Bak kut teh
Photo: Indradi Soemardjan http://www.indrani.net · CC BY 2.5

History

Bak kut teh, Hokkien for meat bone tea, grew up in the Klang Valley among Chinese port and plantation workers, and Klang to the west of Kuala Lumpur is widely regarded as its birthplace. The broth is a herbal decoction of dang gui, cinnamon and star anise poured over pork ribs, eaten early in the morning with strong Chinese tea to cut the fat. Kuala Lumpur shops kept the claypot service and added the dry style, where the meat is reduced with dark soy, dried chilli and cuttlefish. Sun Fong in Imbi has served both since 1971, and Hing Kee in Kepong keeps its pots going into the small hours.

Book a food experience

Tours, tastings and classes from the cities on this page, bookable on GetYourGuide.

Browse every bookable food experience

Common allergens: Soy, Gluten

Make it at home

Yield Serves 4Hands-on 20 minTotal 2 hr 30 minDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 1kg pork ribs, cut into pieces
  • 2 whole bulbs of garlic, unpeeled
  • 1 bak kut teh herb pack (or 2 slices dang gui, 2 star anise, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 tsp white peppercorns, 3 pieces liquorice root)
  • 2 litres water
  • 3 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 6 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked
  • 200g fried tofu puffs
  • Salt

Method

  1. Blanch the ribs in boiling water for 3 minutes, drain and rinse off the scum.
  2. Put the ribs, garlic bulbs, herbs and 2 litres of fresh water in a large pot and bring to the boil.
  3. Lower to a bare simmer, cover and cook for 1 hour 30 minutes.
  4. Add both soy sauces, sugar, mushrooms and tofu puffs and simmer another 30 minutes until the meat pulls from the bone.
  5. Taste and adjust with salt, then serve with steamed rice, chopped chilli in soy sauce and strips of you tiao for dipping.

Tip from the editors. Blanching the ribs first keeps the broth clear and dark rather than cloudy; do not skip it.

Where to eat bak kut teh

Bak kut teh in Kuala Lumpur

Sun Fong Bak Kut Teh ★ 4.0

$$ RM 15 to 20 per personBak Kut TehWeekend morning bak kut tehImbi

Sun Fong Bak Kut Teh has simmered herbal pork ribs in Imbi, Kuala Lumpur, since 1971, serving both the soup and dry versions from seven in the morning.

OrderOrder the dry bak kut teh with pork knuckle, the version regulars ask for by name.

TipThe dry version is more intense and soy-led than the soup bowl; the pig's tripe in pepper soup is the other regular order.

Directions

Ah Hei Bak Kut Teh ★ 4.2

$ Bak kut tehPudu

Ah Hei Bak Kut Teh brews pork rib soup from 16 herbs fresh each morning it opens, on Medan Imbi in Pudu, Kuala Lumpur, and holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand.

OrderOrder the fei kuat cut of pork belly, a specialty few other bak kut teh shops offer.

TipCome before 11:00, the pot is boiled fresh each morning and can sell out by early afternoon.

Directions

Hing Kee Bakuteh ★ 4.1

$ Bak Kut TehKepongUntil Closes 02:30

Hing Kee Bakuteh in Kepong, Kuala Lumpur, simmers a Bib Gourmand bak kut teh from mid afternoon into the small hours, dry version and soup both on the table.

TryDry bak kut teh with bird's eye chilli and dried cuttlefish

TipOrder the dry version if the soup at other bak kut teh shops tastes too mild for you.

Directions

Chuan Kee Bak Kut Teh ★ 4.0

$$ Chinese MalaysianSetapak

Chuan Kee Bak Kut Teh has simmered claypot pork rib soup in a Taman Danau Kota shophouse in Setapak, Kuala Lumpur, for more than four decades.

OrderClaypot bak kut teh with pork ribs in the herbal broth.

Why locals goIt sits in a residential Taman Danau Kota shophouse row off the Jalan Genting Klang food strip, drawing Setapak regulars rather than passing visitors.

TipCall ahead for the sang kut spare-rib version; it needs at least 45 minutes of advance notice to cook.

Directions

All Kuala Lumpur signature dishes →

More cities are in research. Want bak kut teh covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.

Browse all dishes →