"If you go to Malaysia, you won't find this style commonly," Seetoh added.Īnd for Chua, Teochew-style bak kut teh is all about the white pepper.Ĭhua said the flavor shouldn't be overpowering, and the tastes should be "delicately balanced." But in Singapore, the dish is part of the local Teochew cuisine, and Teochew people prefer their broth light in flavor and color, using ingredients such as garlic and white pepper, Seetoh, the author of Singapore's first food guide, said. In Malaysia, bak kut teh is part of the local Hokkien fare and has a darker broth, thanks to salty ingredients such as soy sauce. KF Seetoh, a local food critic, told me on a phone call the version Chua served was unique to Singapore. The name "bak kut teh" is a direct translation of the Hokkien phrase, which means "meat bone tea," referring to the fragrant broth that's made with spices such as star anise, garlic, and cloves. Hokkien immigrants then brought the dish to Singapore and Malaysia in the 1800s, the site says. Quah's dish is made with fresh pork ribs.īak kut teh is associated with both Singaporean and Malaysian cuisines, although the dish originates from Fujian, China, according to the government site Singapore Infopedia. "My elder brother is a vegetarian, and my sister took her PhD, so neither of them were a fit," Chua said, adding that he "didn't mind" managing the family business. That's when Chua decided to leave his job as a banker in portfolio-risk management and take over the family business full-time.Ĭhua has now been running the eatery for 10 years, which has since moved to a new, larger location in Jurong East, a neighborhood in western Singapore. At first, none of his children could continue running the business as they each had their own careers, Chua said. His father's goal at the time had been to survive the financial crisis, Chua said.Īfter running the stall for almost two decades and passing his 55th birthday, Sim Huat thought about retiring and closing the eatery for good. Determined to get back on his feet, Sim Huat started the bak kut teh stall in northern Singapore after spending three months learning how to master the dish from his brother-in-law. In the 1980s, a recession hit Singapore, and Chua's father lost his job as a site manager at a shipyard in northern Singapore. I arrived in the late afternoon to find only a few people still eating - or perhaps catching an early dinner - on the plastic chairs and tables. His stall is set up about 10 miles from the city's center in a quiet neighborhood surrounded by public-housing towers. I traveled to the western side of Singapore to meet up with Chua. He learned the basics of bak kut teh and made his own tweaks to it," Chua told me. Now, some 38 years later, Chua has taken over the reins and manages the eatery. Ryan Chua is the second-generation owner of the family-run stall.Ĭhua's father, Sim Huat, first started Joo Siah Bak Koot Teh in 1985. Account icon An icon in the shape of a person's head and shoulders.
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