Balestier is the hub of bak kut teh, there are countless bak kut teh stalls along the road. Just a few days back, I had my lunch at Ah Hak Bak Kut Teh in Kai Juan Coffeeshop (or some called it Kai Juan BKT). What captured my attention first was the very old school interior. From the rusty gates, to granite floor, patterned bowls and wooden tables, it made me feel like I am living in the 70s.

During my first visit there, I ordered a bowl of bak kut teh for 1 person, together with a bowl of rice and preserved vegetable (cai-beh). It costs me $7.50 in total. The bak kut teh has clear broth and moderately peppery. The taste is somewhat similar to Rong Cheng’s BKT. The pork ribs were not very tender, but I guess the older generation loves it. Cai beh was crunchy and personally, I like it.

During my second visit with the makan kakis, we ordered a bowl of pig trotter and intestines, together with the bak kut teh. One of our makan kaki Philip said that, this is actually Chua Lam’s favourite BKT stall (according to a TVB food programme hosted by him). Unfortunately, both the soy sauce dishes were too salty for us.

Heard this BKT is a hot supper spot at night, especially for taxi uncles. Good thing is, the soup can be refilled. Drinking a piping hot bowl of BKT in such an old school coffee shop makes our lunch very nostalgic. Within the same coffeeshop, there is also yong tau foo and Dalian Teochew Noodles stall. I didn’t quite like the teochew noodles, but I will come back to try the yong tau foo next time!

The stall is open 24hours a day except on Sundays where they close from around 3pm to Monday 3pm. That’s the time when we decided to take our photoshoot around Balestier with Feelim Photography and caught a shot of the rustic gate. Our photographer, Samantha, does analog photography (on film) and is really good at catching moments that tell a story. If you keen, email samantha_annfrancis@hotmail.com and quote “Miss Tam Chiak” to enjoy a promo price of $380 for a 2-hr shoot! Visit www.feelimphotography.com to view her works!

Ah Hak Bak Kut Teh

Address: Kai Juan Coffeeshop, 397 Balestier Road

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