Old Tiong Bahru Bak Kut Teh

Bah Kut Teh is one of the most popular street food in Singapore. One of the best places to enjoy “meat bone tea” in traditional style is at Old Tiong Bahru Bak Kut Teh at Seng Poh Road. The old school coffeeshop restaurant has a menu for a variety of tze char dishes but it is best loved for the flavoursome tender pork ribs served with peppery broth.

Old Tiong Bahru Bak Kut Teh is on the ground floor of one of the iconic Singapore Improvement Trust (SIT) flats at the junction of Seng Poh Road and Seng Poh Lane, just opposite the Tiong Bahru Market.

There are a few tables inside the restaurant but most diners choose to sit outside. It is less stuffy outside and you get an experience of streetside dining and a view of the interesting wall mural across the road.

Old Tiong Bahru Bak Kut Teh serves the local Teochew style Bak Kut Teh. The soup is the clear peppery version.

We ordered the usual youtiao($1.50), salted vegetables ($2.50) and rice ($0.60) to go with the bak kut teh ($6.50 per portion). We also ordered a bowl of mee sua with tang oh ($2). Chinese tea was $1.50 per person.

The broth served by Old Tiong Bahru Bak Kut Teh was slightly sweetish and not overly peppery. There was a complex flavour which was the result of preparing the broth with pork ribs in a slow simmering process. The quantity and quality of pork ribs were good. The meat was tender and came off the bone easily. There were bits of fats which, healthy eating issues aside, made the meat tastier. The cooked just right mee sua was the ultimate comfort food.

Overall, we had a nice hearty old-fashioned meal. Opinions will be divided over which stall serves the best bak kut teh in Singapore; and there are different versions of bak kut teh and each will have its fans.  It is obviously subjective but we like the Teochew style of the pork rib dish and Old Tiong Bahru Bak Kut Teh is one of our favourite bak kut teh stalls in Singapore.

Eating Bak Kut Teh is meant to be a ritual and an experience. Old Tiong Bahru Bak Kut Teh offers a complete neighbourhood streetside bak kut teh experience that is quite different from eating the pork ribs dish in some air-conditioned malls. The best thing is that their bak kut teh is a tasty version of the popular local hawker food.

Ratings:
Food: 4
Service: 3
Value: 3
Atmosphere: 2
Overall Rating: 3 TOPs 

Old Tiong Bahru Bak Kut Teh
58 Seng Poh Road #01-31
Singapore 160058

Tel : +65 62244990

Opening Hours:
Tue to Sun: 06.30 am – 09.00 pm
Closed on Mondays

The Ordinary Patrons | Real Dining Experience of Ordinary People
an independent Singapore food blog