Malaysia
Singapore
Thailand
Bak kut teh is an institution when it comes to Malaysian breakfast meals. Literally translated to meat bone tea, this Teochew dish simply is pork rib cooked with herbs and spices till the meat is practically falling off its bones.
When it comes to bak kut teh in Malaysia, the place that comes to everyone’s mind is Klang! Since I’m adventurous, I decided to flip the switch and find the WORST bak kut teh in Klang. My research produced Lao Heong Bak Kut Teh which boasted a mere 3.8 stars out of 71 Google reviews.
Main criticisms of the restaurant were surrounding its service and the taste of its bak kut teh that was “different”, as well as its exorbitant price.
What I tried at Lao Heong Bak Kut Teh
I arrived at the restaurant on a rainy afternoon (perfect for bak kut teh) to an almost empty restaurant. Contrary to reviews, the service was perfectly fine (probably owing to the empty restaurant). Besides the typical bak kut teh, the restaurant is also known for its chicken bak kut teh which unfortunately was unavailable on that day.
And so I ordered the Dry Bak Kut Teh (RM17), Soup Bak Kut Teh (RM18), Stir Fried Cabbages (RM15) and their Signature Pork Intestines (RM33). According to my companions, this price is slightly on the steeper end as compared to other bak kut teh around the Klang area.
18 best bak kut teh spots in Singapore to warm up your soul [Oct 2024 update]
With expectations already set high, we eagerly awaited our meals. First, the dry bak kut teh arrived and honestly, it looked pretty good. The meat was tender and the flavour notes were just right. The tender meat was sweet and fell off its bones as promised.
While I do wish there was more sauce to the dish, the portion was just nice for the price. The dry bak kut teh even had tiny bits of ladyfingers in it that was an odd choice, but the experimentation was a success.
Next, the soup bak kut teh arrived and here’s where it started going downhill. If I’m having bak kut teh, the soup needs to punch me in gut with its herbal taste which this soup lacked, unfortunately. While the meat was still tender and soft, the soup lacked flavour and tasted watered down.
The major downfall for me were the pork intestines. Pork intestines needs to be salty and chewy but at the same time still maintain its tenderness. The intestines at Lao Heong, however, had just the chewiness and if I may say, did not taste the freshest. Pork intestines is an acquired taste and the actual key to perfecting this dish is cleaning it correctly. If I gauge accurately, this was not executed well here.
Final thoughts
Does Lao Heong have the WORST bak kut teh in Klang? Probably not, but its exorbitant prices definitely do not justify the average tastes it offers. My suggestion would be to try the countless other bak kut teh restaurants in Klang for a more enjoyable experience.
Pro tip: If you would like to prove us wrong and try Lao Heong Bak Kut Teh, make sure to visit them at non-peak hours as parking can get tricky.
Expected damage: RM20 – RM30 per pax
