EATZ: Morning Bah Kut Tea (早市肉骨茶)

Hong Lim Complex is very popular for good hawker fare and usually competition comes good food, such as the "Curry Chicken Noodle". However there are also those that have got no competition and reign supremacy, such as "Ah Kow Minced Meat Noodle" and "Tanglin Curry Puff"and "Hiong Kee Dumplings (香记肉粽)". Nevertheless, the two stalls selling "Bah Kut Teh" (肉骨茶, Pork Ribs Soup, Bak kut teh or Ba Koot Teh) are always facing seriously stiff competition. Unlike the rivalry of the "Curry Chicken Noodle" stalls, these two "Bah Kut Teh" stalls are pitting their culinary skills at the same level, at the same side and only a few stalls apart. I have tried "Old Hokkien Street Ba Koot Teh" and it would only be reasonable to do a comparison against "Morning Bah Kut Tea".

Morning Bah Kut Tea

早市肉骨茶
Hong Lim Complex
Ground Level

I shall not debate about the terminology used in descibring this dish but "Morning Bah Kut Tea" serves Bah Kut Teh (肉骨茶) in a small and not too eye-catching corner stall on the ground level. There are not fancy pictures showing off the available dishes but only a piece of aged paper with prices written in Chinese.

We each ordered our individual share of Bah Kut Teh and shared a plate of pork trotters. Note that the colour of bowls does not matter.

Bah Kut Teh (肉骨茶)

S$4

I had originally thought that this stall serves the "clear-type", but they serve exactly the same Hokkien-style Bah Kut Teh as their competitor. The soup is neither made from herbs and pepper, nor is it spicy. Instead, the soup is a less saltier version of the 'lor' (stewed meat broth). The soup is also rather oily (just look at the clear layer on the surface of the soup) but does not grease your throat when taken. The S$4 portion comes with 3 huge slabs of meat. The meat is juicy and tender and have soaked up the flavours of the broth. The meat goes well when dunked in the tasty thick dark soy sauce.

Pork Trotters

S$4

The fatty skin glistens with any light from any angles. A huge slab of meat and fat from the femur of the porcine sits on a tasty 'lor'. Not for the weak-hearted, I meant physically weak. Swallowing a huge chunk of meat and skin, immediately made us felt a sudden constriction in the artery of the heart! That's a joke! Nevertheless, one must not be too health conscious once in a while, in order to enjoy such a delicacy! The lean meat has not soaked up much of the flavours of the 'lor', so one should just dunk it and swirl it in the broth to soak up some juice. The skin with equal proportion of fat chewed just like very well done sea cucumber, except greases the mouth thoroughly.

Verdict

When I said this meal is not for the 'weak-hearted', I meant it. This ain't exactly the healthiest version of Bah Kut Teh. The more health conscious diners should avoid the pork trotters and just got for the Bah Kut Teh. The huge slabs of meat justify for the price. When I asked for 'lor' to be drizzled on my rice, I realised that they used the preserved vegetables broth which was also a broth from the same 'lor'. The soup is tasty and not too salty. Though it is slightly oily, it does not grease your throat too much. Though the pork trotters ain't exactly the best I have tasted, it is definitely one of the fattest! The meat is stewed till very tender and breaks with a little pinch from the chopsticks. It is also very smooth to swallow, attributed to the greasiness.

Comparing "Morning Bah Kut Tea" to "Old Hokkien Street Ba Koot Teh", "Morning Bah Kut Tea" is much greasier. On the contrary, if one is not too health conscious once in a while, "Morning Bah Kut Tea" is actually much tastier than "Old Hokkien Street Ba Koot Teh", though Arthur felt vice versa. Though not many are particular about the dip, I prefer the dark soy sauce from "Morning Bah Kut Tea". This meal should go well with a good brew of Chinese "Pu Er" tea to clear the grease. It is "Morning Bah Kut Tea" (早市 肉骨茶) for me, if there are not healthier choices around. I will try not to make it that I can afford it (not refering to price)!

I do visit Hong Lim Complex for other good food such as "Ah Kow Minced Meat Noodle", "Tanglin Curry Puff", "Ah Heng Curry Chicken Noodle" and "Pasta Express". I would love to try the "Crayfish Horfun" and "Hiong Kee Dumplings (香记肉粽)". I highly regard this place as a hawker food haven!

technorati tags

Singapore Food Hong Lim Complex Chinatown Hawker Food Bah Kut Teh Ba Koot Teh Bak Kut Teh 肉骨茶 Pork Ribs Soup Prok Trotters Morning Ba Kut Tea