Ask any two Klang townsfolk for their favorite bak kut teh (肉骨茶) restaurant and you are likely to get a different response. But in terms of number of customers, Restoran Weng Heong (永香瓦煲肉骨茶) at Taman Intan is one of the more popular ones. Its signature dish is Sea Cucumber Bak Kut Teh (海参肉骨茶), but we are not planning to try this dish today.
Our choice today is something more mainstream: Claypot Bak Kut Teh Soup (瓦煲肉骨茶汤, RM15.00). Served hot in a claypot, the herbal soup is slightly more dilute than the recipes of other shops. Nevertheless, the soup is still quite tasty and satisfying. Soup refills here are free of charge.
The ideal pork cut for bak kut teh is a matter of personal preference. Among the popular choices are the belly (五花肉), femur (猪大骨), trotters (猪脚), stomach (猪肚) and intestines (猪肠). One of our favorite cuts is the pork knee (猪脚腕). In addition to lean meat, the knee also contains a good amount of fat and cartilage. The latter gives a jelly-like texture which I find particularly exquisite.
The Claypot Dry Bak Kut Teh (瓦煲干肉骨茶, RM15.00) is a recent variation of the original bak kut teh recipe. Using reduced herbal broth, pork ribs (猪排骨) are fried with dried chili peppers (辣椒干), dried squid (鱿鱼丝), lady’s fingers, onions and chopped garlic (蒜茸). I love this dish’s tantalizing spiciness on my tongue.
Yau Char Guey (油条, RM1.50) is often eaten with bak kut teh. These deep-fried Chinese breadsticks are typically dipped in the herbal soup before being eaten. Oily Rice (油饭, RM1.20) also takes advantage of the soup’s strong taste. Other standard condiments for bak kut teh are bird’s eye chili (小辣椒) and soy sauce.
As for Chinese Tea (中国茶, RM3.00 per teapot), the restaurant has several tea varieties to select from. “Kim kwan yin” (金观音) is a hybrid between two tea cultivars: tieguanyin (铁观音) and huangjin gui (黄金桂). Chinese tea helps to remove greasy sensation in the mouth, making it an essential drink to go with bak kut teh. Tea is also thought to prevent fat from being absorbed by the body, but this claim has yet to be proven.
Address: 39 & 41, Jalan Batai Laut 5, Taman Intan, 41300 Klang, Selangor
Contact: 03-3341-4408
Business hours: 7:30am-9:00pm, closed on Mondays