Feng Xiang BKT – Klang Style Claypot Bak Kut Teh + Zi Char Delights [MEDIA INVITE]

Feng Xiang is a Klang-style Claypot Bak Kut Teh born during the pandemic 2 years ago. It started when Mr Harvey Ang, the co-founder was yearning for the robust flavour of his hometown Klang’s Bak Kut Teh and he was unable to “balik kampung” (go back home). Created with family heirloom recipes passed down through generations and the skilful use of 16 premium ingredients and herbs, Feng Xiang BKT evokes memories Klang’s signature taste. As Feng Xiang is well received by the customers, they have expanded to nine outlets around Singapore.

Feng Xiang @ Vivo City

We had our tasting at Feng Xiang Food Republic @ Vivocity. It is a restaurant within the Food Republic, with up to 60 seats.

The Menu Board

The Drink Menu

Herbal Bak Kut Teh (Soup) Regular $8.50. Served in a claypot, the ingredients include pork ribs, sliced pork, tau pok, enoki mushroom, shiitake mushroom and topped with fried beancurd skin. The broth is dark, robust and infused with herbs. The short pork ribs are juicy, succulent and infused with the essence of the broth. For a Klang-style BKT, I like the herbs to be very strong, however, the version at Feng Xiang is milder and can be easily acceptable by everyone.

Herbal Bak Kut Teh (Soup) 

Herbal Bak Kut Teh (Soup) - The Ingredients 

The Pork Rib

Bak Kut Teh (Dry) Regular $9.50. It is a sweet and savoury dish, cooked with string-thin cuttlefish strips, dried chilli and covered in the sweet dark sauce. The combination of caramelised sweet dark soy sauce, cuttlefish and dried chilli cooked in high heat, push that delicious and irresistible flavour into the pork ribs. What a “Flavour Bomb” and the best dry bak kut teh in Singapore.

Bak Kut Teh (Dry) 

Feng Xiang Pork Cutlet Fried Porridge $8.50. Signature fried porridge at Feng Xiang. The porridge is infused with shallots and hae bee (dried prawns), cooked at a very high heat. You can see the “fire show” when the chef cooks the fried porridge. The toppings include fried pork cutlet, pork lard, fried shallots and spring onion. The porridge is fragrant, smooth, creamy and not oily. The fried pork cutlet and pork lard provided a contrasting texture to the dish, and the generous portion can easily satisfy 2 persons.

Feng Xiang Pork Cutlet Fried Porridge 

Starting on 1st March 2024, Feng Xiang is introducing Zi Char favourites chosen by the Malaysian-born Chefs.

Har Cheong Gai (Prawn Paste Chicken Mid Wings), promotional price $4.90*, (original price $7.90) & Har Cheong Crispy Chicken Skin promotional price $2.90*, (original price $4.90). Har Cheong Gai is probably the most ordered dish in Singapore and Malaysia’s Zi Char scene. The version at Feng Xiang is well marinated, packed with umami flavour and crisp externally.

Har Cheong Gai (Prawn Paste Chicken Mid Wings) 

Since we always like the crispy texture of the Har Cheong Gai, Feng Xiang is offering the Har Cheong Crispy Chicken skin as well. It is super crispy and such umami overload. I like it as a snack, but it is also good to eat with the fried porridge. Yum Yum.

Har Cheong Crispy Chicken Skin 

Salad You Tiao, promotional price $3.90* (original price $5.90). It has a crunchy exterior, followed by bouncy and tasty squid paste. It is served with mayonnaise dip. Being adventurous, I dipped mine with dry BKT gravy and it was just amazing.

Salad You Tiao

Steamed Fresh Baby Squid, promotional price $6.90*, (original price $9.90). Steamed to perfection, the baby squid is fresh, tender and bouncy. The soy sauce, fried garlic and spring onion paired nicely with the squid. A must-order dish here.

Steamed Fresh Baby Squid

Promotion

With the purchase of Bak Kut Teh Soup, Bak Kut Teh Dry, or Fried Porridge, you are entitled to enjoy any of the 4 zi char dishes at the promotional price throughout March and April 2024.

Overall, it was an enjoyable meal at Feng Xiang. The Dry Bak Kut Teh, Har Cheong Gai Crispy Skin and Steamed Fresh Baby Squid are our picks from the delicious food. Cheers!!

Food & Drink: 7.5/10

Value: 8/10

Service: N/A (Media Invite)

Ambiance: N/A (Food Court)

Budget per Person: $0 – $10; $11 - $25.

Feng Xiang Bak Kut Teh @Vivo City

1 HarbourFront Walk

#03-01 Food Republic @VivoCity

Singapore 098585

W: https://fengxiang.sg/

F: https://www.facebook.com/fengxiangbkt/

IG: @fengxiangbkt

OH: Daily 10.00 – 21.00 Full detail of all Feng Xiang locations are available on their website or click here.

Lau Ah Tee BKT – Old Style Teochew Bak Kut Teh

Prime Rib Bak Kut Teh @ Lau Ah Tee BKT

LD and I chance upon Lau Ah Tee Bak Kut Teh (“Ah Tee”) last year when we were looking for Boon Tong Kee at Whampoa. We noticed the shop is filled with diners eating Bak Kut Teh (‘BKT’) and steamed fish, so we remind ourselves to give it a try.

Lau Ah Tee Bak Kut Teh

During lunchtime, this place is usually packed. However, not too worried, as they occupied a sizeable eating house, the waiting time will be minimum. Apparently, Lau Ah Tee BKT has been operating for more than 30 years and most of their customers are regulars.

The Menu

The menu is simple with two-third of it is filled with a different type of fishes and seafood on offer. Withstanding that, I think you should just take a quick peep at the fridge in the middle to see the catch of the day.

Price List

The Premium Rib ($6 each). Surprisingly, for these premium ribs, you can order just one piece instead of the usual two pieces. The soup is clear, robust, peppery, plus well infused with the essence of the pork and a touch of sweetness from the garlic. The taste that LD and I like.

Prime Rib Bak Kut Teh

The meat from the prime ribs is succulent, juicy with a good bite to it. The first time I tried it, I find the meat a bit hard. On the second visit, we asked for the fatty prime ribs and the meat is just perfect. We also notice that the first batch of the broth that comes with the BKT is usually sweeter. The top-up broth is a bit more peppery.

Prime Rib Bak Kut Teh - The Fatty Version

A must order companion for our BKT is the fried youtiao ($2). The version here has a super crispy texture. Though it is good to bite on its own, the trade-off is that the youtiao does not soak up the broth as well as the softer, pillowy you tiao.

Fried Youtiao

Liver and kidney mixed ($5). It is cooked to perfection. The kidney is plump and juicy, while the liver is pinkish, velvety and melts in your mouth. One of the best BKT liver around.

Pig Liver

Pig Kidney

During our first visit, we notice people around us is ordering the braised Tofu Knots ($5), not in the menu. We decided to give it a try. It is just delicious, the tofu knots are soft, moist and absorbs the solid braising liquid. Usually, some the knots part can be undercooked or hard, however, you will not have that issue here. It is cooked thoroughly.

Braised Tofu Knot 

Tang oh vegetable ($3) is highly recommended for the vegs here or should I say the only soup vegetables on offer. It is crunchy and minty. There is a slight bitterness in the vegetables to balance any fattiness on the meat.

Tang Oh

Big intestines ($5). It is braised over a long period, resulting in a soft and fatty intestine. I feel it is not clean properly, as I can taste a slight foul and smelly flavour at the background.

Big Intestines

On another visit, there were three of us. So, we ordered their steam prawns and steam fish. The chilled prawn ($-Market Price) is sweet, crunchy and fresh.

Prawns - Small

Meanwhile, the steamed Red Snapper ($28 for this piece / Market Price) is done Teochew style. The fillet portion is good for 3 pax and you can see it comes from a big fish. The freshness of the fish just shines, with its flaky and bouncy flesh. Both LD and I were drinking the jus from the fish like a soup broth. Even my MIL that hardly eats steam fish nowadays had a few bites.

Steam Red Snapper

The service here is efficient, friendly, with a warm neighbourhood touch. We realise that most of the diners are regulars and it can span over three generations. The price is very reasonable, compare to those famous BKT with branches.

Overall, I am glad we found this place. The BKT and steamed seafood are just superb. It is an old school delight and I hope it remains open till the next generations. Cheers!!

Note: If you are interested in the Singapore History of Bak Kut Teh and how Mr Sim Choon Lian started Lau Ah Tee BKT, read it at IeatIshootIpost blog or Miss Tham Chiak.

Food & Drinks: 8.5/10

Value: 8.75/10

Service: 6.5/10

Ambiance: Eating House / Coffee Shop

Budget per Person: $11 - $25

Lau Ah Tee Bak Kut Teh Eating House

Blk 34 Whampoa West

#01-67 Singapore 330034

(Near Boon Keng MRT Station Exit B)

T: +65 9755 5250

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

OH:

Wed, 07.00 – 15.00

Thu – Tue, 07.00 – 21.00

Jia Bin Klang Bak Kut Teh – Klang Style BKT in Singapore [MEDIA INVITE]

Jia Bin Bak Kut Teh

Jia Bin Klang Bak Kut Teh originated from Seremban, Malaysia where it has been serving Klang (herbal) Hokkien style Bak Kut Teh (‘BKT’). The outlet in Singapore is their first overseas branch, opened up by their relatives.

Jia Bin Klang Bak Kut Teh

While our Singapore Bak Kut Teh is known for the clear and peppery broth, the Klang version is known for its dark colour broth and strong herbal flavour. The one in Klang even served their BKT with coconut rice, which adds another flavour to the overall dish.

The Menu 1

The Menu 2

The Otder Sheet

For your first visit, it is better to order Jia Bin Bak Kut Teh ($8.80 for small, $15 for big). The version in the photo is the big portion, good for 2 pax. The first sip of the broth, you can taste the strong, robust herbal infused broth with a hint of sweetness from the pork bones. According to Elwin, one of the bosses, they use 10 different types of herbs to cook the broth. The ingredients include short pork ribs, pork belly, pig stomach, small intestines, beancurd and pigtail.

Jia Bin Bak Kut Teh

The ribs are juicy and succulent even though it looks lean. Meanwhile, the pork belly has the right fattiness where it just melts in your mouth. The pig stomach and small intestines are crunchy, springy and absent of foul smell. Apparently, pig’s tail is popular ingredients for BKT in Malaysia, however, if you don’t like it, better to let them know in advance to exclude this.

The Interior

The Interior

Jia Bin also offers dry BKT ($8.80). The ingredients are the same, however, it is cooked special dark soya sauce. Expect a dark, sweet and intense gravy coating the ingredients infused with herbal flavour with a hint of spiciness from the dried chilli. The dry BKT goes well with a bowl of white rice.

Jia Bin Dry BKT

Jia Bin Spicy Pork Belly ($8.80). The pork belly is thinly sliced cooked with dried chilli. It is spicy and a bit on the salty side. However, for those that can take more spicy, don’t hesitate to ask them for more chilli.

Jia Bin Spicy Pork Belly

Spicy Pork Belly

Jia Bin Hua Diao Wine Chicken ($8.80). This dish is served piping hot, with the gravy still bubbling and exudes the fragrant aroma from the wine. The chicken is tender and succulent, and the springy skin texture is just irresistible. The gravy itself is so good, you can finish a bowl of rice with it. Definitely a “rice thief” dish.

Jia Bin Hua Diao Wine Chicken 

Pig Hock ($10), it is their version of Braised Pork Knuckles. Robust braising sauce filled with collagen from the hock. The meat fall of the bone, while the fats and skin melts in your mouth.

Pig Hock

Check out the fats

If you are looking for the soup version of the pig’s trotter, order the braised pig’s trotter ($7.50).

Our Spread

For the side dishes, I recommend their Crispy Beancurd ($2.50) and Salted Vegetables ($3.50). The beancurd is good to soak up the broth of the BKT, while the crunchy salted vegetables will overcome the “jelakness” from the meat and fats.

Crispy Beancurd

In summary, with the presence of Jia Bin Bak Kut Teh definitely bring good news for Klang style of BKT lovers. They do not have to travel far and across the causeway to satisfy their cravings. It is a good alternative from the peppery version in Singapore. Cheers!!

You Tiao

To Fu Po

Thank you very much to Jia Bin Klang Bak Kut Teh for the tasting invitation.

Food & Drink: 7.25/10

Value: 7.5/10

Service: N/A (Tasting Invitation)

Ambiance: 6/10

Budget per Person: $11 - $25

Jia Bin Klang Bak Kut Teh

嘉宾 巴生肉骨茶

62 Rangoon Road

Singapore 218352

T: +65 6900 7708

F: https://www.facebook.com/JiaBinKlangBakKutTeh/

IG: @Jiabinklangbakkutteh

OH:

Mon – Fri: 10.00 – 15.00, 17.00 – 22.00

Sat & Sun: 10.00 – 22.00