19 Soul-Warming and Unforgettable Bak Kut Teh in Singapore

Bak Kut Teh is a pork rib dish cooked in broth, commonly found in Singapore and Malaysia. Bak kut teh comes in either a peppery broth or a herbal-based broth. This heavenly bowl is very comforting, especially during the rainy season. We bring you a list of 19 eateries serving piping hot bak kut teh. Let us know which type of broth you prefer!

Ah Hak Bak Kut Teh

Ah Hak Bak Kut Teh in Kai Juan Coffeeshop (or some called it Kai Juan BKT) captured our attention with their old-school interior. The rusty gates, granite floor, patterned bowls and wooden tables, made us feel like we are living in the 70s. A bowl of bak kut teh for 1 person, together with a bowl of rice and preserved vegetables, cost $7.50 in total. The bak kut teh has a clear broth and is moderately peppery. The pork ribs are not very tender, but the older generation prolly loves it.

Eng Kee Bak Kut Teh

Even though Eng Kee sells bak kut teh, the star of our lunch is actually the huge plate of pig’s trotters ($5) which were tender and very well-braised with dark soy sauce. Just give us a bowl of white rice to pair with the pig’s trotters, and we’ll be very happy. As for the bak kut teh ($6), there was nothing much to shout about. The soup was slightly peppery and sweet, but the meat was tough. We had to kinda rip the meat off the bone.

Founder Bak Kut Teh

Since 1978, Founder Bak Kut Teh has been consistently dishing out bowls of delectable Teochew-style pork rib soup to legions of fans. You may ask, what is their formula for success? Well, we think it’s the soup that is made using the freshest pork and a blend of pepper and spices from a recipe created by owner Mr Chua. Using only superior cuts of meaty long ribs or premium short ribs in a clear soup, the peppery bak kut teh isn’t too intense but still gives a decently spicy kick that will jolt us awake.

Hong Ji Claypot Bak Kut Teh

Herbal-based broth in a claypot? That’s special. Usually, it’s the peppery version that comes in claypots. The herbal and flavoursome soup is cooked with more than 10 herbs such as dang gui and dang shen. The owner learnt the recipe from a Malaysian hawker and improved the formula to its current adaptation. The herbs are cooked for 6 hours in the broth and the tender pork ribs are also cut into smaller and more manageable pieces.

Hwa Ji Bak Kut Teh

It all started in Jurong Point’s food court where owner Mr Ong was selling mixed organ soup. A bak kut teh stall at Boon Tat street was his next project. After 3 years, he moved to a coffeeshop in Cecil Street. It’s not easy to locate the stall but it’s worth the effort. Like all other BKT stalls, their pork ribs are cooked with garlic and peppercorns. The result is an unassumingly clear bowl of peppery and garlicky soup that armed with a subtle sweetness that stems from the incorporation of fresh pork ribs.

Joo Siah Bak Koot Teh

The Spare Ribs Soup ($7.50) arrived piping hot, with an intense peppery aroma. The broth is steeped with flavours, and the lean meat is tender and can be easily detached from the bones. Dunking the you tiao ($1) into the peppery broth makes these fried dough sticks even more addictive.

Kam Hiang Food Stall

Don’t be deceived by the name of the stall, Kam Hiang doesn’t sell chap chye peng! Instead, expect decent bowls of bak kut teh and pig’s trotters. The broth is made with a formidable assortment of ingredients and each order is individually prepared in a claypot. For us, a piping hot bowl of peppery broth with mee sua is most heartwarming.

Klang (Jln Meru Lim Kee) Bak Kut Teh

Lim Kee serves their bak kut teh in a claypot, as is commonly done in Malaysia. Inside, there are pork ribs, bean curd skin and tau pok. The pork ribs were very tender. The soup was mildly-infused with flavours from the herbs and balanced with a light sweetness. This definitely calls for a copious amount of steamed white rice to go along with!

Leong Kee (Klang) Bak Kut Teh

Like the ones in Malaysia, this has a herbal aroma and there was a generous portion of pork ribs in the claypot. The meat was so soft that you can pry it off the bones just by using your chopsticks. However, the broth suffered from a lack of oomph. Despite appearing dark and promising, we felt that it was too thin and light. You can choose to have bak kut teh with pork ribs ($6) or bak kut teh with pork ribs and intestines ($6).

Ng Ah Sio Pork Ribs Soup Eating House

Mr Ng Ah Sio’s father started selling this Teochew-style peppery herbal soup in the 1950s, in the present-day River Valley and Hill Street vicinity. The Bak Kut Teh was accompanied by Chinese donuts (You tiao) and a strong brew of Chinese tea. Mr Ng Ah Sio took over the business in 1977, after his father’s retirement and began serving crowds at New World Amusement Park (current Kitchener Road) with 7 staff. In my opinion, this is one of the most peppery bak kut teh soup in Singapore. However, we just can’t stop at one sip. The good combination of pepper, garlic and fresh pork ribs makes the soup really fragrant and tasty.

Old Street Bak Kut Teh

Besides traditional soupy bak kut teh, Old Street created a dry bak kut teh. The Pork Ribs Soup ($6.80 small) has a nice aroma, enhanced by huge amounts of garlic. It isn’t as peppery as the likes of Joo Siah Bak Koot Teh or Founder Bak Kut Teh, but the subtle herbal flavour is pleasant. The Dry Bak Kut Teh ($8 small) could use a more generous serving of the gravy as it dries up very quickly. The gravy is spiced up by chilli padi and goes very well with a bowl of plain rice. Unfortunately, the meat of the pork ribs is too tough.

Old Tiong Bahru Bak Kut Teh

The flavoursome pork ribs served are tender and pair beautifully with the velvety peppery broth. It totally floored us, giving a satisfying punch right from the first sip. Old Tiong Bahru Bak Kut Teh also offers vermicelli with their broth, and a variety of other dishes such as pig’s trotters.

Rong Cheng Bak Kut Teh

Rong Cheng has been faithfully serving Singaporeans traditional Teochew Bak Kut Teh since 1976. The first outlet at 22 Sin Ming Road is started by Uncle Lim, while the one at Midview City is managed by his son, Lionel. The bak kut teh soup is prepared daily by cooking fresh pork ribs in water with just garlic and pepper. The clear soup is medium-bodied and peppery, and you can taste the sweetness of the meat in the soup. Do you know that they are the first to introduce loin ribs (dragon ribs), also known as 龙骨?

Rong Hua Bak Kut Teh

This is a typical bowl of clear peppery pork ribs soup ($7). The garlic and pepper provide just enough kick without overpowering the sweet and tasty broth. The broth is best drunk steaming hot. Remember to pair some gongfu tea ($4.50) with the bak kut teh. If the gong fu tea is too strong, you can go for the floral tea ($7) which is more delicate.

Rong Shu Xia Bak Kut Teh

Rong Shu Xia Rou Gu Cha serves cantonese-style bak kut teh, which is also known as Malaysian Bak Kut Teh. Unlike our peppery version, spices and herbs are added into their broth. The Pork Ribs Soup ($5.90) reminded us of Restoran Shoon Huat BKT in Taman Sentosa. The soup is a lot lighter on herbal notes as compared to Klang-style bak kut teh. So if you are looking for a kick in the soup, this would be a little mild. The good thing is, the light soup does not snatch the limelight from the sweetness of the pork ribs. It’s quite tender and falls off the bone easily.

Song Fa Bak Kut Teh

Owner Yeo Eng Song used to serve these mouthwatering bowls of bak kut teh at tables set up beside his pushcart stall in 1969. Fast forward to today, Song Fa bak kut teh has become a household name in Singapore. Each bowl boasts a good balance of garlicky and peppery flavours, with a hint of porcine sweetness from the ribs. The lean meat on the ribs are tender and juicy. We will always slurp up even the last drop of broth, shiok!

Soon Huat Bak Kut Teh

While the usual bak kut teh is served with a few pieces of pork ribs and soup, Soon Huat’s Bak Kut Teh ($5.90 for 1 pax, $11.90 for 2-3 pax, $22.90 for 4-5 pax) comes with pig innards. Kinda similar to the Malaysian version of Klang bak kut teh, Soon Huat’s version is milder to cater to local palates. Don’t get us wrong, the broth is milder but still full-bodied with a slight sweetness. The pork used has also been switched to Argentinian pork which is firm but soft at the same time. 

Tuan Yuan Pork Ribs Soup

Owned by the children of the folks behind Ya Hua Bak Kut Teh, Tuan Yuan hopes that customers will have a special dining experience that cultivates togetherness as they savour authentic Teochew Bak Kut Teh. Tuan Yuan Pork Ribs Soup ($7) is not as peppery and salty as Ya Hua’s and we couldn’t stop refilling the broth. 

Ya Hua Bak Kut Teh

Together with her sister, Gwee Guek Hua, founder Madam Gwee Peck Hua has worked tirelessly to perfect the recipe for the finest bowl of Teochew-style Bak Kut Teh, since 1973. In 2006, due to overwhelming demand, Madam Gwee and her sister opened another branch at Keppel Road. This is where we frequent, especially for supper on cold nights. The peppery soup, with tender pork ribs, hits all the right spots.

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Doesn’t sipping a cup of freshly-brewed Chinese tea sound good on a weekend morning? So does dipping you tiao in the bak kut teh broth! If you’re already salivating, it’s time to tick off the places from the list of bak kut teh options we’ve just listed. Enjoy!

MissTamChiak.com made anonymous visits and paid its own meals at the stalls featured here.

Let’s build a food community that helps to update the food news in Singapore! Simply comment below if there’s any changes or additional info to the stalls listed above. We will verify and update from our side. Thanks in advance!