So This Is Bah Kuh Teh
Yup, I have been to Malaysia in 2006 but I never had the chance to eat Bah Kuh Teh until last March 2013.
You can find authentic Bah Kuh Teh along this street in Klang
My relatives, who are based in Klang, Selangor, are foodies. And when my whole family stayed with them for almost two weeks last summer, all we ever did was eat out or in and visit the malls. ‘Course we also scheduled a lot of sight seeing and day trips to LegoLand, Batu Caves, Genting Highlands and Little Europe but that’s for another blog.
For now, let’s go back to talking about Bah Kuh Teh.
This soup also has intestines aside from the original pork ribs.
Our friendly WiKi literally translates Bah Kuh Teh as a “meat bone tea.” The ingredients of the soup includes, at its simplest, meaty pork ribs simmered for hours in a complex broth of herbs and spices, including star anise, cinnamon, cloves, dang gui, fennel seeds and garlic.
Funnily enough, despite its name, there is actually no tea ingredient in Bah Kuh Teh. Apparently, the name refers to a strong oolong Chinese tea which is usually served alongside the soup in the hopes that said tea would dilute or dissolve the numerous amount of fat consumed in this pork-laden dish. Well when we ate one, we ordered sodas even though my cousin and aunt were urging us to order tea hehehe.
Anywho, there are two kinds of Bah Kuh Teh: the soupy kind and the dry one. We get to try both when we went to Restoran Weng Heong in Klang.
The soup version looks like our local nilagang buto-buto but the ingredients is more than just pork ribs. Aside from the ribs, I tasted and enjoyed the intestines or bituka. The soup was served with strips of fried dough known as cha kueh [yau char kwai], which I initially thought was fried tofu.
The dough, as instructed by my cousin Sue Yen, is usually dipped into the soup. After trying one strip, I didn’t touch it anymore and just enjoyed the soup with my rice. I can’t remember if I used fish sauce (patis) or soy sauce that day though.
The dry version plus the strips of dough on the side
Now the other version of Bah Kuh Teh is also a must taste when you get the chance. Although called dry, the broth is actually reduced to a thicker gravy, to which other ingredients such as wolfberries, dried dates, dried chillies and dried squid are added. The only local dish I can compare it to is a slightly salty, slightly sweet but less spicy and almost dried adobo (or at least the way I like my adobo meal served hehe).
Unlike the soupy kind, WiKi says the dry version is supposed to have a tangier, sharper taste and is more akin to a herbal stew than the usual broth. Apparently, It is often recommended locally in Malaysia as an excellent hangover cure.
Guess I’ll try to get a hang over first before trying the dry version on my next trip to Klang. =D
Hong Kong Desserts in Malaysia
Our family spent almost two weeks of hot summer days in Malaysia this year. I, my parents, my siblings, their better halves and chikitings, together with papa’s brother, uncle Gilbert, his wife (and my boss) tita Josie and cousins Abby, Lyan and Gelie, busied ourselves with mall tours and food trips, courtesy of our generous relatives based in Klang Selangor, the Yaps.
Tita Mayet, Uncle Roy and Sue Yen with my nephew RNB
Tita Mayet (my father’s sister), her husband Uncle Roy, and their daughters (my cousins) Sue Yen and Nikki opened up their homes to us (we saved a lot by not staying in a hotel), played chauffeur whenever we go out and basically acted as our tour guides despite their busy schedules.
Divine Desserts
Moreover, they hosted all our meals while staying with them (I did say generous, right?), brought us to try various restaurants and taught us how to eat authentic Bah Kuh Teh, which according to our friendly neighborhood WiKi literally translates to “meat bone tea.”
This is my second time to visit Malaysia. But I must admit that I’ve never eaten sooooo much food in all my travels until our trip last March. You see, my aunt loves to cook and bake too. So if they are not taking us to their favorite restaurants, we are raiding their kitchen… every freaking time!
But I’ll blog about the other food trips later. This time, let me tell you about this dessert shop in Setia City Mall, which originated from Hong Kong: Tong Pak Fu.
Seriously? The name of the shop makes me laugh and my green mind comes out in the open hehehe. But their Durian Ice Cream and Creme Brulee are to die for.
Check out what the Yaps ordered for us: Durian Snow Ice, Curry Fish ball, Glutinous Rice Balls with Black Sesame & Peanut toppings, Chocolate Snow Ice and Chilled Mango Sago.
Who would’ve thought we’d enjoy a Durian flavored ice cream. I mean Filipinos are familiar with the Durian fruit and its scent hehe. Yahoo! Answers even describe the odor as something in the mid-stage of rotting to that of manure to that as having a smell sensation of almonds. Without entering the dessert shop, you can already smell the flavor of Durian five steps away from the door. But you’ll forget the odor after you’ve eaten the first scoop.
You’ll love the taste of Durian and eventually forget about the scent
I’m familiar with curry dishes and you’d definitely find me buying fish balls from street vendors. But I must admit I’ve never thought of tasting curry in my fish balls. First, because I cannot handle too much spice and second, I pick sweet sauce for my balls hehe. But this one just had enough spice for me.
curry flavored balls
The Glutinous Rice ball with black sesame and peanut topping was okay but not a favorite. But the creme brulee? Ooooohhhhh! I’ll definitely try it again. Lookie how it looks…
More sweets for us
The Yaps also ordered Chilled Mango Sago and Chocolate snow ice. I just can’t seem to find the photos I took. But trust me when I say that both tastes divine.
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