New Eastern Kim Tee, #4 Bak Kwa in Singapore. No queue required

New Eastern Kim Tee Bak Kwa was ranked number 4 in Singapore by 8 Days magazine who conducted an undercover review of 12 famous bak kwa in Singapore. Their findings were published in an article 12 Famous Bak Kwa Brands, Ranked From Worst To Best on 20 January 2019. The review turned out to be useful for us as it uncovered some of the lesser known brands such as New Eastern Kim Tee. Their outlet at Tangs Orchard is a useful one for those who does not wish to queue for hours at the legendary Lim Chee Guan at Ion across the road. Is the New Eastern Kim Tee bak kwa a viable alternative?

The Queue At Lim Chee Guan Ion

We were at Ion Orchard on Wednesday and we thought we could buy some from Lim Chee Guan if the queue was not too bad. We thought we were in luck as we approached the shop. There were so few people in the entrance.

Only upon reaching the shop did we realise that the queue had been moved to the open space in B4 in front of the Muji store. There were about 100 people in the queue. We like LCG bak kwa, but not enough to stand in line for 2 hours. The Today article came to mind and so we headed to Tangs across the road in search of New Eastern Kim Tee Bak Kwa

New Eastern Kim Tee at Tangs

The situation at Tangs was totally different. Peace and quiet. New Eastern Kim Tee has an area in the basement where they sell all kinds of new year goodies. Bak kwa was one of them. No one was in attendance. We bought a couple of packets of 500g bak kwa ($29 each).

Kim Tee bak kwa

We only realised that we had purchased the minced meat version when we got home. The sticker with the description was small and faint. The bak kwa had been made the day before and has to be consumed within 14 days. Which was not a problem as it won’t survive beyond a few days. Sliced pork bak kwa was the type that was used in the 8 Days review, so what we bought was slightly different. Sliced pork has a better texture but can be sometimes too hard. We are fine with either version. The Kim Tee bak kwa (minced pork version) looked normal and did not appear overly red or puffy (as pointed out in the article). Each 500g pack contains about 12 slices. They look regular shaped and consistent.

For the taste test, we sampled the bak kwa on its own as well as in two of our favourite ways of eating bak kwa – with bread and with beer. We were happy with the taste of the Kim Tee bak kwa. Each piece was consistently made. There was a slight smokey flavour. They were not too sweet or oily. We will certainly be happy to eat these any day. In terms of gifting, we think LCG is preferred for the brand recognition and the similar pricing. However, if we find the queue at LCG at Ion Orchard too long again, we will confidently take the underpass across Orchard Road and buy some of these Kim Tee bak kwa instead.

New Eastern Kim Tee
TANGS Orchard
310 Orchard Road, Basement
Singapore 238864

Tel: (+65) 9138 6665/ 6283 2829

Opening Hours: 10.30am – 9.30pm

Nearest Station: Orchard

www.kimtee.com.sg

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