Ge Bi Lao Wang Bak Kut Teh Review: Malaysian-Style Claypot BKT In Aljunied

Ge Bi Lao Wang Bak Kut Teh has Malaysian-style BKT in Aljunied

Recently, I had the chance to try quite a few Malaysia-style bak kut teh stalls, which was great because I generally prefer the herbal version of the dish to its more prevalent and peppery cousin. But while I thoroughly enjoyed all those stalls, it was Ge Bi Lao Wang Bak Kut Teh that gave me a little Ratatouille moment—you know, when the food is so good that it takes you back to when you tried the dish for the first time.

The Aljunied stall has a relatively sparse menu, consisting of a soup and dry version of bak kut teh in a claypot, alongside a handful of side dishes. But what they lack in variety, they more than make up for in quality and execution.

Food at Ge Bi Lao Wang Bak Kut Teh

I started with the Soup Claypot Bak Kut Teh ($7/$15), and though I got the smaller option, it was immediately apparent that there was a good amount of ingredients in the piping-hot claypot. And like any Malaysian-style BKT worth its salt, its herbal aroma hit us before I even took a sip.

This was one of the most flavourful BKT broths I’ve ever tried, period. Present in it was a strong herbal kick, a bit of sweetness, and an intense fragrance. Some may find the bitter undertones to be a little too prominent, but I felt that it gave the soup even more character.

Outrageously tender—that was the thought that came into my head when I took a bite of the pork ribs. It was even hard to hold onto them with my chopsticks as chunks of meat kept falling off the bone.

To make things even better, the other ingredients in this claypot were delicious, too. The pork belly slices were juicy and meaty, the pork ball had a clean flavour, and the enoki mushrooms added some sweetness and earthiness to the dish. Those sheets of fried beancurd skin soaked up all the goodness of the broth, which later burst out when I bit into them.

And then I tried the Dry Claypot Bak Kut Teh ($8/$15), which was almost as good as the soup version of the dish. Barring the fried beancurd skin, all the other ingredients from before were present in this claypot, but were instead covered in a rich dark sauce.

Flavour-wise, the ingredients had less of the herbal flavour from before, but more sweetness and savouriness instead. There were also spicy notes present, courtesy of the green chillies that were mixed into the claypot. And like before, all the pieces of meat here were succulent, tender, and just delightful to eat.

You should add the Yam Rice ($1), as those fluffy and flavourful grains complement both types of BKT really well. If you opt for the soup version, you can get the You Tiao ($1) to dip into your soup—it’s far from perfect, however, as it lacked the crispiness you’d expect from fried dough.

Ambience at Ge Bi Lao Wang Bak Kut Teh

Ge Bi Lao Wang can be found in Foodwave, a coffeeshop that’s a seven-minute walk from Aljunied MRT Station. Though modest in size, there are many interesting stalls that you can find here, including Yakiniku Warrior and Annyeong Chicken. It’s quite clean and well-ventilated, too.

The verdict

Ge Bi Lao Wang is now among my favourite BKT stalls in Singapore. If you are a fan of the dish, especially those of the Malaysian variety, I cannot recommend this place enough. Both its soup and dry claypot BKT are simply top-notch.

For a famous duck rice stall in Geylang to check out, have a look at our Sia Kee Duck Rice review. If a hidden book cafe in Orchard that offers Japanese brunch interests you, read our coverage of Orange Mocha Cafe.

Address: 121 Geylang East Central, #01-90, Singapore 380121
Opening hours: Daily 11am to 8:30pm
Tel: 9789 9523
Website
Ge Bi Lao Wang Bak Kut Teh is not a halal-certified eatery.

Photos taken by Zi Hui Tan.
This was a media tasting at Ge Bi Lao Wang Bak Kut Teh.