Food blogging was not a thing in the 19th century when BKT became a staple of the local Chinese for breakfast and lunch, so the history and origin were not documented. BKT in Singapore generally refers to the Teochew version made popular by folks like Ng Ah Sio (1955), Ya Hua (1973) and Song Fa (1969). Song Fa opened one at the Mandai Zoo
The zoo is now just like a neighbourhood park for us as we got annual passes for everyone. So this morning we decided to just go and have a nice walk in the park. The zoo has changed so much since I wrote the posts about the different parks – the Bird Park has since moved here, and there are several new attractions in the expanded Mandai Wildlife Reserve, including an open area that does not require a ticket to patronise the dining options there.
And after the long morning walk, we decided to have Bak Kut Teh for lunch. The BKT soup is the gauge of a good BKT or not. The soup needs to be garlicky and peppery, and yet clear and not oily. This requires the right blend of spices (which only consists of cinnamon, star anise, white pepper and garlic) and cooking time. There are subtle variations between the brands, and Song Fa, while good, lacks character and perhaps that’s why they are the yardstick to measure against.
Since the moment Song Fa Bak Kut Teh got a Bib Gourmand mention in the Michelin Singapore guide for their BKT served at their North Bridge Road outlet, they have expanded around the island with outlets in every corner, including this one in Mandai Wildlife Reserve. These days, everything comes from the centralised kitchen, so everything should be the same.
Teochew bak kut teh soups are typically clear in appearance and light in taste. As such, the Teochew variant of bak kut teh is seasoned only with garlic, soy sauce and pepper, with the soup simmered and skimmed. The result is a fine, light brown consommé that is garlicky and peppery. These days it is not just bones with specks of meat. You get to choose the normal pork ribs 排骨, prime ribs 肋骨 and the ultimate whole ribs that they named 特级龙骨汤. I always order prime ribs because normal ribs are too small and whole ribs are too big. The soup was not as peppery as Ng Ah Sio but not as flavourful as Ya Hwa. It is still an above average soup – you can drink as much soup as you want.
The drought fritter is used to dip into the soup, but you need stale fritter to do it properly. Other things that I always order with BKT are the stewed peanuts and salted vegetables. The portions had shrunk so much. But because they were so salty, the portion was just right to be shared with everyone.
The introduction of the dish to Singapore and Malaysia is attributed to Hokkien immigrants who moved to this region in the 19th century. The dish is said to have been popular with the Chinese coolies as a hearty breakfast before embarking on their backbreaking tasks of the day. And very often, they could only get bones and offals because the pork meat was sold at a higher price in the market. These days, pig kidney is a lot more expensive because of the labour needed to rid off the urine smell from the organ. And good pig liver is hard to get because we do not have abattoir in Singapore anymore.
I couldn’t say I really enjoy their braised items, but it is like a routine. I always order this item to share with my guests. This was braised until very soft and flavourful, exceptional. And if you cannot stomach that much large intestine, they have a combo version that included pork belly and pig stomach.
Song Fa has one item that differentiate them from the rest and it’s this mee sua in their famous soup. As mee sua is made from rice flour, it tends to stick together when cooked. But somehow their version is not soggy and maintains the form throughout the meal. Especially when paired with their BKT soup, it is absolutely delicious.
Franky a Michelin nod doesn’t mean it’s the best BKT in town – it’s more like a consistency and quality mark that one can trust. There are not many that are consistently better IMHO, the soup in many other places can vary from outstanding on a good day, and horrible on a chef’s day off. But when you are a tourist and most like the only time you get to taste BKT, you want to make sure you get the real deal. Song Fa definitely falls into that category.
Song Fa Bak Kut Teh Mandai Wildlife East
80 Mandai Lake Rd, #01-05 Dining Alley, Singapore 729826
Visited Mar 2026
Michelin Singapore Guide Bib Gourmand 2016-2025
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