It was based on eatingasia’s recommendations that i found this place. a newbie to “dry bak kut teh”, i have wondered what it was for quite a bit and when my colleagues suggested eating in puchong, i quickly mentioned this place. it was when i said that this dry version was the creation of a 14 year old who won the title “Malaysian Bak Kut Teh King” in a national competition last year, that they jumped for it. none of us were familiar with the area, and calls to the handphone numbers listed all went unanswered. just as we were about to give up, we managed to spot it.
a banner announcing the 14 year old Yap Zhi An as the “Malaysian Bak Kut Teh King” told us that we have found the right place. Quickly we placed an order for both the dry and soup versions. With spare ribs (排骨) and soft boned meat (软骨, riblets?), instead of all pork innards. Added enoki mushrooms and yau char kway (fried dough crullers, 油条) and waited. Serving time was very quick, and we had the piping claypots served in all of 5 minutes.
the idea of “dry” bak kut teh still baffles me as it’s totally different from the soupy version. the extremely tender meat, glazed in a shiny dark soy sheen, is served with shreds of dried cuttlefish, thinly sliced okra (ladies’ fingers), dried chillies and tasted nothing like the herbal, meaty broth bak kut teh lovers are familiar with. in fact, the explosion of taste lingers between the sweet, savoury and spicy. rather interesting, and i do like it. so did my colleagues though they commented that it could do with a bit more gravy. but still, why call it bak kut teh when it’s nothing but? ah, just a variation like the pepper version, i suppose?
after tasting the dry version, the soup version fell short of our expectations. all of us thought it was too salty and despite the promising looks of it, tasted rather flat. lacked the oomph. just salty, brown broth. if we’re to return, it’ll definitely be for the dry bak kut teh only.
Restoran Yap Chuan Bak Kut Teh 葉全(乾)肉骨茶
53 Jalan BPU,
Bandar Puchong Utama.
she, the epicuriousgirl. 
citygal said
whoa a 14 yr old genius!!?? too bad that the normal bkt doesnt taste right..im tempted to try the dry version
epicuriousgirl: yup, was equally impressed that this was concocted by a 14 year old 🙂
boo_licious said
This version sounds interesting – I’ve tasted really bad dry BKT once. It was awful since it was like you said, just the soy sauce talking. Don’t know if I wish to start eating the dry version as I quite like the soupy version a lot. In fact, I look fwd to the soup most vs the meat.
epicuriousgirl: i like the soup better than the meat too! but was so curious that i thought, what the heck?
vkeong said
I am so going to eat this one day!!!
epicuriousgirl says: heh, you should. it’s an interesting BKT version…
Julian Gan said
In many places, we call it “Hong Bak” in Hokkien. There’s one place in Banting which serves a similar concept, but with dried chillies and yam which makes the gravy really thick and creamy. Will do a review of it soon.