Claypot bak kut teh + lettuce + beancurd skin ($25)!
Boxing Day dinner — claypot bak kut teh + lettuce + beancurd skin $25. The peppery Teochew pork rib soup in the proper claypot format.
Boxing Day dinner with BB — claypot bak kut teh + lettuce + beancurd skin at $25. The peppery Teochew-style pork rib soup served in the proper claypot format.
We ordered:
- Claypot bak kut teh
- Lettuce
- Beancurd skin
Total: $25 for the spread.
Bak kut teh (肉骨茶, literally “meat bone tea”) is the Hokkien-Teochew pork rib soup that’s one of the iconic Singapore-Malaysian dishes. The Teochew (Singapore) style uses a clear peppery broth — different from the Hokkien (Malaysian) style which uses a darker herbal-Chinese-medicine broth. The Singapore version emphasises white pepper, garlic, and pork-bone depth.
The claypot serving format keeps the broth hotter for longer than a regular bowl. The soup arrives bubbling, with the pork ribs visible just under the surface, and stays piping hot throughout the meal.
The pork ribs were the substantial protein. Slow-simmered until the meat falls off the bone with minimal pressure. Each rib was the proper proportion — substantial enough to be a real bite, tender enough to eat without effort.
The broth was the headline. Clear amber-coloured pork-bone soup, simmered for hours with garlic cloves, white peppercorns, and a touch of soy. The white pepper provides the warming heat that defines Singapore-Teochew bak kut teh — not chilli-hot but pepper-hot, with the slight back-of-throat tingle.
Lettuce ($5-7 separately) was the standard bak kut teh side. Blanched lettuce dipped briefly in the soup, eaten with a small sauce of soy and chopped garlic. The fresh green vegetable component against the rich pork broth.
Beancurd skin ($5-7 separately) was the second side. Dried beancurd skin (yuba) that’s been soaked and added to the soup, providing the soft-spongy textural component. The beancurd skin soaks up the broth as it sits, becoming flavour-saturated by the time you eat it.
A small bowl of rice on the side (or you can ask for an extra portion), with a small dish of dark soy sauce and chopped chillies for the proper dipping ritual. Dip a piece of pork in the soy-chilli, eat with a spoon of rice and a sip of the peppery broth.
Phase 2 had restored the bak kut teh restaurants to full operation. The claypot bak kut teh format is the slightly upgraded sit-down version of the standard bowl format — same flavours, more substantial presentation.
The Boxing Day dinner with the proper peppery bak kut teh was the right kind of warming meal for the year-end stretch.
Overall: 4.2 / 5. 😋👍🏼 Solid claypot bak kut teh — would re-order.
