[Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia] Soon Kee Bak Kut Teh 顺记肉骨茶
By Elin Chow - Thursday, November 05, 2020
Photo By: Elin Chow
The unassuming restaurant is located beside the famous Golden Dragon restaurant in Kampung Cina (Chinatown). Just as its name suggests, it specialize in Bak Kut Teh, a pork based dish served piping hot in a clay pot and eaten with white rice.
At close to 6.30 pm, the restaurant was already packed with people. To be honest, we did not have high expectation about the food since there are not much reviews online. We chose to eat here simply because this was one of the few restaurants that was opened at the time when we visited Chinatown. It seems to be quite popular among locals, so we thought it would not be too bad to try it out. Luckily, it does not disappoint.
Food is prepared and cooked at a small cooking station located at a corner near the entrance. The restaurant is run by a mother and son. The son will prepare the dish, cutting meaty pork ribs and pork belly at the cooking station, with his elderly mother serving the food.
We ordered 3 servings of Bak Kut Teh and a bowl of Yau Char Kwai (fried crullers) to share among the 4 of us. Served piping hot in a clay pot, it comes with taufu pok, fu chuk (fried beancurd skin), pork ribs, pork belly, pork intestines, mushrooms and topped with green lettuce.
The lettuce were not cooked in the soup to avoid them from getting too soft. Instead, the veggies were being place on top of the steaming hot broth. This allowed them to cook naturally by the heat of the broth so that they remain crunchy.
The clear golden brown broth was light but strong (not overpowering) and flavorful from the herbs. The flavor is pretty authentic. There was not much MSG used in the making the broth and the ingredients were fresh. We also love the pork ribs and pork belly so much. Simmered until soft and tender for hours, the meat can be easily tear off the bone and have absorbed all the flavors and goodness of the broth.
As for beverages, you will have to do some self servicing due to a lack of manpower. You will find an empty teapot and some tea cups on every table. You can either order the tea from the restaurant or bring your own tea leaves based on own preference. There are kettles with boiling water at numerous corner of the restaurant as you are expected to make your own tea. So be careful of the hot boiling kettles when you walk around the restaurant.
Soon Kee Bak Kut Teh
196, Jalan Kampung Cina
Terengganu 20100
Hours: 6.30 am - 10.00 am | 6.00 pm - 9.00 pm daily
Be sure to follow me on my Facebook, Twitter or Instagram to get the latest updates on my blog! Also, do not forget to share my blog posts with your family and friends if you find them helpful. In the meantime, you might also want to check My Wanderlust page for some of my other travel adventures.
0 comments