I am beginning to realise how much I have taken for granted the hawker foods that we enjoy in Singapore. When you talk about food which is uniquely Singaporean, most people can name Chilli Crab but have difficulty naming the rest. That's because we assume that Chinese food or Malay food is either from China or Malaysia and Indonesia. When you get into the history of Singapore food, you suddenly realise what a rich heritage we have. Among them are Indian rojak, chicken rice, Hokkien mee, laksa and chwee kueh, just to name a few. Yes, all these foods were invented right here in Singapore.

I was pleasantly surprised to find out last week that bak kut teh ("pork bone tea") is a Singapore invention too! Mr Frankie Gwee from Outram Park Ya Hua Rou Gu Char told me in no uncertain terms that bak kut teh actually started around the Clarke Quay/River Valley area back in the post-war years. Back then, the Chinese coolies used to offload sacks of rice and other goods - this was backbreaking work. The two rival clans - Teochews and Hokkiens - would compete with each other for work. Since the men needed to eat stuff that would boost their energy, one enterprising Teochew man started selling soup made from boiling pork bones with garlic and pepper. Thus bak kut teh was born. And yes, it is a Teochew invention. Of course, the Hokkiens did not want to lose out, so they also came up with their own version which was darker and used other herbs.

I found the soup here very good - it was robust but not overly peppery. It has a sweet savoury taste that comes from boiling the pork bones until they are almost crumbly. That's when all the rich stuff from the marrow is released into the soup. We found the ribs here very nice and tender too. 4.5/5

Actually, bak kut teh is not very healthy as it is so rich in cholesterol. That's why drinking tea actually helps to cleanse the palate. However, I am not sure how effective it is in lowering the cholesterol levels in the blood. But as Frankie tells me, one of the renowned heart surgeons at SGH is a regular customer here and he frequently downs 7 bowls of soup! (So who am I to argue with a heart surgeon?)

II also like the peanuts here. It is braised till it is soft and sweet but the skin is still intact. This stall also sells a few dishes that are quite unique. One is the mee sua which you can order in place of rice. It was ok, but mee sua is not my thing (I have always thought that mee sua was for people without teeth, since my late Grandma used to love it). I personally prefer my bowl of hot bak kut teh soup with a big bowl of you char kway!

The unique thing about bak kut teh is the fact that to make all the different dishes, all they need is the one bak kut teh soup! They add it to cabbage, tang orh, mee sua and then market each as a separate dish. Another dish that is quite unique here is the fish soup, which is essentially sliced striped "snake head" fish in bak kut teh soup. Though it is made from the same soup stock, the soup takes on a new character from the taste of the fish. The fish is very fresh (what else can you expect from a Teochew Ah Hia?) and it's a good alternative if you want to cut down on your cholesterol intake. 4/5

II must make special mention of the service here. Frankie is extremely hospitable and even came by to show us the right way to drink tea. People who have been there can attest to the great service he provides for all his customers. Having lost his right eye in a motorcycle accident years ago, he is thankful for his second chance in life. When Donald Tsang could not get a seat at Ng Ah Sio, guess who specially opened the shop at night to provide a bowl of Bak Kut Teh for the famous politician? You might think that he did it for publicity, but I think that he did it because it was the right thing to do. He was also part of the team of Singaporean Hawkers that KF Seetoh brought to New York earlier this year to showcase Singapore food. He gets my vote for "Ambassador for Singapore Hawker Food".

Conclusion

Great bak kut teh with great service to boot. There may be people who would contest the history of bak kut teh - some believe that it originated from Klang Valley in Malaysia. I think - at least for the Teochew version - that bak kut teh is a truly Singaporean dish, which might explain why so many politicians are coming to specially to eat it here!

Outram Park Ya Hua Rou Gu Char
PSA Tanjong Pagar Complex
#01-05/07
7 Keppel Road
Opening hours: 7am to 3pm; closed on Mondays