[Singapore/ Malaysia] Trip Planning

Yes, that was him…sad but true. :flushed:

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Google_Gourmet - your Half Moon Bay fish-head story reminded me of a similar tale told by a granduncle/aunt from Singapore when they visited their son studying in a university in New Zealand back in the 1970s. They realised that abalone, which costs a fortune back in Singapore/HK/“anywhere Chinese” were completely worthless to the New Zealanders. Like the early San Franciscan natives, the Maoris may choose to collect the shell but throw away the mollusc itself. So, my granduncle/aunt went to the local beach and picked as much as they could carry home. Of course, these days, the New Zealanders have wised up - no more illegal picking of abalones, which are now exported to Far East countries in frozen, tinned or dried form, with prices ranging from US$30 to US$100 each, depending on the size and grade.

Do let me know when you are eventually going to Singapore (or Penang) - I might be around and can show you around :slight_smile:

Good to hear from you, NotJrvedivici. Always a pleasure to share local travel/eating tips with visitors to my neck of woods.

LOL! I don’t know @VikingKaj, but I gather he’s into Chinese opera as well? :smiley:

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Sorry to disappoint, but Chinese opera is an acquired taste that quite frankly eludes me.

I do like Italian and Austrian opera.

Here is a picture of me at the Met from last week:

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Question; What would the love child of Jabba the Hut and Princess Leah (rip) look like?

Thanks so much for your hospitality, much appreciated. As time draws near, let’s touch base and see if we can grab a bite together. I also enjoy handling logistics as a trader, and I’ve always enjoyed sharing stories with someone in a similar trade.

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Vikingkaj - VERY cool! :slight_smile:

Google_Gourmet - look forward to that :slight_smile:

Yes, the breast plates double as vessels for cooking tagine.

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Oh yesss :smiley:
I’ve bought a tagine before - on a whim. It’s one of those kitchen items I use once, then spend the next few years occupying space in my ever-shrinking kitchen cabinets :slight_smile:

Probably making bak kut teh soon. A few questions @klyeoh @Google_Gourmet @paprikaboy

Does the Teochew version contain any Chinese medicinal herbs? I have a look of online recipes, many of the Singaporean “white” versions includes the herbal sachets but some with only lots of garlic and white peppers. Also, about the soy sauce dip, I’ve heard that it’s dense and very concentrated. Is it dark soy sauce with chopped chilies or it’s something else?

Thanks!

The versions I had in Malaysia were always quite dark and some of them very herbal. I’m not sure what herbs I’m assuming some are also used for medicine. I like Adam Liaw’s
videos on Youtube, always easy to follow. He has one on bak kut teh. This is Klang style not the pale Singaporean version.

Hope this helps.

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Thanks. Eventually, I will try the herbal version, when I can find them.

There are two types of “bak kut teh” predominant today:

  1. White bak kut teh or Teochew/Chaozhou-style ones predominant in Singapore; and

  2. Dark bak kut teh or Hokkien/Fujianese-style ones predominant in Malaysia.

@naf: You are right, the Singapore-Teochew ones are mainly simmered pork-ribs and other pig parts flavoured with garlic and pepper. A few places do add herbal sachets into their soup stock, but the soup won’t be dark-hued like the Hokkien version, which would also have light soy sauce added.

The dip is indeed dark soy sauce - the thicker version - with chopped red chilis added. Most bak kut teh restaurants would have both types of soy sauces on the tables, so one can blend the two of them together according to one’s taste, as the lighter, more liquid soy sauce tends to be saltier, whereas the dark soy sauce has a mellow, deeper flavor.

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@paprikaboy Oh yes, that’s the Hokkien/Fujianese version. Klang is a predominantly Hokkien town and is also perhaps the “bak kut teh” capital of Malaysia.

Adam Liaw, the winner of Masterchef Australia (Season 2) is truly a gifted chef.

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@paprikaboy @klyeoh

Thanks for the recipe and explaination!! I’ve checked Liaw’s website, a lot of interesting recipes!

I think in one of @paprikaboy’s thread somewhere in HO, you’ve mentioned dry bak kut teh, what is it?

I had the dry version at a bak kut teh place in Kuching. This is the original post. It was the only place in Malaysia I saw it. Obviously no teh as there’s no soup. It did though have the elements, flavour and colour of bak kut teh. Darker than the soup version as you can see

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I was told by my KL colleagues that the “dry” bak kut teh was invented in Klang. Must be quite a while back already as my first encounter with it, in KL, was back in 2011:

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Thanks!!

Youtiao and yam rice to eat with the dish, heaven! Need to find some tofu puffs and mushrooms and also some pig offals. I saw the dish is always presented in a clay pot. Is it a tradition to cook in one, does it mean it’s cooked with charcoal?

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