When it comes to bak kut teh, there are two main camps: pepper and herbal. Now we will not attempt to debate which of the two is tastier but instead, round up some of our favourite supper spots to visit for the warm, wholesome bowls of soup that are best accompanied by a hot bowl of polished rice and a plate of you tiao (deep-fried dough sticks).
While some on this list specialise specifically in one of the two soups, others dish up good versions of both. What ties them together is their opening hours, which are thankfully late enough to satiate late-night hunger pangs. Here are five spots you can count on to stay open past midnight.
While some on this list specialise specifically in one of the two soups, others dish up good versions of both. What ties them together is their opening hours, which are thankfully late enough to satiate late-night hunger pangs. Here are five spots you can count on to stay open past midnight.
SEE RELATED: Where to Go for Herbal Mutton Soup in Singapore
Outram Park Ya Hua
PSA Tanjong Pagar Complex, 7 Keppel Rd, #01-05/07
Opening hours: 7am to 3pm for lunch, daily. 6pm to 4am for dinner, Tues to Sat. 6pm to midnight, Sun. Closed on Mondays.
Quietly tucked away at the PSA Tanjong Pagar Complex is a well-known late-night supper spot. The unassuming stall is opened until 4am on most days dishing out robust bowls of pepper-laden bak kut teh. While some stalls dial the pepper in their soups back to cater to a wider range of customers, Ya Hua wears its spicy kick as a badge of honour. Order a bowl of the soup with some fried dough sticks and braised pork trotters for a real supper treat.
PSA Tanjong Pagar Complex, 7 Keppel Rd, #01-05/07
Opening hours: 7am to 3pm for lunch, daily. 6pm to 4am for dinner, Tues to Sat. 6pm to midnight, Sun. Closed on Mondays.
Quietly tucked away at the PSA Tanjong Pagar Complex is a well-known late-night supper spot. The unassuming stall is opened until 4am on most days dishing out robust bowls of pepper-laden bak kut teh. While some stalls dial the pepper in their soups back to cater to a wider range of customers, Ya Hua wears its spicy kick as a badge of honour. Order a bowl of the soup with some fried dough sticks and braised pork trotters for a real supper treat.
Unlike the peppery Teochew-style bak kut tehs, the robust, herbal variant is closely linked to the Cantonese and Hoklos (people from South Fujian province who speak Hokkien)
Sin Heng Claypot Bak Koot Teh
439 Joo Chiat Road
Opening hours: 8am to 4am, Tues to Sat. 8am to midnight, Sunday. Closed on Mondays.
If you're out with friends who can't agree on one of the two bak kut teh types, there's Sin Heng Claypot Bak Koot Teh on Joo Chiat Road. Another spot that opens until 4am on most days, Sin Heng offers diners both pepper and herbal bak kut teh options and they're both good. But the real star is their special claypot bak kut teh, which is the dark herbal soup variant served with copious amounts of tau kee (read: fried beancurd skin) and a medley of stewed vegetables that's soaked up all the lovely herbal flavours of the soup.
439 Joo Chiat Road
Opening hours: 8am to 4am, Tues to Sat. 8am to midnight, Sunday. Closed on Mondays.
If you're out with friends who can't agree on one of the two bak kut teh types, there's Sin Heng Claypot Bak Koot Teh on Joo Chiat Road. Another spot that opens until 4am on most days, Sin Heng offers diners both pepper and herbal bak kut teh options and they're both good. But the real star is their special claypot bak kut teh, which is the dark herbal soup variant served with copious amounts of tau kee (read: fried beancurd skin) and a medley of stewed vegetables that's soaked up all the lovely herbal flavours of the soup.
Founder Bak Kut Teh
Hotel Boss, 500 Jalan Sultan, #01-09
Opening hours: 9am to 5am, daily.
They've branched out from their main outpost at Balestier to occupy a space at Bugis and Jalan Sultan as well beyond Singaporean shores in Jakarta, Indonesia. Founder Bak Kut Teh has come a long way since it opened its doors in 1978. A trip to their flagship restaurant at Balestier will give you an insight to its list of star-studded patrons through the decades but their Jalan Sultan outpost is most ideal for supper with its doors closing only at 5am. The soup that gave Founder its reputation is a peppery Teochew-style variant made with the freshest pork and meatiest ribs.
Hotel Boss, 500 Jalan Sultan, #01-09
Opening hours: 9am to 5am, daily.
They've branched out from their main outpost at Balestier to occupy a space at Bugis and Jalan Sultan as well beyond Singaporean shores in Jakarta, Indonesia. Founder Bak Kut Teh has come a long way since it opened its doors in 1978. A trip to their flagship restaurant at Balestier will give you an insight to its list of star-studded patrons through the decades but their Jalan Sultan outpost is most ideal for supper with its doors closing only at 5am. The soup that gave Founder its reputation is a peppery Teochew-style variant made with the freshest pork and meatiest ribs.
SEE ALSO: Supper Series: 5 Stalls for Kambing Soup
Garlic and spare ribs are key ingredients to the Teochew-style peppery bak kut teh
Tuan Yuan Bak Kut Teh
127 Kim Tian Road, #01-01
Opening hours: 9am to 3am, daily. Closed on Mondays.
Recent years saw the shift of hawkers edging up the scale with air conditioning, modern furnishings and avant garde lighting but to the disappointment of many, miss the mark with the food; Tuan Yuan is an anomaly. With a pair of youthful-looking owners at the helm, Tuan Yuan's bak kut teh is better than decent. The Teochew-style soup here is full-bodied and rich, the result of thrice-boiling with a new batch of pork bones added to the vat of hot soup each time.
127 Kim Tian Road, #01-01
Opening hours: 9am to 3am, daily. Closed on Mondays.
Recent years saw the shift of hawkers edging up the scale with air conditioning, modern furnishings and avant garde lighting but to the disappointment of many, miss the mark with the food; Tuan Yuan is an anomaly. With a pair of youthful-looking owners at the helm, Tuan Yuan's bak kut teh is better than decent. The Teochew-style soup here is full-bodied and rich, the result of thrice-boiling with a new batch of pork bones added to the vat of hot soup each time.
Ah Hak Bak Kut Teh
Kai Juan Coffeeshop, 397 Balestier Road
Opening hours: 5am to 2pm for lunch, 5pm to 2am for dinner, daily. Closed on Mondays.
Here's another stall specialising in bak kut teh in the Balestier area. Many might recognise them as Kai Juan bak kut teh, after the old-school coffee shop they're housed in but the fans will know them as Ah Hak. Customers can take a cue from its surroundings; don't expect special fix-ins or five-grain rice bowls here. No-frills, good food is what you get. Peppery bak kut teh alongside a generous bowl of white rice accompanied by a plate of preserved vegetables is enough to hit all the right late-night supper spots. Fried you tiao optional.
Kai Juan Coffeeshop, 397 Balestier Road
Opening hours: 5am to 2pm for lunch, 5pm to 2am for dinner, daily. Closed on Mondays.
Here's another stall specialising in bak kut teh in the Balestier area. Many might recognise them as Kai Juan bak kut teh, after the old-school coffee shop they're housed in but the fans will know them as Ah Hak. Customers can take a cue from its surroundings; don't expect special fix-ins or five-grain rice bowls here. No-frills, good food is what you get. Peppery bak kut teh alongside a generous bowl of white rice accompanied by a plate of preserved vegetables is enough to hit all the right late-night supper spots. Fried you tiao optional.
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