We tried Singapore’s worst-rated bak kut teh stall

I struggle with every article I do for our worst-rated series. It’s always a battle between being honest about the quality of the food so it helps our readers and writing in a constructive way so it helps the business. The whole point is to make the best out of a bad(ly rated) situation.

That was on my mind when I read the reviews of Eunos (MRT) Bak Kut Teh. It’s rated 3.4 stars out of 5 with 212 reviews on Google. Surprisingly (and encouragingly), that’s the lowest for a BKT stall that satisfies our criteria of at least 100 reviews.

Another aspect I had to consider was Seth’s mention that he used to frequent this spot, although that was a few years back. Has something changed since then?

Those thoughts were running through my head as I walked up the stairs to Kimly Coffeeshop, right opposite – what else – but Eunos MRT station.

What I tried at Eunos (MRT) Bak Kut Teh

Distractions pushed aside, I chatted briefly with the pleasant lady at the stall and ordered the Spare Ribs Soup (S$12) and Rice (S$0.70). It was whipped together quickly and efficiently as I savoured the herbal-y notes wafting from the kitchen.

When it was served, I did a slight double take. The light colour of the soup threw me off as I am used to a darker hue to my BKT. I’ve always associated that richer colour with richer, more intense flavours; by contrast, the light colour of this soup seemed to be a herald of lighter flavours, too.

It was nice to be proven wrong.

We tried Singapore’s worst-rated Mee Pok stall

Not overly herbal, the light brown liquid had a unique peppery taste that immediately flooded every corner of my mouth. Awash in the unexpected burst of sharp flavour, my tastebuds froze and I almost spluttered. Quickly gathering myself, I realised that I liked this surprisingly robust spectrum of taste.

Reluctantly weaning myself from the soup, I picked up a piece of meat. It was not the prettiest of sights – 2 of the 4 ribs had hardly any meat on them. Definitely unimpressive visually but what of the taste?

I bit down and met tender juicy flesh. It had absorbed the essence of the soup and, for that, it was a delight. The peppery tang was a nice accent to the pleasant softness of the pork.

I also chose the Peanut (S$3) and Beancurd Skin (S$3) to accompany my meal. The peanuts come drenched in a black sauce which I don’t fancy. I liked them for the juiciness but the sauce was a little distracting.

I have no complaints about the beancurd skin – it was basic and bland.
 

I was happy to see the bowls of You Tiao (S$2), one of my favourite things at any hawker stall. But a tinge of apprehension bubbled to the surface as soon as I grabbed one with my chopsticks. There was too much give.

My fears were confirmed when I took a bite – rather than the crisp freshness I wanted, a soft, doughy, chewy texture greeted me. That softness in the skin releases the oil in which the you tiao were cooked, with a greasy bit following with every chew. They really should make them in smaller batches or not leave the bowls out like they do! Both my dining companion and I were extremely disappointed by this, impacting our rating of this stall.

Before we left, a worker not from the stall came in and started wiping the inside glass barriers of the stall. To protect the bowls of you tiao lying uncovered (and increasingly soggy), he placed a couple of the coffeeshop’s serving trays on them. Eew. We were secretly glad we had gotten our food before that ‘cleaning moment’.

Final thoughts

My experience matches Google’s average review – I give Eunos (MRT) Bak Kut Teh 3.5 stars. Much of that has to do with the spectacularly peppery soup that woke me right up!

I have to emphasise that I did not find the lady hawker rude as some reviewers have complained; she was more than friendly and, after the soup, probably the best thing about the place. Another draw is its location, conveniently right in front of Eunos MRT station.

That said, I would not come here again for the BKT. For one, it was on the expensive side – it cost me S$12 for a bowl with 4 rather sparse ribs and that’s about 50% more than I would expect for the quality and quantity. There are several stalls in Kimly Coffeeshop that offer better value (eyeing the fish soup stall).

Then, there was the issue of hygiene with the worker covering the you tiao with the coffeeshop’s serving trays. It’s ironic that the process of cleaning the stall led to the issue with hygiene.

 Expected damage: S$10 – $15 per pax

We tried the worst-rated bak kut teh in Klang