THE well-known bak kut teh places I have been to in Klang, Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya are usually in old shophouses where they have been for decades. There’s an “old” feel, and they may not look the cleanest, but each would have its own following.

Bak kut teh from Klang has always been considered the best, and many would think nothing of driving up every weekend for this “pork bone tea”. Now, there’s Jia Bao Bak Kut Teh in Damansara Utama, Petaling Jaya.

Before opening the restaurant a year ago, its owner, Wong Lib Wen, spent months learning the skill of cooking it from a sifu in a famous bak kut teh shop in Klang. He and his father had been eating regularly at this place for the past 20 years.

I guess his going every day at 4am for two months to learn the trade has paid off.  The results show in the dark, mellow and aromatic broth of the bak kut teh at Jia Bao.

While the dong quai (angelica root) aroma is distinct, it’s not overpowering as in some bak kut teh. The meat is cooked just right: tender without falling apart, with the flavours of the herbs and sauce infused in it.

We were at Jia Bao a few days before MCO and liked the open, bright and clean environment there. (During MCO it is open for takeaways from Tuesday to Sunday, from 10.30am to 7.30pm.)

On our order list were: pork ribs (RM20), big bone (RM22), pork bend (chee wan, RM20), a mixed bowl of big intestines and small intestines (RM18), eggs and chicken feet (RM12).

Our side dishes included yu char kueh, tofu pok or beancurd puffs (RM8), which are a must in any bak kut teh meal, and shallot rice (RM1.80).

Each of us got a separate bowl of soup, so that we did not have to share. The soup is not too thick or too herbal; we get the subtle tone of dong quai without it dominating the broth. Fat is skimmed off the delicious soup, so it’s easy to drink it all up, not before dunking the yau char kueh in it. These had been air-fried so they stayed crispy and lovely to the bite.

The meat was of the right texture, not too hard or soft, retaining the flavours of the broth. My favourite cut of the meat has to be the pork bender, with skin and a little fat yielding delectable bites. I enjoyed the big bone which was cut up for us, and has the same amount of springy skin and fat.

The eggs and intestines are each cooked in separate broths, and definitely not with the meat and ribs, so that the original herbal flavours are not diluted. The eggs tasted so good, especially with the soup ladled over the yolk. The shallot rice was nice and fragrant.

Any good braising sauce would do justice to chicken feet and these were flavourful and tender. We got to taste the chicken drumstick with thigh, which will be a new item on the menu.

Chicken added sweetness to the bak kut teh broth and in turn was embraced by its flavours. I liked the chicken which was firm and smooth, with a similar texture to that in chicken rice.

Jia Bao Bak Kut Teh is at 77 Jalan 21/1A, Damansara Utama, Petaling Jaya, tel 03 7732 5885. You can call and order directly or @grabfoodmy and @foodpandamy. It is closed on Monday. – January 16, 2021.

* Eu Hooi-Khaw has been writing about food for the longest time, covering all aspects, from restaurant reviews to cooking and recipes, as well as the healthy side of it. She has written for major newspapers and magazines, published the cookbook Fresh Ingredients, and also writes for her website hooikhawandsu.com.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.