Abalone Voyage Part 1: Abalone Bah Kut Teh

This shop was brought into our lives through sheer coincidene... It was another sleepless night and the SCV channesl rattled on and on until 4.30am where this specific programme caght our attention. It was introducing the stalls in Singapore that specialise in Abalone dishes.

Anyhow we were so tempted by the abalone bah kut teh, or i should say the only stall that is 'reach-able' the very next day. Despite that, we strive to try every stall that was introduced, so keep a lookout on our Abalone Voyage.

Here we have, Heng Heng Bah Kut Teh. They have the coffeeshop all to themselves; situated along Owen Road. They operate from the mornings to approxtimately 2pm or 3pm in the noon. They rest on every Tuesday of the week.

Source:streetdirectory.com.

We reached there at around 1pm and it's super packed with the lunch crowd. The customers are from all walks of lives, even office ladies & men in their heels n ties repectively. The service was not totally prompt due to the large crowd but the aunties were nice. Ratio of 25 tables to 4 staff.

However, waiting time for the food was approximately 10mins except for the fish which took a little longer (steaming fish upon order takes time). The sweet thing was, they'll serve the food altogether (a personal preference). And the table of food we ordered were:

Center of Attraction: Abalone bah kut teh ($20),

The Bah Kut Teh. regardless if it's with abalone or not, was heated up and served in a claypot. This allows the soup to maintain its warm throughout the dining period. A PLUS! A portion like this would come with 2 Pork Ribs + 4 slices of Abalone + cloves of Garlic.

Essence of Bah Kut Teh would be the soup base. Soup served here was on a lighter taste with less pepper n garlic, according to the boss was to customise to the tastebuds of his customers. Personally, I think it is on the bland side for Bah Kut Teh, falling behind the expectations of pepper + garlic / herbal-based soup.

The pork ribs were tender where the meat were off the bones the moment we put it into our mouths. Flavour was enhanced when u dipped it into the dark soya sauce with cut chilli padi, bringing out the freshest of the meat.

Abalone served here is from Mexico, explaining the stronger taste as compared to the usual canned abalone. Its texture is more chewy yet not rubbery. A love for me! First-timer Step trying this abalone has good reviews on it too.

Preserved vegetable ($2),

I have to clarify that this isn't the exact serving for the preserved vege & the pig trotters. As you know, we just could not resist the temptations of food, almost forgetting any pictures. Well, hope that you guys will bear with it.

The preserved vege is hot when served. It is cooked with lard but it doesnt taste greasy. It has soup in the bowl because you can drink it off the bowl. This tells you that the vege isnt overly salty. It is simmer thoroughly without losing the crisp of the vege.

Braised pig intestine (fen chang) ($4),

People who are in love with 'insides'....this is the dish! Those who are afraid of 'insides' due to stench that comes with the intestines. No worries because this is well-cleansed, clear of any queer taste. The 'fen' in the intestine is powdery (not overly paste-like) and melts in the mouth. It is well-braised where it breaks off the moment you bite it without losing the solid texture. The braised broth here is light, not the gluey gravy you get elsewhere.

Braised pig trotters ($6)

This dish made me crave for more. It isnt lean with only meat but the skin of the trotters that is void of fats, so no worries of any by-pass. The next layer under the 'QQ' skin, is the chewy & well-flavoured catilage. It works your teeth without challenging it. The broth here is not quite the same as the intestines with a stronger taste of herbs here but it is light as well. After eating this, I can feel my collagen count shooting right up!

Steamed Fish ($18)

This fish is steamed in the Teo-Chew style with fermented bean sauce, ginger, cut chilli padi and marinated salted sour-plum. The 'soup' that comes from the fish is the essence of the fish, not achieved by adding water or broth. So the fish determines the amount of 'soup' that comes out of it. The flavour of the 'soup' simply burst in your mouth in different levels. First is the freshness of the fish that brings the sweetness then the salty taste from fermented bean that blends with the slight sourness of the plum n the heat from the ginger and chilli. It taste better than fish soup.

After describing so much on the 'soup', the flesh is as good. The fish tasted like salt-water fish as you dont taste any soiled-taste like those in freshwater fish. The stomach of the fish is full of its oil (omega 3), gilding in the mouth. Accompanying the fish is the dipping sauce, fermented bean sauce with vinegar & cut chilli padi. Eating the fish, makes u think that it will be a waste to dip it into the sauce (killing the freshness of the fish). Surprisingly, the sauce actually enhances the sweetness of the fish. This dish is a good example where you should consume fresh food for nutrients instead of relying on supplements.

There is a variation of fish sold in the stall, so u can request for the one you prefer!

Steamed Rice ($0.50 per bowl)

We didn't take any pictures for the rice, Sorry. We never thought we would want to talk about the rice but it is seems like an important aspect for this Bah Kut Teh stall. The rice is considered a small serving, so rice-people might have to go for a 2nd or 3rd serving. It is fluffy and not pressed down into a compact ball of rice. It is soft yet retains the fullness of each grain of rice. They seemed particular with the way the rice is scooped. It is scooped using a wooden ladle where we saw the uncle scooping it lightly (seems like tossing the rice in the big rice cooker) before containing it into the bowl .

Conclusion

They have other dishes at the stall, such as Tang Oh / Mixed pig 'insides' both serve in claypot, with the same broth as the Bah Kut Teh and choices of Chinese tea.

Pricing wise, we thought it is reasonable for the quality of food they serve. For those who isnt opting for the Abalone Bah Kut Teh, the usual pot is going at $4.50 per pot. The minus factor of this stall is the soup which we thought was a little too bland. Overall, we think that the side dishes like the fish etc are more attractive in terms of taste as compared to the Bah Kut Teh. During our next visit there, the Bah Kut Teh will be the side dish while we feast on the sides introduced here. Nonetheless, the food is served hot, definitely our thing!