Soon Huat (JB) Bak Kut Teh Review: Famous Malaysian BKT Chain Opens In Singapore

Soon Huat (JB) Bak Kut Teh is now open in one-north

Soon Huat (JB) Bak Kut Teh, also known as Shoon Huat, was founded in 1975 on Jalan Sutera Satu, and today they’re one of the most famous names for Malaysian-style bak kut teh in the state. With the recent opening of their first-ever overseas branch in Singapore, there’s no longer a need to cross the border to have a taste of their signature pork ribs soup.

At least, that’s the idea. To see if this outlet lives up to the JB eatery’s lofty reputation, we decided to stop by the eatery in one-north to try the fare for ourselves.

Food at Soon Huat (JB) Bak Kut Teh

We started with, of course, their Signature Bak Kut Teh (from $8+). We got the $16+ option, which was fit for two people.

The original JB outlet’s bak kut teh broth isn’t the peppery version that most Singaporeans seem to prefer, and while it definitely has herbal notes, it’s often described as being more subtly flavoured than, say, Klang-style bak kut teh. The soup we tried at this outlet, however, was subtle to the point that it tasted dull.

Watered-down is the best way to describe this broth. The flavours of the herbs, spices, and pork ribs that probably went into this soup were barely present, and yet it was really salty as a whole. I had to wash every sip down with my cup of barley water.

The ingredients in the soup fared a little better. I thought the pork ribs were decent—they weren’t exactly succulent, but at least they weren’t hard or overcooked. For the price, we got an acceptable amount of ribs in our pot.

Aside from ribs, you had button mushrooms and pork liver slices that were a little too tough for my liking. If you wanted other ingredients, such as enoki mushroom and beancurd skin, you’d have to pay extra.

My colleague enjoys dipping you tiao into the bak kut teh soup, so we got a helping of Dough Fritters ($2.50+). Sadly, I don’t have much good to say about this dish either—the you tiao weren’t crispy, and were overly oily.

As you’d expect, I was pretty bummed out at this point. But there was some salvation, which came in the form of two claypot dishes.

The Sesame Oil Chicken ($10+) was a good dish. The chicken was juicy, and the sesame oil it was drenched in was fragrant, savoury, and not too salty. Spicy ginger also added depth to the overall flavours.

Equally delicious was the Braised Pork Trotter ($8.50+). These weren’t the meatiest pork trotters, but they were nonetheless tender, with gelatinous skin that was a joy to chew on. The excellent braising here made the dish aromatic and flavourful.

Ambience at Soon Huat (JB) Bak Kut Teh

Soon Huat (JB) Bak Kut Teh has drawn large crowds since its opening here in Singapore, so you may have to wait at least 15 to 30 minutes to get a table. Once you get a table, you’ll either be sitting outdoors, or in the eatery itself which is reasonably spacious and comfortable.

The eatery isn’t the most accessible place. One way of getting there is to alight at one-north MRT Station, then take a bus near the station to your destination. This should take slightly more than 10 minutes on a good day.

The verdict

As you can already tell, I was disappointed in Soon Huat (JB) Bak Kut Teh’s offerings. While the claypot meat dishes were delectable, the bak kut teh itself was quite lacking. My hope is that this was a one-off, but don’t set your expectations too high when dining at this Singapore outlet.

For great herbal bak kut teh in Aljunied, read our Ge Bi Lao Wang Bak Kut Teh review. For an Italian restaurant with colourful handmade pasta in one-north, check out our 2KulGuyz review.

Address: 29 Media Circle, #01-01, Mediapolis North Tower, Singapore 138565
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 8am to 6pm, Sun 11am to 7:30pm
Tel: 6539 9282
Website
Soon Huat (JB) Bak Kut Teh review is not a halal-certified eatery.

Photos taken by Kaedynce Chew
This was an independent review by Eatbook.sg.