1. Bak kut teh ramen
Ramen meets bak kut teh in this Singapore-Japan hybrid creation by chef Keisuke Takeda, who is becoming Singapore’s biggest ramen-preneur with the opening of his 13th outlet here that specialises in Irish duck ramen on March 3. Earlier this month, Keisuke has hatched up a bak kut teh ramen ($13.90) that is available till April 30 only at its Ramen Dining Keisuke Tokyo outlet in Suntec City.
The bowl has slender strands of silky ramen in a light chicken stock that is lifted up by the fragrance of roast garlic cloves. Adding some crunch are black fungus, fried onions and spring onions that swim around the bowl.
In between sips, we wish that the soup has a more pronounced peppery punch. On the side are trusty condiments such as black soya sauce and you tiao (dough fritters). To add a more salty kick to the soup, stir in some soya sauce into the soup. The bak kut teh ramen was created late last year and made available only to Keisuke VIP card holders (given to those who compete in an ramen-eating challenge). Only 20 bowls are available daily.
This fusion dish will be featured in local film, Ramen Teh, which is directed by Eric Khoo and stars Keisuke himself. Other stars include Takumi Saito, Jeanette Aw and Mark Lee. Ramen Teh, which will be screened at this year’s Berlin Film Festival, chronicles a young Japanese ramen chef who travels to Singapore to learn more about his late mother. The movie premieres in cinemas on March 29.
Where: Ramen Dining Keisuke Tokyo, #02-391/392 Suntec City
See Also: Supper Series: Bak Kut Teh Spots that Stay Open Past Midnight
2. Laksa bak kut teh
Love laksa and bak kut teh? Get the best of both local favourites in one enigmatic-sounding combination: Laksa bak kut teh from the Old Street Bak Kut Teh chain. The peppery flavour of the broth is knocked out by the laksa paste that is stirred into, giving a fiery orange-red broth. Swimming in the claypot are a treasure trove of lala clams, prawns, crab and pork ribs. You would need to love laksa more than bak kut teh to enjoy this fusion creation.
Where: 16 outlets including L1 Changi Airport Terminal 4 and B2-50 Nex
3. Bak kut teh steamboat
One of the stalwarts in the local Bak Kut Teh scene is Ya Hua Bak Kut Teh, which started out as a street-side stall in River Valley in the 1973. It has moved on to set up two hugely popular shops in Havelock Road and Keppel Road, and in recent years, ventured into shopping malls.
Ya Hua is well-known for its robustly peppery Teochew-style soup and is putting its signature soup to good use - in a steamboat porridge set ($28.80++, serves two). The set comes with eight ingredients such as pork slices, vegetables and mushrooms that can be cooked a la minute in a hot pot that brims with the peppery broth.
The best is saved for the last by stirring rice into the remaining broth that has been gently infused with the sweetness from the vegetables and oil from the meat.
Where: Six outlets including B1-44B Raffles City Shopping Centre
Is bak kut teh is too meaty for your liking? Slurp up a seafood Klang-style bak kut teh from Ah Tou Seafood Bak Kut Teh. The Klang rendition of the dish has a darker hue and a stronger herbal taste as a potpourri of Chinese medicine and herbs are thrown into the brew.
Pork ribs have got company in this claypot (from $15) that houses 11 ingredients such as clams, prawns, squid, fish, sea asparagus and abalone that are cooked in the pot of bubbling broth. The crunch and brininess from the various seafood adds more dimension to the herb-fuelled broth but we miss gnawing at the meat from the bone.
Where:Two outlets: 291 Geylang Lorong 1 and 461 Balestier Road
