Oldest Bak Kut Teh Stall in Singapore on Record ● Ng Teck Huat @ Albert Street 黄德发肉骨茶

This old photo from the National Archives of Singapore shows Ng Teck Huat Bak Kut Teh stall in 1986. 

The Hokkien bak kut teh stall was in a row of shophouses at Albert Street -  these shophouses were demolished and this part of Albert Street expunged in 1990.

According to NAS record, Ng Teck Huat bak kut teh stall was founded in 1936 and it was selling Hokkien style bak kut teh as well as Teochew porridge. Yes, a combo of Teochew and Hokkien dishes.

The stall was founded by Ng Ah Liang and Tay Gim Ching, who arrived in Singapore in 1918 from Gek Poh (Yupu) village, near Jieyang city in Chaoshan region, Guangdong, China. 

Ng Ah Liang (who deceased in 1946) learned how to cook Hokkien bak kut teh from a Hokkien friend, hence he sold Hokkien bak kut teh even though he was Teochew.

Ng Teck Huat bak kut teh stall was founded in 1936. This means that the Hokkien style of bak kut teh existed in Singapore at least in the 1930s, if not earlier.

According to Kenry Peh of Pek Sin Choon Tea Merchants which was founded in 1925, bak kut teh sellers were already an important part of their clientele as the pork bone soup dish was always paired with tea.

This is the oldest recorded bak kut teh stall in Singapore. It was run by Ng Ah Liang's grandson Ng Wei Chian when it closed in 1990. It served Hokkien style bak kut teh which was once more pervasive in Singapore before it was displaced by the peppery style of bak kut teh sold by Teochew people from around the 1950s.

Not every Teochew emulated fully the Hokkien bak kut teh, some like 吴芳欽 who founded Double Happy Bak Kut Teh around the early 1950s started to tweak the dish generally to lighter, milder flavours more tuned to the Teochew palate. Double Happy Bak Kut Teh is still in operation today at Zion Road Food Centre run by 吴芳欽's grandson 👈 click

Another bak kut teh stall founded in 1955 by Ng Mui Song 黄美松 is credited with creating the version of peppery Teochew bak kut teh that is synonymous with Singapore bak kut teh today. Ng Mui Song's son Ng Siak Hai still co-owns Ng Ah Sio Bak Kut Teh which put Singapore bak kut teh on the world map 👈 click

Ng Mui Song's nephew who worked at his uncle's bak kut teh shop since 1965 now runs Lau Ah Tee Bak Kut Teh 👈 click

The original Albert Street where Ng Teck Huat bak kut teh stall was located was expunged in 1990.

It became part of Lasalle College of the Arts.

The next oldest known bak kut teh stall is Ong Say Bak Kut Teh which was founded around the 1940s. Ong Say Bak Kut Teh which also sold the Hokkien version of the dish was doing a thriving business up to 1989 when Nankin Street was expunged.

Today the old Nankin Street is Nankin Row, a pedestrianised stretch in the popular China Square F & B hub near Chinatown.

One of Ong Say's workers Mdm Teo still serves Hokkien style bak kut teh using his recipe. Her little stall at Maxwell Food Centre known as Nankin Street Bak Kut Teh, is one of the last links to old Singapore Hokkien bak kut teh.

If you like to try old Singapore Hokkien bak kut teh check this out. This is one of the very last places to get this in Singapore 👈 click

Written by Tony Boey on 28 Jan 2023

Credits: Image from NAS, image from NAS, image from NAS, image from NAS, image from NAS, image from Wikipedia.