of sweat!
First thing first! The Original Bak Kut Teh – Teocheow-Style Pork Ribs Soup (SGD 8.50). They cook their bak kut teh with the Teochew method, which is evident from the broth. At a glance it looks like a plain clear soup, but once you take a sip, it has a rich taste with a whole lot of flavours and complexity. It is garlic-y, pepper-y, hot, and makes your body warm! The cook, Ah Lan, also mentions that their cooking method and the use of daily fresh ingredients ensure that the broth won’t have an overpowering pork smell, which some people find off-putting.
To create a perfect bowl of bak kut teh, you have to cook the broth and the meat (on the bones) separately. The broth itself requires meat in its ingredients, so you can imagine that this dish requires a lot of meat. By the way, they said that the back ribs used in Old Tiong Bahru Bak Kut Teh come all the way from Indonesian farmers! So yes, I am certainly helping Indonesian economics by eating here. :D
What’s bak kut teh without sayur asin aka meigan cai aka pickled cabbage (SGD 4.50)? Eating it together with the meat and the broth is simply a must; it will make the taste of the soup stronger, and even more delicious. You should probably note that although this side dish will come out regardless you order it or not — and the fact that it usually is free in Indonesian restaurants — it’s not complimentary here.
No bak kut teh is complete without cakwe (SGD 0.60) — the delicious fried dough I mentioned earlier. Even if you are usually anti-rice and anything carbohydrate, please consider taking a day off and try this home-made cakwe. It is light and when you dip it inside the broth, it gets soaked and all gooey. SUPER delicious. For an extra zing, add a little bit of soy sauce. A plate was not enough for us, we ordered at least four.
We also ordered Soy Braised Pork Trotter (SGD 6.50); the taste is perfect! The soy sauce and other-ingredients-that-I-can-not-figure-out-because-I-was-too-busy-eating absorbs completely into the meat. I also love the cut of the meat, it has a nice amount of fat: not too much, not too little.
Dessert: Ice Jelly Honey Lime (SGD 2.30). Once again, I love it! I love anything sour, and this one has the right balance of sweet and sour — thanks to the lime jelly. After eating it, I can feel the jelly calming in my stomach, which feels nice.
Price wise, I think it is great. When calculated into Indonesian Rupiah, the price of eating at Old Tiong Bahru Bak Kut Teh is almost similar with eating at a restaurant in a mall in Jakarta. It does indeed sound a bit pricey, but the food is certainly worth the money. If you were craving for bak kut teh in Jakarta, you might want to try Bak Kut Teh 1001 in Kelapa Gading, although I still prefer Old Tiong Bahru Bak Kut Teh.
Old Tiong Bahru Bak Kut Teh
Address: 58 Seng Poh Road #01-31, Singapore 160058
Opening Hours: 06:30 AM - 09:00 PM, closed on Monday
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