Singapore Hokkien Bak Kut Teh in 1949 福建炒麵肉骨茶 · 洪錦棠

This Chinese article titled Fried Hokkien Noodle and Bak Kut Teh by 洪錦棠 published in Nanyang Siang Pau in Jun 1949 gives us insights into what bak kut teh was like at that time.

Observations and insights about bak kut teh from 洪錦棠's 1949 article.

For bak kut teh, 洪錦棠 mentioned only Hokkien BKT when he gave a quick and broad summary of hawker dishes from various Chinese clans e.g. Hakka yong tau foo, Teochew fried kway teow, Hainanese coffee. It could be that in 1949, Teochew peppery bak kut teh (synonymous with Singapore BKT today) has not emerged or was not common yet in 1949.

So, the earliest purveyors of bak kut teh in Singapore were Hokkien and Teochew came into the picture later, and quite recently.

In 1949, bak kut teh was associated with breakfast, and fried Hokkien prawn noodle with lunch / dinner. Today, BKT is enjoyed all day and night. 

洪錦棠 counted several Hokkien bak kut teh stalls and shops in 1949.

There were two or three bak kut teh stalls in Ellenborough Market / New Market / Teochew Market 新巴利.

A few stalls at 大坡玻璃後. Where was this place? Please share, if you know.

Thanks to anonymous reader, 大坡玻璃後 was George Street.

Source: https://digitalgems.nus.edu.sg/shared/colls/seachi/files/YlzPxn.pdf

My thanks to Mdm Teo Han Poh owner of Nankin Street bak kut teh who shared with me that 玻璃後 means "behind the Police Station".

The historic Central Police Station built in the 1890s was demolished in 1978 to make way for widening of Upper Pickering Street.

Mdm Teo now runs Nankin Street bak kut teh at Maxwell hawker centre. She was a staff at Ong Say bak kut teh which operated at Nankin Street. 洪錦棠 did not mention Ong Say BKT in his article. Tracing its roots back to Ong Say bak kut teh, Mdm Ong's stall would be the oldest BKT stall in Singapore.

Upper Circular Road

The famous stalls in 大坡 (south of Singapore River) were 

1. 廈門街 (Amoy Street) 福明茶室,
2. 马车街茗珍. 马车街 was the colloquial name for 沙球劳路上段 (Upper Circular Road), 
3. 全吉 inside 大门楼. Where was this place? Please share, if you know.

Thanks to anonymous reader, 大门楼 was at Club Street.

Source: 从夜暮到黎明 From dusk to dawn blog

There were only two bak kut teh stalls in 小坡 (north of Singapore River) and 洪錦棠 considered them not as good.

Hokkien bak kut teh emphasised good quality soy sauce.

Cooking time was crucial, the mastery of which separated the bak kut teh masters from average BKT hawkers.

Bak kut teh was enjoyed with yu cha kway or Chinese fried crullers. 洪錦棠 said yu cha kway added to the joy of eating bak kut teh. As for me, bak kut teh without yu cha kway is incomplete.

Side note: Please don't replace yu cha kway or "oil fried devil" with the new neutral name yu tiao or "fried strips". That would strip the rich cultural and historical significance out of yu cha kway. 

Bak kut teh was enjoyed with tea 代冲代料 which means the vendor will brew and sell the tea. This custom was considered not as good as bringing and brewing their own tea 自泡自料 practiced by the wealthier Min 閩 immigrants / traders from Fujian.

Wealthier bak kut teh fans were first of all tea enthusiasts. They gathered in the morning for tea and bak kut teh, to appreciate premium tea together. (It was also a time businessmen trade ideas and opportunities, and make deals in relaxed, convivial atmosphere.)

洪錦棠's 1949 article debunks the notion that bak kut teh is a poor coolie's breakfast. 

In another Nanyang Siang Pau article published in 1934 (90 years ago!), it was reported that a bak kut teh meal cost nearly as much as a dinner and dance ticket at the exclusive Raffles Hotel.

For lunch, it was fried Hokkien prawn noodle with steamed fish. Such a meal was the privilege of middle to high earners.

As for fried Hokkien prawn noodle, there were only two popular stalls at 马车街 (Upper Circular Road) before the Second World War. After the war, many more fried Hokkien prawn noodle stalls opened in coffee shops and amusement parks. 洪錦棠 estimated that there could be up to 100 such stalls in 1949.

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Written by Tony Boey on 24 Mar 2024