Sunday, December 7, 2014

YA HUA BAK KUT TEH Indonesia


If North side has been spoiled with two Bak Kut Teh brands from Singapore, now it's time for the West side to be happy about another bak kut teh invader also from Spore. YA HUA, established since 1973 with two branches in Spore has open their first store at Mall Taman Anggrek, taking the former spot of Honeymoon Dessert.
**update: Ya Hua has opened their second branch at Baywalk Mall Pluit. 


The space is quite limited. Waiting line during peak hours is easily predictable as the seating itself is only around 10 tables. Nothing much to be written about the interior, the design style is more like a kopitiam.


They serve peppery soup of bak kut teh with three choices of pork meat, bak kut (no bones, more fat) 59.5k, Ribs (smaller cuts of ribs, lean fat) 69.5k and Prime cut ribs (bigger cuts of ribs with almost no fat) 79.5k. On the menu also serves variety of pig's intestines and vegetables soup.

Before I go on with the review, I have to point out how relieve I am to finally see a bak kut teh store in Jakarta who actually serves wet tissue on the table. As ribs part is not something easy to be eaten with chopstick, hence you need to use your hands, I personally think providing wet tissue is such an important things need to be take note of. 


Anyway, we ordered the prime cut ribs. The beauty of a good bak kut teh depends on its soup and their peppery soup gives an immediate soothing feels with its savory warm soup. It was good but I feel it was lack of the pepper flavor. I think they need to enhance on the pepper a little bit more. However, one need a shout out is their outstanding prime ribs. As I'm typing this, I hope so much that it was not just a freakin' good luck of how the prime ribs came in big cuts and super tender meat. I almost didn't find any fat and the meat was very tender.

My meal felt a bit incomplete though, as they only provide soy sauce, but not the sweet one. For me, ribs dipped into sweet soy sauce with chilli padi is the best pairing, I was a bit disappointed to hear they are not planning to provide the sweet one, as they think it suits more with salty soy sauce. Hmm... I do hope they'll start to provide one in the future soon, or I'll sneak one inside my bag. LOL. Can't help it, sweet soy sauce dipped with bakkut and ribs are the best!


The Tau Pok (21.5k) and Liver kidney soup (39.5k) was a good complement. Too bad they didn't use the same kind of soup for the liver kidney. This one was saltier with oily brownish color. The tau pok was just okay, It was like a marinated tahu pong. 


It's good to see more variety of bak kut teh in town, but at the other hand, I somehow hope this one will be the last one, no more so called trending at the moment like what happened with bubble tea and Taiwanese desserts a while ago. In the mean time, best of luck YA HUA!



YA HUA BAK KUT TEH
Mall Taman Anggrek 4th Flr
(Next to Tenya Tempura)
Jl. Letjen S. Parman Kav. 21
West Jakarta
Ph. +6221 5639094, +6221 5639070
Price range: 25.5k - 79.5k

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