David Bak Kut Teh is a coffee shop specializing in bak kut teh (pork rib tea). There are a lot of bak kut teh establishments springing up over here now, but David is the oldest and most recognized of them all. It’s located at the traffic cop magnet beside the fire station in town so be prepared to move your car frequently if you park at the yellow line right in front, since parking is scarce at that area.
David is the proprietor of the place, the waiter and the cook all rolled into one. The man is a very friendly person with an amicable personality. He’s not actually a cook by profession, he came over from JB eons ago and worked in a department store as a salesman. Story goes, he tried his hand at cooking bak kut teh and spent four years perfecting his recipe.
His first operation was in a stall at the coffee shop beside his current premises. His bak kut teh was so popular that he finally expanded to his very own place…right next door. 🙂 He runs the entire place with the help of his wife, and despite all the work, he’s a very jovial man. I’m quite impressed by his tenacity when he moved over to Sibu and the hardships he went through.
Anyway, enough about him. I had lunch with Autumn there and had their signature dish – bak kut teh. I like my bak kut teh with everything inside it, so there’s pork ribs, pork intestines, pork belly etc. Basically everything in the oink oink is inside the bowl of soup (tea).
It’s pretty good, the bak kut teh is done well, and I remember the distinctive taste from my childhood as how “bak kut teh” should taste like. It’s hearty soup with pork, served with a kickass combination of soy sauce and chilies.
Autumn opted for the ma yu chi lou (Sesame Oil Chicken) which is another one of David Bak Kut Teh’s specialties. She’s not a big fan of pork, beef or lamb so chicken is just about the only option she has. It’s served with rice and is surprisingly good. The only beef I have with the dish (haha) is that she requested for lean meat (breast meat) while I prefer thighs. No innuendo intended.
David Bak Kut Teh is a nice place to have lunch if you don’t mind dining al fresco in Malaysian weather at 12 noon. Autumn had to take off her sweater and was even considering going further if not in public. 😉
Bak Kut Teh is one of my fav meals. Its awsome and provides one with lots of energy. At last we get to see Autumn again! heh-heh Maybe you ought to try cooking Chi Kut Teh and invite her over to your place. =)
Is that 3 cups chicken with sesame oil in it? It well known dish. That other dish I never heard of it before must be Fuchow or Tewchow cooking.
Heard of the place long time liao, haven’t gone cos of location and parking problem. Better than the one at kpg datu?
just opposite, err, beside, err… i lost my direction.. near my daddy’s place… he he, i think this place is more famous for their bbq pork than the bakut teh.. he he
a few times my friend keep wanting to eat bak ku teh and I almost got fed up but then again, anything with pork, I like!
Nice pictures of bak Kut Teh! Missing them so much!
Melanie
http://www.chefmel.blogspot.com
That dish does look like 3 cups chicken. It a very popular dish in Taiwan.
Oh Hell…..there you go making me crave food – more precisely, meat 🙂 I love Bak Kut Teh and if I could eat it everyday, I would! LOL
i am a big fan of bkt! david’s bkt looks like really clear type. the ones i usually have are abit oilier
The Bull: Yeah, it’s good for weekend mornings, but can be a bit too intense for lunch during working days, what with the heat and all. There’s more of Autumn to come, my friend, keep on reading. 😉
The posts will get more interesting, I promise. 😉
Michale: Yeah, that’s the dish, I think it’s Foochow in origin, but I can’t be sure. It’s widely available over here.
suituapui: Ba Sen Bak Kut Teh is somewhat better if you like salty stuff, since David is not as generous with the salt and MSG shaker in his bak kut teh. 🙂
clement: It’s opposite your dad’s place…at least one of the many that he has. 😉
BBQ pork? The best I had in Sibu is the one opposite Public Bank near Ta Kiong. Did a review on that. I had BBQ pork at this place once before too, wasn’t as good as that.
Darren: Yeah, I’m a big fan of pork as well, maybe coz I’m such a pig. Haha! 🙂
melanie: Thanks Mel! Penang! 🙂
Shelly: Yeah, it’s the same dish, me thinks. Sesame seed oil chicken. It’s quite nice.
Skwermy: Yeah, I love the stuff as well, but my favorite comfort food is stewed pork leg (the ones in black sauce), preferably with a lot of chillies to provide the spiciness factor. I love that, I can eat that every single day. 🙂
xin: Yeah, David’s BKT is more towards the tea (broth) type instead of the heartier darker soup. I prefer the latter due to the saltiness. 🙂