Tony Johor Kaki Travels for Food · Heritage · Culture · History

Food Explorer Storyteller with 63 million+ reads 📧 johorkaki@gmail.com

Crystal Bakuuteh (Bak Cheng) • Sutera Sentosa Johor Bahru 水晶肉骨茶

Crystal-Bakuuteh-Bak-Cheng-Sutera-Sentosa-Johor-Bahru-水晶肉骨茶

Crystal Bakuuteh was one of the first blogs I posted on Johor Kaki back in 2012. It was at the corner shop in the now demolished Lion Hotel building. A brand new hotel now stand in its place. (I am glad that I have some photos and simple notes about the old shop.)

Crystal-Bakuuteh-Bak-Cheng-Sutera-Sentosa-Johor-Bahru-水晶肉骨茶

Five years on, Crystal Bakuuteh have moved to Jalan Sutera in Taman Sentosa. It's a typical Malaysian style, no frills shop lot eatery. The layout looked familiar, just like at the old Lion Hotel shop with the kitchen out in front.

Crystal-Bakuuteh-Bak-Cheng-Sutera-Sentosa-Johor-Bahru-水晶肉骨茶
Crystal-Bak-Kut-Teh-Johor-Bahru

They brought all the pots and charcoal stoves, and also the framed 2 page spread Star newspaper article that proudly adorned the previous shop. Not much have changed actually. Even the customers looked like their old regulars. Its laid back and relaxed here, like the old Lion City days.

Crystal-Bakuuteh-Bak-Cheng-Sutera-Sentosa-Johor-Bahru-水晶肉骨茶

Crystal, the owner is still running the shop, but her son is not at the shop now. It's her daughter Jia 嘉 busy at the pots and stoves today.



👆Follow me on Instagram

Crystal-Bakuuteh-Bak-Cheng-Sutera-Sentosa-Johor-Bahru-水晶肉骨茶

The pork is pre-cooked and customers can choose their favourite cuts which are boiled briefly in Crystal's BKT broth before serving in small ceramic cockerel bowls 公鸡碗.

Crystal-Bakuuteh-Bak-Cheng-Sutera-Sentosa-Johor-Bahru-水晶肉骨茶

Just tell Jia 嘉 what you like when you order and she will hand pick your favourites for you.

Crystal-Bakuuteh-Bak-Cheng-Sutera-Sentosa-Johor-Bahru-水晶肉骨茶

I am glad that I can have a combination of my favourite cut (pig tail) and soft ribs (number 2 favourite) together.

Crystal-Bakuuteh-Bak-Cheng-Sutera-Sentosa-Johor-Bahru-水晶肉骨茶

Crystal's bak kut teh broth is watery, light brown in colour, and mildly savouy-herbal-sweet. There was a slight slick floating on top and it has a slight Chinese herb aroma.

Crystal-Bakuuteh-Bak-Cheng-Sutera-Sentosa-Johor-Bahru-水晶肉骨茶

The savoury-herbal-sweet broth combines very well with yew char kueh adding another layer of mild savoury flavour along with soft spongy crispness.



A post shared by Tony Johor Kaki (@johorkaki) on
👆Follow me on Instagram

The pork is cooked till tender and juicy. The meat, fat and skin came off the bone easily. The meat have nice natural porky flavour. I ate up all the crunchy soft ribs.

My lunch cost RM17 for buk kut teh, rice and a glass of plain water.

My previous post (back in 2012) on Crystal Bakuuteh 👈 click, if you are interested.


👆Follow me on Instagram

Bak Cheng's Legacy

Eldest daughter's stall 👈 click
Youngest daughter's stall 👈 click
Daughter-in-law's stall 👈 click

Crystal-Bakuuteh-Bak-Cheng-Sutera-Sentosa-Johor-Bahru-水晶肉骨茶

Restaurant name: Crystal Bakuuteh 水晶肉骨茶
Address: 141 Jalan Sutera, Taman Sentosa, Johor Bahru
GPS: 1°29'36.4"N 103°46'20.0"E | 1.493445, 103.772222
Tel: 016 721 1108
Hours: 10:00am to 8:00pm

Non Halal



Date: 10 Jul 2017 | Reviewed 26 Feb 2023

Return to Johor Kaki homepage.

1 comment:

  1. Is it open for today(6 Dec) since it is open for alt Wed?

    ReplyDelete

All comments submitted with genuine identities are published