Song Fa Bak Kut Teh

I LOVE BKT. And since I was near, I thought I would have some for lunch. I found this place to be overpriced. The service to be not that good — slow and although there were so many staff, none seemed to be interested.
The bowl for the BKT was tiny the ribs half in the bowl and half out, so it made eating it more difficult. The broth was good, but not extraordinary. It was refiled once, but when I actually needed more soup, none was given — no good. My youtiao was soggy and felt like it had been sitting around for a while and the rice was very very dry.
I would avoid this branch where the prices are more than usual and head for another instead.

Per recommendations and reviews, this was my first Bak Kut Teh here in Singapore. First off, It’s nice that there is the corner restaurant and the one a few doors down. The corner one was busy so I went to the one that was indoors and was greeted by the person working the queue. It was still busy but lucky me it was less than 5 minutes wait since it was toward the end of lunch. Also, there was AC which was a nice break from the heat and while eating.
I ordered while I was waiting so the service was extra quick! I had a bowl of Bak Kut Teh and Kai Lan. The soup was good but I found it was quite peppery. The meat was flavorful, tender, and fell off the bone. I initially thought there wasn’t enough soup but they come around and top up your bowl with hot soup after you’ve eaten a rib so there’s more room; definitely a plus. Also, give it a try and taste the meat with the condiments provided.
Overall the service and people were nice, food came quickly, and it was flavorful and tender. Also the conscientious location is also a plus.
Tip1: Try to go during off peak hours so you have a shorter queue
Tip2: I believe it is cash only so be sure you have some on you. You pay once you get your food at your table

I learned this Bak Kut Teh was yet another must try dish on the Singapore foodie hit list. And you must try it here at Song Fa.
So my local partners in crime got us a reservation at this hip and happening place for pork rib soup. Once seated we ordered the namesake dish, some veggies and fried dough. It came out rather fast, was piping hot and looked delicious.
And the soup was delicious in a simple home cooked way. The pork bones were meaty, tender, and my guide pointed out that there were 2 grades of pork rib bones but looked similar to me. I noticed there was a lot of white pepper used to flavor the broth.
So who woulda thought the simple clear soup mom has been making for the last 40 years was a close version of the Bak Kut Teh… Now that I’ve came, saw, and experienced, I know how to glam up mom’s brew!

The pork rib soup is solid here. It’s very flavorful, and has a rich pork meat sweetness. I really like it as it’s very homey, like something my mom makes. The only downside is the price. A large bowl is $ 9 without rice or anything. Also, a cup of water is $ 0.30, so it’s quite expensive. I mean, a plate of Hainanese chicken rice runs under $ 5 in Singapore, but here you literally get three pork ribs in a bowl of clear soup. But it’s definitely tasty. Service was quick and friendly as well.

I love their fish slices bak kut teh — awesome peppery soup without the cholesterol of pork ribs. Pretty standard tasting compared to he balestier ones. Service is awesome, love how they’re ever ready to refill my soup!

Dont understand the hype. Really. Seriously. Always seen a really long queue. Loads and loads of people waiting for a seat. So finally one day, when the queue was not that long, and when you go on your own its usually not that hard to get a table for one, I got myself a seat and ordered. And I was very disappointed. Yes, people may say that: ya ya, you from Malaysia, you are use to a different type of BKT. My reply: Yes, Malaysia has different types of BKT — for example Klang BKT which is more gravy that soup and oh-​so-​flavourful — I am from KK, where BKT is very much like those found here, but tastes sooooooooo much better. I’m use to something more herbal based, or some more pepper base, but always with clear soup. So I was disappointed and wonder still why the reviews are so good. I ordered the most basic of pork ribs and a side of vege and of course deep fried dough fritters. Did not really enjoy the meal. Mind you, I had decent BKT here in Singapore before, just not at this place.

Queue can get pretty long so best to go early and avoid lunch and dinner crowds. The soup is a bit spicy, but there is a slight herbal taste and the meat that comes along is soft and tender.
The you tiao that came along could be fresher and less oily I suppose. However, thats not the main dish so screw it.
Non singaporeans take not that you can always ask for refill for soup.

Three things I love about this place:
1. Open early. I like to eat lunch early, like right at 11am sometimes. Some hawker stands are not even serving food at 11am, but his place is always open and ready for me
2. Fast service. Food is served in 5 minutes or less and you pay when the food is served — no need to chase done the waitstaff to pay after your meal. I wish more places did this.
3. Simple, delicious food. The food tastes fresh, with simple clean flavors. A lot of food in SE Asia includes tons of spice, which can be overwhelming meal after meal. The flavors here are much more subtle, providing a nice change. Furthermore this is one of the few places I’ve found in Singapore where it’s easy to eat low-​carb/​slow-​carb, just go sans rice!
And the price is right! Large soup S$ 9, side of veggies S$ 4. Highly recommend!

Peppery soup broth. I must be the rare ones who doesn’t like gnawing on ribs, so I do appreciate on a good soup.
It is refillable.
Don’t be disheartened by the queues, it moves quickly, based on my past few experiences. I used to frequent the place in 2012 when I was a student, great place to catch up

This is probably the most crowded Bak Kut Teh. Everyone loves this place. I think the soup is quite nice and spiciness is relatively mild compared to others. When are go, try to avoid after 18:00 — the queue is unbelievably long! If you go in the morning you can grab a seat right away. Try and see!
最も行列ができるバクテー屋さん。スパイシーですが、他の店より抑えられていて、スープーはともかく、お肉は子供でも多少は食べれるかと思います。他店が胡椒味に対して、ここは他の香辛料も感じます。どのガイドブックにも出てますが、誰もが最高に気にいるかというと、それは違います。でもローカルの人も並ぶぐらいですので、レベルは高いはずです。何れにしても一度は足を運ぶべきところです！2015/11

Across the street from the shops at Clarke Quay, the restaurant has two locations side by side. The corner location seemed way more crowded, so we hopped into the other side. We ordered up some water chestnut waters to hydrate and got to looking at the menu.
Beware of those wet naps! Those are NOT free and they will charge you $ 0.10 each. If you don’t want miscellaneous charges, you just return the wet naps when you pay and they take it off your final bill. I wished I knew that tidbit in advance!
For food, we got the popular pork rib soup and a few other dishes, like cai xin (mustard greens), braised chicken feet and braised pork belly to share among the three of us.
The pork ribs were tender and fell off the bone, while the soup was heavy in white pepper. It wasn’t too spicy since the heat level dissipated after a few seconds. It was so delicious.
The pork belly was super fatty, gelatinous and flavorful. The chicken feet for me was just comfort food. Both portions were relatively small, but tasty. The greens were there for balance haha.
Anyway, food is legit and service is very quick! Once the food arrives, you pay before you eat so you can bounce out when you’re done.

I only like Song Fa after I discovered you can have sliced fish in the bkt broth instead of pork ribs. Yay!
The soup can be tasteless at times though after a top up it can pack a punch of peppery goodness. It does not taste like it has been made with actual ribs, slow cooking for hours, lacking the natural sweetness and taste of home cooked soup.
As it is perennially crowded with tourists and locals, the staff is very efficient in seating customers and clearing tables. It really reminds me of the game «Diner Dash». I always feel like I am in the live version of it when eating here.
To shorten any potential time wasting, diners are expected to pay when the food arrive, just like in some coffee shops and hawker centers. So you can just leave once you are done with your meal.
The pork ribs is tender but not that tender that the meat can slid right off without some coaxing. The side dishes are ok.
I will only come here when I want sliced fish in bkt broth or if I am in the area. Otherwise, there are probably other better bkt around.
I believe this is a CASH only place.

its a long line and super famous, but good that their turnaround is fast. we have 7 people and it was very crowded and hard to sit, there is not AC so very hot.
their bak kut teh is amazing. we ordered so many bowls. their other items such as fried fritters and organs stuff were not so good though, we also tried the sliced fish soup and intestine/​liver are not good either. just stick to Bak kut teh!

Bak kut teh –A Singaporean classic that is a must try. The fall off the bone pork rib is happily swimming in a tasty broth of classic Chinese spice. Hard to describe, divinely flavored. Looks like Philippine sinigang but tastes uniquely all its own. Order the fried donuts to soak up the broth and you will be properly sorted.
During peak hours of lunch and dinner be ready to wait, but trust me… its well worth it.

Song Fa = Solid
I can’t believe it took me so long to get to this famous bak kut teh spot! This Clarke Quay location always has a queue, but when we visited over the weekend it wasn’t too bad.
As they were out of the premium long ribs, we settled for the regular pork rib soup. At my first sip of soup, I could tell right away that it was flavourful, but not as peppery as Founder’s on Balestier. I still prefer Founder’s broth, but don’t get me wrong– Song Fa’s is still very, very good.
For me, a lot of bak kut teh places fall flat when it comes to the quality of the pork meat. Sometimes it’s dry and tough, which puts a damper on the dish. However, Song Fa passes this test with flying colours– I was amazed at how juicy and tender their pork meat was. How did they do it?! I guess that’s their secret. In my opinion, this is where they’re better than Founder’s.
I only deduct one star because I wasn’t too much a fan of their you tiao. I found it slightly greasy and not very fluffy. It took me a while to really chew it ’til it got soft enough. But overall, I understand why people flock here. It’s location is tourist friendly, the prices are good, and the al fresco vibe really gives you a local Singaporean experience!

Song Fa Bak Kut Teh is truly one of the great Bak Kut Teh locations in Singapore. If you’re familiar with my reviews, you know I’m a HUGE fan of Bak Kut Teh, Singapore’s Pork Rib Pepper Soup.
I came to Song Fa on a rainy Saturday on the back drop of LKY’s passing. The restaurant was full of locals, who had spent hours in line to pay their last respects to Mr. Lee who lay temporarily at Parliament, less than km away. Given the rainy weather outside and the somber mood that Singapore has experienced this past week, there is no better dish than, in my view, Bak Kut Teh to warm a person’s heart.
I ordered the Premium Pork Rib Soup, but to my disappointment, it was of out stock. I settled on the regular Pork Rib Soup, which to my great surprise was tender and moist. Regular Pork Rib orders, at other Bak Kut Teh establishments, are generally quite dry.
Although I find Founders Bak Kut Teh in Balestier to be my personal favorite, Song Fa is a very close second. If you are a visitor to Singapore and don’t want to venture outside the CBD area or travel to Balestier Road, then Song Fa is your best to try this famous SG dish!

I must confess I am not a huge fan of Singapore style bahkuhteh so my review may be biased. (I prefer the Malaysian style, which is stronger in my opinion.)
Song Fa is what Singaporean BKT tastes like to me — mild and peppery. I ordered a small, which was indeed quite small… but it alright, I probably won’t be able to finish a larger one anyway.
I know there are people who swear by it but for the others out there, you are not alone. Perhaps you are just like me who prefer the stronger tasting Malay style BKT. :P

Bak kut teh was something that was on my must-​eat list when visiting Singapore. With the help of Unilocalers in Singapore, I found Song Fa. This place is legit as you can see lots of local people eating here! Get here early as they fill up fast, and the lines get quite outrageous. They even have a sign out front where they update how long the wait is for a table.
I love the interior décor. Makes it feel homey, even though the tables are pretty close to each other. The tables along the walls have their own sinks and heated tea pots for those who want hot tea.
The must order of course is their Pork ribs bak kut teh. The ribs are fall off the bone tender, and the soup is full of garlic and peppery goodness. Get an order of noodles to eat with this soup! And if you run low on soup, they give free refills on soup!
Their braised chicken feet with beancurd is also very good. The chicken feet are braised very soft, and the flavors are spot on!
They even sell soup packets for you to make your own bak kut teh at home, just need to add garlic and ribs!
Its about 2 blocks away from the Clarke Quay subway station, so super convenient.

Despite having been to Singapore more times than I can count and having even lived here for a year, I’d never had real bak kut teh (other than the kind made by my mom, which lets face it, just isn’t as up to par) until my cousin introduced me to Song Fa last year.
Let’s just say this place will be a must visit from now on. The food is awesomely good, plentiful, and dirt cheap. Apparently everyone else feels the same way too, given the crowds, especially at lunch hour on weekdays. The pork ribs and soup are are intensely flavored with pepper, herbs, and whole cloves of garlic. Don’t miss out on the veggies, which are incredibly good too. Total comfort food.

There are two Songfa Bak Kut Teh locations within 30 feet of one another. The one facing New Bridge Road is indoors. The other wrapping around the street is outdoors. Considering the humidity of Singapore, I opted for the indoor Songfa with rotating fans.
There weren’t many customers since it was past peak hours of lunch. However at 2:30 pm – during the first half hour into my dine – couples, groups of friends and a crew of middle-​aged men trickled in. 80% of the restaurant was occupied. Half an hour later they stealthily left as they had come.
The interior contained black-​and-​white photos of Clark Quay and color photos of their dishes. With questions sprouting in my mind regarding the food and its history, I inquired the waitresses. They didn’t speak much English so it was up to my imagination and Google to answer my curiosities.
I ordered a small bowl of Pork Ribs Soup, also known as «bak kut teh» and «meat bone soup.» The soup had a strong presence of black pepper. The soft garlic cloves dissolved as you gently squeezed the meat out of them. Some of the pork ribs were soft. Others had a slightly dry texture even when rehydrated in the soup. If you run low on hot soup, ask a server for free refills.
Usually Bak Kut Teh is paired with rice or noodles. Instead I consumed it with a small plate of Choi Sum topped off with garlic chips. The vegetables were seasoned just enough to have flavor, but not so much that it would take away attention from the soup.
Each table has a pot and mini sink. You boil your own cup of tea. As for me I drank their Homemade Water Chestnut, which can be ordered cold or warm. It tasted medicinal with a slight sweetness.
My bill totaled to $ 11.80 SGD ($ 9.39 USD). And yes, they charged 20 cents for the wet tissue. Dear Singapore, what do you have against dry napkins?
PS: The tiny bathrooms here should be illegal. Consider using the toilet before eating. Eat first, then go? Good luck! Every inch counts. The men and women’s bathroom should be combined. Aside from lavatory woes, I’d come back for more Songfa Bak Kut Teh.

Glissez vous dans ce petit restaurant sans prétention mais toujours bondé a n’importe qu’elle heure de la journée.
Ici, on y mange du porc mais pas les morceaux que l’on a l’habitude de déguster: du foie, des reins, des intestins, de l’estomac, etc. Bref, tout est bon dans le cochon !!
Tout ça est servi dans une soupe légèrement poivrée que vous épicerez a votre goût, le riz et les boissons sont a commander a part.
Et, j’ai oublié le mieux: évidemment, comme il y a assez peu de choix, la commande se fait très vite, les plats arrivent également très rapidement donc en 20 minutes, on peut avoir mangé. Bref, c’est efficace, c’est chinois !
Et tout ça, pour la maudite somme de SG$ 8.
Foncez y, c’est un régal !!

Experimentelles Essen Hurra !
Hier bin ich durch puren Zufall vorbeigelatscht und dachte so bei mir:
Hmmm, fette Suppe bei ca. 30 Grad… keine Klimaanlage sondern nur Luftquirl — das muss probiert werden!
Und was für Suppen Song Fa anbietet !
Alles vom Schwein, was hier in D. die «normale» Hausfrau nur naserümpfend dem Hund oder in Ungnade gefallenen Gatten vorsetzen würde:
Pfoten, Ringelschwanz, Darm, hach, alles wird verwertet, was nicht bei 3 auf dem Baum ist.
(Da gibt es angeblich einen spöttelnden Spruch in China über eine sehr arme Region, deren Bewohner alles äßen was 4 Beine hat und kein Stuhl oder Tisch sei…)
Also ich persönlich finde das sehr Ressourcen-​freundlich, und nur gewöhnungsbedürftig.
Aber da ich nur neugierig aber nicht A. Bourdain bin, habe ich nur etwas Gemüse und eine kleine (genial: es gibt 2 unterschiedliche Portionsgrössen) Rippchensuppe verkostet (die hätte man auch gut Knoblauchzehensuppe mit Rippchenbeilage nennen können): Total lecker !
Und so fett fand ich’s gar nicht…
Yummi sogar — kann verstehen, warum das hier und/​oder in China zum Frühstück verzehrt wird.
Dazu hätte ich auch Chinesischen Tee trinken können (es gibt da auf den Tischen so eine figelin’sche Wasserhahneinrichtung, unter die man seine Teekanne stellt) — aber ich wollte mich nicht zu blöde anstellen und aus Versehen den Laden unter Tee setzen… sah aber vielversprechend aus…
oh, habe gar keine Fotodokumentation davon gemacht !
Das beste: man sehe sich auf der Webseite die Preise an.
Das teuerste ist das Bak Kut Teh-​Gewürz-​Paket für 20 SD.
Das teuerste Gericht liegt bei 10 SD (keine Ahnung ob mit oder ohne Steuer/​Service)
Jepp, gerne wieder, und dann mit Tee !