Food Review & How to Go to Kiang Kee Bak Kut Teh off Kota Tinggi Johor 强记肉骨茶

I’ve heard a lot of good things about Kiang Kee bak kut teh restaurant 强记肉骨茶 located just off Kota Tinggi, along the trunk road between JB and Mersing. So I woke up early one morning to make the more than one hour drive from JB CIQ to Kiang Kee bak kut teh. We set off early because we also heard that Kiang Kee's bak kut teh would often be sold out before noon. We arrived at Kiang Kee just as the breakfast crowd was leaving, so we got a table easily 😄



The thatched attap roof over our heads. We were at table number 25

Kiang Kee is set under thatched attap roofs, giving customers that cool homely rustic kampung ambiance. Nice!

When the bak kut teh arrived at the table, the first thing that struck us was the waft of herbal aroma as the steaming hot bubbles bursted furiously on the soup’s surface. The pork ribs sticking out from under the piping hot soup’s surface looked extremely enticing. We waited in great anticipation for several minutes before the soup simmered down enough for us to start eating.

The pork ribs tasted naturally sweet. The meat was tender yet slightly firm and clung tentatively to the bone. We pulled the meat off the bone easily with our teeth. (This style is unlike other bak kut teh places where the meat is cooked till it is so tender that it literary drops off the bone like a heavy bath robe.)

The dark looking soup was robust, flavourful and not salty. We drank it all up without any salty aftertaste or thirst afterwards.

We also ordered a clay pot of braised pork trotter which we enjoyed tremendously.

The thick, flavourful sauce was naturally sweet and though it looked very dark, the sauce was not overly salty. The trotter skin was soft yet springy. The meat was cooked until every fibre was infused with the delicious sauce, making the meat tender and loaded with flavour. 

The secret of Kiang Kee’s gravy is in this pot which the boss handles personally.

The other secret is really no secret - it is this battery of hot charcoal stoves that super heat the stock just before serving. Only when an order is made, is the bak kut teh transferred into a clay pot and then individually stewed over charcoal stoves by attentive helpers.

This is the price list at Kiang Kee – openly displayed for all to see.

Whenever I travel this trunk road, I will plan a pit stop at Kiang Kee 强记肉骨茶 for bak kut teh and a pot of hot Chinese tea. Otherwise, if the opportunity does not arise, I will plan a special trip to Kiang Kee just to taste his bak kut teh.

👉 The most famous bak kut teh in Johor which you must try at least once.

For my newer post on Kiang Kee (Aug 2015) 👈 click

This is my friend Foodwalkers, Kevin's take on Kiang Kee.

All the Best Bak Kut Teh in Johor Bahru 👈 click

Restaurant name: Kiang Kee Bak Kut Teh 强记肉骨茶

Address: Batu 8½, Jalan Mawai, Kota Tinggi, 81900 Johor

GPS: N01°49.661' E103°57.503'
GPS: 1.827702, 103.958317

WAZE: Kiang Kee Bak Kut Teh
Hours: Daily 07:30am till sold out (usually before noon) (Closed on Monday and Tuesday)
Tel: 6019-747-9416 | 607-882-1290

Non Halal

Written by Tony Boey on 5 Jan 2012 | Updated: 27 Mar 2022



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