Eat Singapore Bak Kut Teh at Outram Park Ya Hua Rou Gu Cha
Song Fa is so far away but I got a craving for Bak Kuh Teh!
I hear there’s one down the street…
Outram Park Ya Hua Rou Gu Cha tl;dr
- Peppery Pork Soup
- Order More Chinese Doughnuts
- Don’t Forget the Tea
Local flavor will always have a place in my stomach. Just as I would appreciate a home cooked food more something bought outside, a local eatery will be a great go to default location versus going to a fancier, possibly over hyped restaurant found else where. What I’m trying to say is that there’s something about the smaller restaurant that just hits the spot.
Bah Kuh Teh for the Soul
On the outskirts of Singaporean neighborhood Tanjong Pagar, lies just such a restaurant called Outram Park Ya Hua Rou Gu Cha that sells peppery bak kuh teh and other things to eat with bak kuh teh. In this open air dining establishment you will find an attentive staff waiting to seat you, take your order, deliver your order, refill your broth and equally more than happy to take your money at the end of your meal.
Closeup of a Bowl of Bak Kuh Teh
When we found this place, we had been going around to a number of other restaurants looking fervently for our de fact bak kuh teh spot. After having gone to so many pork rib soup eateries, we’ve narrowed our order down to:
- PepperyPork Rib Soup – this is what we came here for
- Soy Sauce Braised Pork
- Soy Sauce Braised Bean Curd
- Cut Chinese Doughnut – can’t eat pork soup without this
- Sauteed Watercress
- Steamed White Rice
The pork is tender, watercress cuts the richness, the white rice is cleansing, and the Chinese doughnut balances it all out.
Chinese Doughnuts, Youtiao… Crispy Bites of Air
A long time ago when I first tried bah kuh teh, I admit that I didn’t care for it. Then a friend of mine explained that I was missing a key ingredient. Chinese doughnut, youtiao, savory churros, or whatever other pet names you may come of for them are necessary, at least for me, to enjoy a bowl of pork rib soup.
Something about the contrast of fall off the bone pork in peppery broth is somehow completed by the crispy bites of fried dough. That combination play on flavors and texture has transformed me into an addict of the fried carbs and I now need it with every bowl of bah kuh teh.
A Complete Bak Kut Teh Meal
Not For Everyone
I really enjoyed this meal a lot! Having been exposed to so many different bah kuh teh variations, I can say that you can’t go wrong eating here. I understand that not everyone will like the pepperiness of the pork soup broth and prefer those with a more herbal connotation. Sadly, my palate doesn’t appreciate the herbal flavor profile nearly as much.
With that being said, I like the location, preparation and price point of Outram Park Ya Hua Rou Gu Cha. You would be surprised how much bigger names charge for the same thing. All things considered, I may just look into cooking this at home now.
You should go find out whether you like this or not
