Song Fa Bak Kut Teh (松发肉骨茶) is one of Singapore’s most famous and iconic dining establishments, renowned for its authentic, Teochew-style pork rib soup. Founded in 1969 as a humble pushcart along Johor Road, the brand has grown into a beloved international chain celebrated for its signature clear, peppery and garlicky broth and tender pork ribs. Song Fa has been on the Michelin Guide-recommended list since 2016.
Song Fa Bak Kut Teh has many outlets in Singapore, with its original flagship shop at New Bridge Road, opposite Clarke Quay Central. Unlike other outlets mostly found in shopping malls, the Clarke Quay outlet is housed in a post-war shophouse with rustic Chinatown feel. In the west side of Singapore, Song Fa has outlets in JEM (Jurong East) and Bukit Panjang Plaza. Outside of Singapore, Song Fa has branches in China, Taipei, Bangkok and Indonesia.
The weekday set lunch promotion comes with bak kut teh (pork ribs soup / 肉骨茶), fried dough fritters and option for either preserved mustard or groundnuts — I picked the sweet-sourish-savoury preserved mustard as a palate cleanser. The set meal is completed with a bowl of rice, a drink, and self-serve dark soya sauce and cut chilli.
The Teochew-style bak kut teh has clear, strong peppery broth with garlicky flavour. There are three big pieces of meaty pork ribs in the bowl of soup. Topping up the soup is free-flow — the staff will approach the table and ask to top-up the soup without having to call for them — usually on weekdays when it is less crowded.
Eating the pork ribs with sweet dark sauce is supposedly complementary but, as a local, I would say it is a must. The well-simmered pork ribs are very tender and the meat separates from the bones easily. The hot, flavourful soup has peppery spiciness and I finished it all — the staff had to top it up no less than 3 times.
The usual way of eating the fried dough fritters (油条) is to soak them in the soup. Let the fritters absorbed the rich, peppery and garlicky flavours of the soup before eating. Not to be missed also are the long-simmered, ultra-soft garlic cloves, usually included in each bowl of pork ribs soup.
Aside from set meals, individual dishes can be added to try more soup dishes and also different Teochew braised dishes, especially when in a bigger group.
On one occasion, we had Pig’s Kidney Soup (猪腰子汤), Homemade Ngoh Hiang (自制五香肉卷) and Xiao Bai Cai (小白菜) in addition to bak kut teh. The big piece of tender, crunchy pig’s kidney is really enjoyable and the ngoh hiang has nice flavours of five spices in the minced meat filling. And a vegetable dish is always great to accompany a meaty meal.
On a recent visit, we tried two Teochew braised dishes — the Braised Pig’s Trotter and Braised Chicken Feet (without beancurd skin) — in addition to the usual fare. The Braised Pig’s Trotter is served in cut pieces rather than as whole and saved us the task of cutting it unevenly ourselves. The skin is very soft and with very tender meat in savoury braised sauce. There are 5 big, stocky Braised Chicken Feet on one dish and their skins separate from the bones easily.
Although Song Fa Bak Kut Teh has many outlets throughout Singapore, my personal preference is the New Bridge Road outlet for nice food with nice, nostalgic ambience. But, I have also visited other outlets out of convenience, and their food quality and service standard are highly consistent.
Social Media:
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Address:
11 New Bridge Road, #01-01, Singapore 059383
Opening Hours:
10am to 9:15pm | Daily
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