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Legendary Old JB Style of Bak Kut Teh @ Sri Tebrau 老新山.木清肉骨茶 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ CLOSED

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Bak Cheng Bak Kut Teh 木清肉骨茶 is a JB brand of BKT most "old JB folks" or 老新山 know, and which many love. Founded by the late Bak Cheng in the 1950s, his wife and children now continue the legacy of Bak Cheng bak kut teh. Bak Cheng's father was also a bak kut teh hawker.

Johor-JB-Bak-Kut-Teh-老新山.木清肉骨茶

To keep active, Bak Cheng's wife sprightly Mdm Gan Peng still helps out at the three Bak Cheng Bak Kut Teh shops - the eldest son in Genting, eldest daughter in Sri Tebrau and younger daughter in Desa Tebrau.

Bak Cheng the man, is a man of legends known for his fiery temper. The day he threw a whole pot of bak kut teh into Sungai Segget in full view of stunned customers is a moment in JB food lore still retold today.

Johor-JB-Bak-Kut-Teh-老新山.木清肉骨茶

In a nation wide bak kut teh competition organised by leading Malaysian Chinese newspaper Guanming Daily in 2006, the panel of judges led by respected Hong Kong celebrity food critic Chua Lam named Bak Cheng - the "King of Bak Kut Teh" in Malaysia. It's remarkable, considering that Bak Cheng beat the hundreds of fancied BKT shops in Klang, the BKT capital of Malaysia.

Although JB is still ranked lowly by northerners who favour Penang, Ipoh, KL, Klang and Malacca, it deserves a lot more respect.

Johor-JB-Bak-Kut-Teh-老新山.木清肉骨茶

The most popular cut of pork for BKT is ribs but my personal favourite has always been pig tail 😄 Bak Cheng does pig tail just right - there is a nice tender juicy chewiness to the bite. I can taste the pork's natural sweetness and subtle porky flavour. Love it 😋

Johor-JB-Bak-Kut-Teh-老新山.木清肉骨茶

Bak Cheng's broth looks like a black tea brew. It has a subtle herbal aroma. It has a light body and an exquisitely balanced mild savoury-sweet-herbal taste. There is almost no grease at all as Mdm Gan Peng patiently skims off the oil. I love this broth.

Johor-JB-Bak-Kut-Teh-老新山.木清肉骨茶

A good way to enjoy the BKT broth is to sponge it up with yew char kway (fried dough fritters).

My bowl of pig tail and yew char kway cost RM17.

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Bak Cheng BKT operates at the spacious foyer of Tai Soon kopitiam after it closes for the day.

Johor-JB-Bak-Kut-Teh-老新山.木清肉骨茶

4-Star (out of 5). I love Bak Cheng's delicately balanced mild savoury-sweet-herbal broth. The pork is also done just right so that we can enjoy its tender juicy texture and taste its natural sweetness and subtle porkiness.

Bak Cheng's Legacy

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

If you love bak kut teh, you will be terribly spoilt for choice in Johor Bahru 👈 click

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Restaurant name: Bak Cheng Bak Kut Teh 木清肉骨茶
Address: Junction of Jalan Badik and Jalan Badik 1, Taman Sri Tebrau, Johor Bahru
GPS 1°29'10.6"N 103°46'07.7"E | 1.486290, 103.768801
Hours: 4:00pm to 9:30pm

Non Halal




Date: 3 Jul 2017 | Updated 26 Feb 2023

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