TAKE A RIDE ON THE WILD SIDE

A little expose on Bak Kut Teh.

I’m writing about one of my fav soups today only because I feel I’m qualified enough to do so. I studied to be a Chef….dammit!. The cold and gloomy weather of late has also prompted me to partake of meals that are more soup based…which logically would equate the meal to being hot measured in Kelvin with lots of steam. I don’t really know the story of Bak Kut Teh itself but I surely do know my story of Bak Kut Teh.

As a boy growing up in a family that loves to dabble in Chinese cuisine…my kitchen savvy Mom would prepare this dish with much ease. She would pressure cook the pork ribs. Then get a clear broth boiling with the already perfectly braised ribs in it…while adding a few essential herbs and garlic. Her version of the Bak Kut Teh was a little to the spicy side thus the crushing of white pepper corn. A little salt to taste…and don’t forget the braised peanuts (I’m sure someone reading this went” hey! What about the braised peanuts?!!!” don’t get your panties in a twist reader).

If you had any lighting in your kitchen!! And if it bounced off the soup…a thin layer of clear fat would glisten….ahhhh the fat! Such a misunderstood taste provider. Coming from the braising of the ribs. The fat acts as surprisingly pungent but un-repulsive necessary evil. Its like the pork fat that we use in Char Kway Teow and Malaysian style Hokkien Mee. Its unhealthy but no way in hell could we do without it.

A pot of steaming rice and a small dish of red cut chili with dark soya sauce and Ba Da Bing!! (NO..thats not another ingredient!..its a sound of completion!)…you have a kick ass meal to satisfy a hungry family. God bless my Mom!

If you’ve ever tried braising something...or “boiling” meat on a bone till the meat was falling off the bone then you would know the value of having a pressure cooker in your home kitchen. Its like having a BOSE sound system or BMW Z4 sitting right there all purring to be used. This kitchen appliance allows meat to stew in its own juices and makes the screw up probability in the kitchen very low. When pressure cookers were first used though, there were many reports of them blowing up but with updated technology, its pretty safe to use one now.

The best cut of pork to use for this soup would be the ribs. The meat is nice and tender with just the right amount of fattiness on it, some parts even come with cartilage which is edible of course. When I say “meat falling off the bone” it means that the meat has been cooked to perfection thus allowing the lucky bastard who’s stuffing his face with Bak Kut Teh to easily pick the meat off even while using a pair chopsticks. You probably would not even have to make the effort to chew on the meat cause if cooked right the meat should just comfortably breakdown and ease into your taste glands.


I remember when I was working at the Mandarin, and when I worked the midnight shift. My colleagues and I would end work at around 7am in the morning. We would then make our way to Keppel Road and there would be this store that only sold Bak Kut Teh. It was very old school…with heavy marble tables and rounded wooden stools. They would open at 4am in the morning and close at around 1pm or earlier if I remember correctly. There would always be a vulgar looking server, I guess it goes with the whole vibe yah. We would always order the Bak Kut Teh with many sides dishes. We had the yew char kway (Chinese fried dough fritters), the salted vegetables, tau pok in soya sauce and the braised peanuts of course. The Bak Kut Teh that is served island wide usually comes with coriander leaves which is a far cry from its almost similar looking cousin garnish the parsley. This bad ass garnish is awesome to look at in its freshest form and can be a nasty shock to the senses of folks who are not familiar to it’s rush to the head…seep to your nose effect. but to wash it all down we had a boiling kettle of water beside us on a charcoal stove so we could prepare fragrant Chinese tea. Dudes I only have one thing to say to after all this….Yam Cha!


Bak Kut Teh to me is like Consommé to the Europeans. Its more then just comfort food. Its warms more then just the cockles of my heart…whatever the hell that’s suppose to mean. It’s a tool I use to satisfy and communicate. Communicating messages of love and concern when I treat someone to this dish or vice versa and satisfying my cravings and hunger. Food will always play a central role in every event of our lives. In certain cultures we have red eggs or a small feast for a new born babe. In remembrance of passing years we have birthdays where food is never amiss. In times of struggles its food that brings everyone together. Even when we die…we usually end the funeral with a simple fare of food. If the world were a simpler place I would wish that everything could be settled over a simple meal of Bak Kut Teh.