If Singapore is often hailed as a melting pot of cultures, its cuisine is likewise a fusion of flavors that burst in every mouthful. For Rong Hua Bak Kut Teh, home of the premium pork rib soup in the Lion City, this is the kind of experience that every diner will find in every dish—-something that it’s been doing since it first opened doors in the 1920s.
This year, Rong Hua Bak Kut Teh opened its first store outside Singapore. Its newest home: an Asian cuisine hub in Mckinley West called AsiaTown. The choice could not have been more perfect. After all, Filipinos are the world’s biggest foodies, a study by global market research firm YouGov reveals.
By opening in the Philippines, Rong Hua Bak Kut Teh is not only introducing its cuisine to Filipinos. In many ways, Rong Hua Bak Kut Teh is presenting heartier, more flavorful variations to many dishes that Filipinos love. To make this happen, Rong Hua Bak Kut Teh only uses on the choicest and most premium ingredients that really bring out flavors in every bite.
Pork Rib Soup—The Ultimate Must-Try
The centerpiece in Rong Hua Bak Kut Teh’s menu is, of course, the premium pork rib soup, the same dish that made the restaurant a must-visit culinary destination in the Lion City. At first glance, this dish looks like a basic mix of meat and broth that is common in Filipino cuisine. Once you start slurping the soup, what you will taste is a bursting garlicky and peppery flavor that is more than three hours in the making. When you’ve had your first bite of the pork, what you’ll notice is how tender the meat is.
In preparing this dish, precisely-cut pork ribs are simmered with premium spieces: whole garlic, Sarawak peppercorn, star anise, and coriander. To bring out more meatiness, bones are added to the mix and simmered along with the meat.
Like many Filipino soups, this pork rib soup is traditionally eaten with rice. However, there is another way of enjoying this with another item on Rong Hua Bak Kut Teh’s menu: fried dough fritters, which is a crispy golden brown dough-stick that is a reminder of local doughnuts.
What you do is dip these fritters into the soup before putting it in your mouth. While the soup’s pungent flavor and the fritters’ sweetness seem to clash, their flavors complement each other to create an unforgettable flavor combination. A reminder when you’re ordering premium pork rib soup —the soup is refillable so indulge and have your fill all the way.
Tender Meat, Premium Ingredients, Bursting Flavor
Like the meat of the premium pork rib soup, other dishes try to achieve a level of tenderness where the meat almost melts in your mouth or falls off the bone. This is evident in dishes with braised meat like the Steamed Lotus Buns, whose sticky pork char sao has a rich, barbecue flavor. Not only is the slice of meat more generous than those found in sandwiches. It is equally generous in flavor too.
Other recommended items on Rong Hua Bak Kut Teh are known their use of top quality ingredients like the Spinach with Top Shell Abalone. The shellfish that tops this dish is known for being a premium ingredient. Add Rong Hua Bak Kut Teh’s secret specialty sauce and what you get is a delectable seafood and veggie fix from this dish.
The Sliced Smoke Duck with Crispy Spring Roll, another must-try, is Rong Hua Bak Kut Teh’s take on the spring rolls that Filipinos love. Instead of minced meat, however, this dish uses thinly sliced smoke cured duck breast that tastes like ham.
Another recommended recipe is the Hometown Chicken, Rong Hua Bak Kut Teh’s own version of fried chicken that is juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside. Not only are these chicken wings crispy and juicy. They come with a different kick since they’re cooked with fermented bean curd and go well with plum sauce.
After relishing all these rich, sumptuous dishes, you’d want to find something to cleanse your palette for sure. There’s complimentary tea available in Rong Hua Bak Kut Teh, but if you want to elevate your experience further, you can have a teapot of either Jasmine Green Tea or Tie Guanyie served on a candle warmer.
When you’re visiting Rong Hua Bak Kut Teh, you might as well tag your friends or family along. After all, most dishes have generous servings that are well worth sharing.
To find out more about Rong Hua Bak Kut Teh and its food, check out @RongHuaPH on Facebook.
Mrs.Enero – Angel Enero is a former IT System Administrator and now a full-time SAHM to her #littleEneros. She’s a domesticated / hands-on mom who loves baking and gardening.
MRSENERODIARIES blog is an online diary of Angel Enero. Formerly a travel blogger and now a lifestyle mommy blogger. Blogging about EAT. PRAY. LOVE. TRAVEL.