557 Jalan SS9A/2
Sungai Way 47300
Petaling Jaya
03 78744154
GPS Coordinates: N3 05.301 E101 36.938
IN FOOD blogging, there are bound to be people who may not agree with your point of view.
There are times I get one or two angry e-mails about my reviews, but I also get plenty of good food recommendations as well.
Xhin Fhong Bak Kut Teh was recommended by one of my readers, TL. He took the trouble to e-mail me the details of the place, directions and some pictures for easy reference.
One of the tips he gave me was to call ahead to reserve their yau char kwai (fried crullers) as it runs out fast.
This hidden gem is located not too far from the famous yet overrated bak kut teh shop in Sungai Way.
At close to 12.30pm, the place was packed with people. I quickly ordered three bowls of yau char kwai (fried crullers), bak kut teh (RM9 per person) and oil rice (80sen per bowl).
Shum, Rif and I were very lucky that day, because there was no more yau char kwai left after our order. Service was good — the aunties were friendly and the uncle who manned the cooking station was shy but accommodating.
Despite running up and down the place serving their customers, there was always a smile on their faces.
For the uninitiated, bak kut teh (also known as meat bone tea) is a herbal soup base made from pork ribs and pork bones, and seasoned with dry herbs and spices.
A plate of yau char kwai goes for RM3 per bowl.I’m not sure whether it works for everyone, but bak kut teh is a good hangover cure for me.
There is just something about this soup that clears my sinuses and jolts me out of my zombie state.
I love my bak kut teh dark, concentrated and strong, so the pale and peppery version is a no-no for me.
Our order of bak kut teh came with taufu pok, fu chuk, pork ribs, pork belly, straw mushrooms and some greens (you can omit the vegetables if you like).
It is usually eaten with minced raw garlic, chopped chilli padi and light or dark soy sauce. I skipped the garlic, as I didn’t want to end up with garlic breath.
The soup was dark and flavourful from the herbs, although not overpowering.
The meat, especially the pork belly, was meltingly tender — after hours of cooking.
The yau char kwai (RM3 per bowl) was nothing to shout about, but it tasted very good with the herbal soup.
It would have been better if it was freshly fried, as nothing beats fresh yau char kwai.
I liked that they were very generous with the soup and ingredients. We had three soup refills to go with the yau char kwai. Some places are so stingy, you can forget about soup refills.
Lunch came up to RM43 for the three of us and we didn’t feel thirsty after that. Thank you so much TL, for your bak kut teh recommendation. It was a great find indeed!
*If you’re not familiar with the area, park near the Indian Temple, walk up to the inner road (you will see the famous bak kut teh place in front of you) and turn right.
Take the first left turn after that and you will see Xhin Foong a few doors away.