Good Taste Chef – Klang’s Bak Kut Teh in Ipoh?!
August 8, 2009 | 4,031 viewsNormally associating good Bak Kut Teh with Klang, or Subang Jaya, or even Kepong, (OK, don’t throw tantrum yet if your favourite BKT is not mentioned. Where else?) one wouldn’t even think of savouring hearty Bak Kut Teh in good old Ipoh.
But things started to pick up recently. Remnants of shattered BKT fairytale seems a little distant now (you should hear, or rather, read some of my previous mishaps, in some of Ipoh’s BEST BKT …. but more on those in later posts. Or in the next life. Hah!).
Believe it … or not. Though I’m lapping up the story with a pinch of salt myself. 🙂Anyway, on June 20th (if I’m not mistaken … very hard to memorize conversations nowadays. grey matter seeping out like no tomorrow), Good Taste Chef Restaurant opened its doors to the fidgety/choosy community of foodies in Ipoh.
Shades of the original BKT from Klang, with dark soy sauce as condiment. But sadly lacking in terms of oil drizzled on the rice.The restaurant is located at the glitzy new Glamour Square in Bercham of Ipoh. The dining area is separated into two sections, the air-conditioned indoors which can seat a sizeable crowd, or one can choose to dine al fresco on the outside. Not a very smart choice, considering the warmer than usual weather, paired with the unsuspecting rainfall.
Brimming with ingredients. … almost overflowing. The soup can be replenished for free without limit, hence no worries if your claypot runs dry.Priding itself to serve Klang’s authentic BKT, they are in fact a branch from the original at Jalan Kapar, Klang, and another branch at Kepong.
The menu (yes, a MENU) is extensive, covering the usual claypot style of BKT, whereby you can choose your favourite cuts of meat (there is even a diagram of a pig, with different parts highlighted and labelled! how cute & educational), OR you can choose to have your BKT in a bowl (remember Seng Huat’s, anyone?), with a serving of BIG bone, or SMALL bone.
No idea what they are? Don’t fret, every single item is vibrantly photographed and displayed in the menu, so you don’t have to guess what in the world they are.
Curry Fish with Ladies Fingers (Okra)They’re running a promotion now, slashing prices off their set meals. A set for 2-3 pax is priced at RM25.50, which includes a claypot of Bak Kut Teh, a claypot of curry fish, a serving of blanched vegetables, rice and Chinese tea.
Let’s see how the BKT at Good Taste Chef stacks up against the REAL Klang Bak Kut Teh. The soup is thicker, wholesome and more flavourful (with heavier tinge of herbs) than the average watery, diluted BKT commonly cooked up elsewhere. The cuts of half fat-half lean pork meat, and ribs were complemented with sides of ‘foo chook’ (beancurd sheets), lettuce, and the optional You Tiao/Yau Char Kwai/Cruellers (RM1.50). Other than the You Tiao being slightly salty, the entire claypot of goodies came out pretty satisfying. And extra brownie points for the omission (or extremely low level) of MSG, or flavour enhancer. Least we did not reach for our tea like thirsty camels at the end of the meal …..
Braised Chicken Feet with Dried Chillies (RM3.90)The curry fish was piquant, sour and resembled assam curry in stead of the usual lemak version. But equally as good, though they could improvise on the annoying boney bits. Almost every chunk of fish came with a tiny (or not so tiny) piece of bone. Hmm … I wouldn’t want to spoil my dining experience with spitting out bones every few seconds.
Good Taste Chef also offers various side dishes, from vinegar pork trotter to meat balls, as well as braised chicken feet, and pig’s offals/intestines in BKT soup base. The chicken feet was delicious, the gelatinous parts seeping into the dark, slightly spicy broth, resulting in a gooey and thick gravy. Too much gravy for the rice ensued, with the BKT, and curry already drenching my bowl.
Blanched Lettuce with Oyster Sauce and Fried Shallots
And a plate of compulsory greens. Else you won’t be running to the washroom anytime soon. 😉
The place is gaining momentum, with families trickling in for dinner one after anotherVerdict? STILL a notch below my favourite Teluk Pulai’s Bak Kut Teh , but definitely one of the better ones in Ipoh. This place CAN go far, if only their promotional sets continue. Hehehe, I’m all for cheap foods in Ipoh, hence don’t laugh ……
Note : The Bak Kut Teh comes in DRY version as well. So, another reason to throw caution to the wind, and pig out at Good Taste Chef!
Location : Good Taste Chef @ PT187104 (8G and 9G), Glamour Square, Persiaran Selatan 20, Taman Bercham, 31400 Ipoh, Perak.
Tel No : 05-547 1219.
Opening hours : 10.00am – 3.00pm, and 6.00pm – 10.00pm.
Closed on Mondays.
Here’s a GOOGLE MAP of the place.
Bet many locals haven't tried Klang BKT before. But having lettuce in soup/dark soy sauce on rice definitely synonymous with Klang's version though. 🙂
[Reply]
Interesting to read the story of BKT from the picture 🙂
Btw, I've never eaten BKT, hehehe
[Reply]
err…me havent had ANY BKT in Klang yet either..
[Reply]
BKT and curry fish in a set? Tat's a rather odd combination, i would say! Nothing beats Klang's original BKT, hehe!
[Reply]
is Teluk Pulai BKT in Klang that good??? I went there twice but thought that the BKT was Ok but not great…
For dry version of BKT… the good one can be found in shophouses behind Bukit Raja Jusco… but I forgot the name…
There is another outlet in downtown Klang… the herbal soup was just heavenly… but I also forgot the name.. my friend brought me there once several years ago… maybe i should try to ask again…
[Reply]
I missed Klang BKT very much. ^-^
[Reply]
Since i stay in cheras, i go to cheras bak kut teh..:)
[Reply]
that pig layout looks so awesome to, Kg Bercham wow, so near my mum's place! cool info!
[Reply]
Hmmm… that's a weird combi to have curry and bak kut teh… hard to say what they are trying to specialise in…
BKT in Klang is awesome.. although there have been a few that have opened in SJ… saves the long drive to Klang
[Reply]
BKT looks good! Now we have a taste of Klang right in the heart of Ipoh. awesome!
[Reply]
I had the meal set a month back. I would agree is one of the best in Ipoh but then havent try out the fame Klang version, thus cant compare.
But I guess its a bit pricey for Ipoh folks dont u think?
I remember trying out the clear soup version in Taiping/Kamunting & that was the best.
Pretty confuse of teh clear soup version, they are also bak kut the right?
I like the S'wan version of the dry bak kut teh.
[Reply]
the chicken feet seem like not soft ebough, i prefer the soft soft one which the flesh fall easily from the bone~~ 😛
[Reply]
the pork meat looks quite coarse like as though the pigs are fed with Beta-agonist.
Teluk Intan have a good BKT stall where they have steamed Garoper fishhead as a side dish.
[Reply]
dun remember any Klang bkt serving claypot curry fish lor…@_@
[Reply]
Lucky you. Ipoh already a popular food haven is now having foreign talent imported from Klang!
[Reply]
doesnt look like Klang BKT, the Klang version is normally darker right?
[Reply]
How I hope that there will be a klang bah kut teh in Penang.. it's hardly to get a good one in Penang 🙁
[Reply]
i like how they emphasize the word KLANG in that story..haha!
yummy looking bkt. my favourite, however, is the really dry type. yupe, the braised, dark, fatty knuckles!
[Reply]
I can tell you that the BKT in this restaurant is from Klang, because the owner was a chef of one of Klang's BKT restaurant 🙂
[Reply]
u should try out the dry version one..^^..u will nvr regret..hehe..their dry is different with others is becuz they using pressure cooker to fry it..wuu~~i din saw any other bkt restaurant using cook the dry bkt lik this..
[Reply]
jason : but I dun see people drizzling their dark soy sauce on their bowl of rice though.
Pureglutton : odd right? I thought so too. UNTIL i discovered that BKT in KL (supposedly from Klang) also serve them like that.
thule : aiya, no names? Teluk Pulai is good, at least i find them worthy of re-visits. though rather pricey.
msihua : a rather wide array of dishes, including dry and wet BKT, served in claypots and bowls, and curry stuff, as well as vinegar pig trotter and such.
Simple Girl :nope. there's TWO versions of Klang BKT< both equally famous.
[Reply]
Hulk : a bit pricey, if there's no promotional offer. where to find in Sitiawan? and Taiping? got clear version, in Penang also got, at Gurney Drive there.
mimid3vils : a little gelatinous, but overall quite nicely braised.
foodbin : wah, i dun think so lah. beta agonist is tightly controlled nowadays.
allie : true, I dunno where to get good BKT in Penang as well.
TabeOuji : yeah, they've a branch on Jln Kapar, they said.
eVal : we wanted to, but we ended up ordering the set for four.
[Reply]
Hi Bak Kut Teh FAns Pls Free to Visit our new created site.. English Version will be available 3 days later ^^
THanks so much … Have a Nice Days~
[Reply]
[…] Good Taste Chef Klang Bak Kut Teh – Both Klang style soup and dry versions available […]
[…] you’re wondering how this stacked up against Good Taste Chef or Tung Lok Hin (both places also serve the DRY version); my vote goes to Good Taste Chef’s. […]