Bakuteh is popularly served in Malaysia and Singapore. Strangely enough, you could not get it from China or other places with large ethnic Chinese population. Bakuteh is actually originated from Port Klang, 40 minutes from KL city. China immigrants in Port Klang who worked as trishaw puller or labours take herbal soup with pork ribs (Bak Kut) known as bakuteh as energy booster.
So why do we call this herbal soup with pork ribs as Bakuteh instead as Bakuteng (“teng” means soup in Hokkien)? The first man who commercialise Bakuteh in Port Klang is Lee Boon Teh ???. He is so well known that everyone call him as Bak Kut “Teh?“. In hokkien the word “Teh?” of his name shares the same pronouncation as “Teh?“. Thus the name Bakuteh is becoming common.
Seng Huat Bak Kut Teh located at Jalan Sultan (half under the bridge) is run by the third generation of the Lee family. Klang version of bakuteh is less soupy and more herbally. The soup based is made of Chinese Herbs, cloves of garlic, soy sauce and caramelized soy sauce ( ??) as colourings. Pork belly, pork knuckles and pork thigh meat are then added into the boiling soup base. It must be cooked under slow fire for 3 to 4 hours. The key point is do not overload with the amount of salt if you want the meat turned out to be nice and tender. 
Round big pot is neccessary for a good pot of Bakuteh too. It uses the principle of heat recycling where every pieces of meat and bones are cooked throughly. Seng Huat sells only 3 big pots of bakuteh every morning so early birds get the good food.
A good pot of Chinese Tea is essential. It helps to clear your mouth and throat for the next bite of those chunky meat.
Today, the Bakuteh has evolved into a wide varieties of version. Ingredients like mushroom, bean curd strips and intestines are added. Teochews prefer it in a spicier way, Singaporean like it to be more pepperly and most Malaysians love it in a soupy way.
(Retrieved from Fun Facts of Bakuteh – KampungboyCitygal)
No, the in search of bakuteh mission does not include Seng Huat, it was 8 pm and we were driving frantically looking for a decent bakuteh place. Ended up at Bukit Tinggi, our friend Kelvin’s home town, he suggested this place so we decided to give it a try.
Errrmmm..No sight of patrons during dinner time..Is there something wrong with this place? The place is squeaky clean though.
There were another 2 tables of teenage guys sitting next to us. Kelvin, being the only guy, with us, five gals wearing shorts and sleeveless shirts because we were expecting an open space bakuteh place with no air cons no fans or no frills (and yes my housemates are good looking people). They kept eyeing us suspiciously, especially when we forced Kelvin to let us have a share on the bill and when we get into the car (nothing fancy just a decent Iswara). They must be thinking that Kelvin was some kind of tai chi yea to have a whole flock of bees around him.
Well, let’s get back to the food. The bakuteh comes with some greens, bean curd strips (fu pei) and button mushroom. We ordered the “xiao tui (calves)” as usual because it is like the best part with the right balance of lean meat, fats and vein. I love my bakuteh too be herbally but too bad that this one is laden with soy sauce and it is too salty for my liking.
The dry version of bkt is very good! It is done ala Kong Bou style with the dried chillies and onion slices. The salty gravy with some tiny slices of dried cuttle fish and okra is very aromatic and appetizing. Can someone please tell me whether theres any nice bakuteh around Klang during dinner time?
