The bah kut teh commonly found in Singapore is the Teochew peppery type like the ones I had at Old Street Bak Kut Teh. I can’t take the peppery spiciness so I was delighted when my friend introduced me to Herbal Claypot Bak Kut Teh in 188 Cafe.
188 Cafe is an “atas” coffeeshop with air-conditioning on Balestier Road and Herbal Claypot Bak Kut Teh is one of the stalls.
This is the Herbal Claypot Bak Kut Teh. The broth is a dark-brown color with lots of whole garlic cloves. The broth is rich and fragrant with a lingering herbal taste that is not overwhelming. The pork ribs fall off the bone easily.
There are the usual bak kuh teh accompaniments: Tofu Skin, Braised Beancurd Puff, Tofu & Egg and Salted Vegetable. All are well-seasoned after many hours of braising. There is also Sesame Chicken which is not commonly found in bak kut teh stalls.
I always pair bak kut teh with mee sua instead of rice. You can choose between white pepper or herbal broth for the mee sua. It comes in a claypot which keeps the mee sua inside hot for longer.
Besides bak kut teh, 188 Cafe also offers many other spicy Szechuan, seafood and zichar dishes. The Big Prawn Noodle looks mighty good, I will try it the next time I am there.
Herbal Claypot Bak Kut Teh (188 Cafe)
Address: 331/333 Balestier Road, Singapore 329765
Telephone: 62569816
Opening Hours: Open 24 hours (zichar menu is only available until 11pm)
Facebook Page: https://m.facebook.com/188cafe/
