Best Bak Kut Teh in Singapore

Bak Kut Teh or pork rib tea, is a local dish of Singapore and Malaysian origin. Each has its own version, the Maysian version is more herbal and contains dark sauce, understood to be of Fujian origin, and made popular in Klang with various claims to be its origin. The Singaporean version is light in colour, and of Teochew origin, they tend to be more peppery, but do come in a range of pepper intensity.

Despite its name, tea is not an ingredient of the soup but various chinese herbs. Tea is usually served alongside the soup, and usually a breakfast or lunch dish. The soup is usually herbal and savoury, palatable and easy to like. Dark sauce, cut chilli and minced garlic are usual condiments.

The traditional way to eat BKT is that they’ll serve you these pork rib soup, and a choice of tea, served in a small tea pot, to be poured into small tea cups. There would be boiling water in kettles placed around the shop, which you help yourself to refill your tea pot. In most places, you can ask for your pork rib soup to be replenished.

In Singapore, only different types of ribs are offered, with a difference in tenderness of the meat. In Malaysian, almost every part of the pig are available, so you get a very good range of tenderness, fat content, and flavour. Pork offals are on offer almost everywhere!

There are 2-3 very established names in Singapore, although they are indeed very good and deserve their reputation, I try to list some "cult favourites" here first, as the more popular ones have recommendations all over.

Lao Ah Tee

Leon Kee

Nanjing Jie

Ba Jie

Leong Kee (Klang)

Lao Ah Tee

BKT

Mar 2023

Friendly and accommodating staff, wonderful BKT recipe!

The atmosphere around this place, despite its spartan and old set up, is very relaxed and comfortable, a really nice place to relax, have a nice bowl of bak kut teh, and enjoy some Chinese tea.

Despite the name, Lau Ah Tee does not only serve BKT. They serve fish and crab too. Steamed fish and roe crab, and I heard they are pretty decent too. Besides these, they serve pig innards, and bean curd skin etc. This then allows me to bring my friends here, a couple who’s husband loves pork but the wife doesn’t eat four legged meat! Bingo!

I ordered pig intestines and a beancurd skin with my BKT pork. At first sight, I thought I over ordered, being alone, there was too much. One try of the intestines, and I knew I’d finish that, as well the bean curd skin. The small intestines were nice and fresh, pieces were quite big as well! Just like the bean curd skin, taste was intense and tasty. Wonderful!

I also opted for the cheaper pork meat instead of the pork ribs, as the nice lady boss, who laughed at me when I had to keep moving forward to see their entire menu on the wall. I wanted a tenderer cut of meat and she recommended me the pork meat instead of the more expensive ribs. I liked this place already! Meat was nice, fresh and tender; however, the soup was excellent. A clear umami and intense broth, not peperry nor too herbal, it just hits you with its freshness and intensity. Soup was free flow.

The pork ribs, which I tried another day, was not bad either, it was just slightly tougher than the meat. Fresh and well cooked, it was pretty tender too.

Pork Rib $12

Meat on Bone $8

A sign below the structure holding each simmering kettle says that to have BKT without a good tea would be a pity, so I had a Tie Guan Yin with my BKT. Well… after a sip, I get what the sign means, there was a calm and peaceful feel.

The TGY continued to yield good strong brews even after I was done, so I asked if I could have something to take away some tea. They had nothing specifically for that but gladly provided me with a plastic bag to hold my takeaway TGY, my relaxed mood continued with my Grab shift and then at home, with a lovely bag of tea!

Immediately texted my friends about this place and the first question asked was “do you mind coming back again with us this Thursday…?” bros, its Tuesday already! No I didn’t….

If you want to have BKT at an "independent" place rather than the big names and chain stores, Lau Ah Tee would be a good option. The self service kettles for tea was reminiscent of the traditional practice of having pork ribs soup with Chinese tea, which is what Bak Kut Teh stands for... pork ribs with tea!

Lau Ah Tee Bak Kut Teh

34 Whampoa West, #01-67, s330034

Daily 7am – 9pm, closes at 3pm on Wed

https://www.facebook.com/lauahteebakkutteh/

Bak Kut Teh

Review: Dec 2020

Good quality herbal bak kut teh, the dry version is the one to go for here

There are 2 different types of Bak Kut Teh (BKT), the Malaysian style or the Singapore style. I understand that it’s actually Teochew style vs Hokkien style. The Singapore or Teochew version is peppery, while the Malaysian or Hokkien (Fujian) version is herbal. The style is the same throughout Malaysia, and those from the port city of Klang has the reputation of being the best, and Leong Kee claims to be from there. In fact, they make sure you know they’re from Klang, with “Klang” prominently featured in their signboards and official name.

Leong Kee

I have only eaten BKT in Klang once, at a random shop, and it wasn’t very memorable, and I’m very happy with those I get from my hometown in KL, and I have to say, the random shops I visited in Penang offers very good BKT too!

This one is the main branch, they used to have a branch along Beach Road, which moved to the Rail Mall, and now it's along Tanjong Katong Road.

There were soup and dried versions of BKT, soup was herbal and had a good strong and thick herbal taste. If I am honest, it was not as good as many I have tried in Malaysia but it will do here in Singapore. I always scoff at dry BKT, when you come for BKT, as it’s the soup that matters. I would gulp the soup down, fill my bowl of rice with soup, so it’s soup soup and more soup.

To my surprise, the dried BKT here at Leong Kee was brilliant! In fact, I’d say it was better than the soup version! Swimming in a dark sauce that was slightly spicy, just enough of a kick to use the word “spicy”, it was delicious; in fact, it was more sweet than spicy. It also had some “twisted octopus” bits, twirls of dried octopus that was really good.

The pork ribs served on both the soup and dried versions were tender and delicious. Meat came off the bones easily.

Other items that you usually order with a BKT would be peanuts, fried fritters, salted vegetables, and maybe some small intestines. These are usually similar in all places, the small intestines here were a little bit on the tough side, served in thicker soup or sauce.

Every individual was served a small dish of condiments or sauce, which had dark sauce, chilli and some garlic in it. I think some people would kill for these, it was nice and tasty. Curiously, if you dipped your intestines into this, it was a lot more palatable.

In terms of BKT soup, this was definitely not the best I’ve tasted, in fact, I think it was not even as good as some of the peppery ones, but if you have a craving for the Malaysian style BKT in Singapore, this would have to do. The dried BKT, however, was very good and worth coming for a taste of it.

This place can be crowded during peak hours, from 6pm to 730pm. I have been here at around 7pm when there was a Q but the wait is decent, less than 10 minutes, even when it looked like there was a long Q.

As a side note, one of the things I like about having BKT in Malaysia is that you have a choice of pork parts, the rib, the belly or the soft joints etc. This is not so in Singapore, but the BKT in Singapore makes up for it by serving better parts of the rib which is tender, unlike the ones in KL where for soft tender meat you have to opt for the other parts.

Leong Kee (Klang) Bak Kut Teh

251 Geylang Road, s389309；Daily 11am – 130am

224 Tanjong Katong Road, s437014；Daily 1130am - 1130pm

https://www.facebook.com/Leong-Kee-Bak-Kut-Teh-SG-geylang-111714140489344/

Leon Kee

Bak kut teh

Sep 2022

Good quality bak kut teh and braised pork rice in its 45th year of business

I was a trip down nostalgia coming to Alexandra Hawker, a place we used to gather in my school days as a group of friends stay around this area.

I remember eating at mostly 2 stalls here at the car park corner, and I was very glad to see both were still around! Leon Kee is one, for old times sake, I gave it a go, and was prepared to be disappointed. Teenagers aren’t really too particular about tastes and that when I last enjoyed the Bak kut teh here…

Turned out it was more than decent! I have good taste all along…

The lurou (braised pork) combo had a good intense taste, nice and tender meat and intestines.

The bak kut teh was the herbal variety instead of the peppery ones. The biggest complinent I can give Leon Kee is that uncle Leon (probably not his real name…) would hold his own even if he hawks his bkt in KL…

The soup was tasty with a rich umami from the pork stock, and a hint of herb, the way I, and I’d say most people like it. The ribs were nice with fall of the bone tenderness.

Uncle Leon stuck with this tried and tested recipe through the years, he has been here since 1979 as he fondly recalls. Well… I'd fondly recall that I haven’t been here since 1989 but the food remains as excellent.

Leon Kee Claypot Pork Rib Soup

120 Bukit merah Lane 1, #01-18, S150120

830am - 8pm closed on Wed

Bajie

Bak Kut Teh

Dec 2024

Delicious little piggy, Klang style bak kut teh (BKT)

This little Piggy crossed the straits from JB to venture here in Singapore. With owners and staff from BKT town Port Klang, they bring some magic over!

This article will be short and sweet, mainly because if I were to describe more, I will find myself craving it... Banish the thoughts.

First, the rice here was excellent. Fried with shallots for fragrance, and served with a good dose of fried shallots, delicious.

Dense but subtly herbal, voluminously savoury, BaJie's soup was brilliant, reminiscent of my first sip of Klang's famous BKT. My first BKT stop at Klang was at Samy BKT, and BaJie's was quite similar in taste. Of the few I've tried, this style rubs me up perfectly.

The pork ribs were done well as well.... Tender and delicious.

They offer BKT in 3 ways, the big rib bones, the regular ribs, or regular ribs in dried BKT.

Dried version was slightly spicy, very mild, but also potent with salted fish fragrance and savoury. It could be a one off but it was a little too potent even for this salted fish lover. The pork ribs here was slightly tougher too.

The single big rib is about 50% more expensive, before trying this, i was very sceptical, already started thinking it wouldn't be 50% more tender etc. It was... More than 50% more meat, more tender and err... more bones too... If you're not a big eater, 2 persons can share this, maybe just throw in a side. It was quite filling for this hungry old bird...

I would definitely go for the soup ones here, the BKT soup here was just amazing one of its kind especially here in Singapore.

One thing to note, there is a sign saying that soup would not be added to preserve its quality. Exactly the motto of Samy in Klang! I've seen Samy relent now and then, would BaJie do likewise?

Ba Jie Bak Kut Teh @ Yi He Eating House

638 Veerasamy Road, #01-101, s2000638

Daily 1030am – 730pm (til sold out)

Nanjing

Bak Kut Teh

May 2024

Traditional herbal bak kut teh

No frills traditional herbal bak kut teh stall that has been in business for more than 50 years, having migrated from the old Nanking Street to Maxwell when it opened. Still operated by the original owners, an elderly couple that casually runs the stall, more as a pass-time.

Soup was tasty and bone in meat generous for a reasonable price. This place is a good introduction to the Fujian style of bak kut teh that is herbal in taste as compared to the peppery Teochew variety.

Nan Jing Jie Rou Gu Cha

1 Kadayanallur Street, #01-89 Maxwell Food Centre, s69184

7am – 3pm, closed on Mon