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Restaurant

Song Fa Bak Kut Teh: A Must-Visit Restaurant in Singapore

Song Fa Bak Kut Teh is the restaurant where travelers line up to eat.

WooleeSingapore17 photos
The exterior of Song Fa Bak Kut Teh (11 New Bridge Road), located on New Bridge Road in Singapore, with its vertically hung signboard and red-striped awning catching the eye.
Beneath the Song Fa Bak Kut Teh signboard announcing its founding in 1969, customers wait to enter, lined up under the red-striped awning.
The building of Song Fa Bak Kut Teh (11 New Bridge Road), located on the corner, with a long queue stretching beneath the red-striped awning.
On the glass door at the entrance of Song Fa Bak Kut Teh (11 New Bridge Road) is a poster celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Michelin Bib Gourmand, showcasing its award history.
A queue ticket received in front of the New Bridge Road branch, showing the waiting number and instructions for ordering via QR code.
Inside Song Fa Bak Kut Teh (11 New Bridge Road) on Upper Circular Road, every seat beneath the traditional wooden ceiling is filled with customers.
Inside Song Fa Bak Kut Teh (11 New Bridge Road) on New Bridge Road, the space is bustling with kitchen staff and dining customers beneath a wall decorated with red tiles and hung with menu boards.
Framed paintings depicting the making and eating of bak kut teh hang on the restaurant's walls, and customers are dining at the tables below.
Two glasses of mango juice (left) and lime juice on the table at Song Fa Bak Kut Teh (11 New Bridge Road), served with ice, but they were on the bland side for Korean taste buds. Not really recommended.
Served alongside the rib soup bak kut teh are braised pork belly (roughly comparable to Korean-style braised pork belly), stir-fried cai xin, white rice, and drinks.
It tastes savory, like sesame oil mixed with soy sauce as in North Korean-style jjimdak, and the stir-fried cai xin isn't salty.
Whole garlic cloves and pork ribs boiled on the bone are generously served in a clear, rich broth.
Braised pork belly — roughly comparable to Korean-style braised pork belly. The Song Fa Bak Kut Teh logo is printed on the rim of the plate.
Rib soup bak kut teh, braised pork belly, stir-fried cai xin, and four bowls of white rice fill the round table, along with drinks and a bottle of chili sauce.
Thick pork rib meat, deboned, is served on top of white rice.
The braised pork belly I tried at Song Fa Bak Kut Teh (11 New Bridge Road) — it's delicious eaten with rice and stir-fried cai xin on top.
You could order from the menu that appeared after scanning the QR code. The total is shown for pork rib bak kut teh, braised meat, cai xin, three bowls of plain rice, plus a mango fizzy drink and lime juice.

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What we ordered
  • Pork Ribs Soup(排骨肉骨茶)11.80
  • Braised Pork Belly(卤扣肉)10.00
  • Cai Xin(菜心)5.30
  • Plain Rice(白饭)×34.50
  • Mango Fizzy Drink3.80
  • Lime Juice2.60

Total38.00

Actual order from the visit. Prices may have changed.

Song Fa Bak Kut Teh was the first restaurant we ate at while traveling in Singapore with my family. In Korea, many compare it to galbitang (short rib soup), and it was quite similar. The broth was incredibly rich and savory. I think it might be the most Korean-style dish I ate during my trip to Singapore. Since the broth is refilled as much as you want, eating it like guk-bap (soup with rice) was also really delicious. The braised dish wasn't too salty or too bland, with just the right seasoning, and the stir-fried cai xin was a bit different from the cai xin (bok choy) you get in Korea. This was also quite good.

The price was also reasonable compared to Singapore's cost of living, which seemed to explain why so many customers come here. However, the drinks were quite bland for my taste, so I felt they weren't really worth the money.

As is often the case with the flagship location of any restaurant, it tends to keep its original interior, so it was a bit cramped and noisy. If I go to Singapore again, I'd love to visit once more.

Detailed ratings

Taste
Value for money
Ambience
Service
Would go again
Yes
🕐 Hours
  • Monday: 9:30 AM ~ 9:30 PM
  • Tuesday: 9:30 AM ~ 9:30 PM
  • Wednesday: 9:30 AM ~ 9:30 PM
  • Thursday: 9:30 AM ~ 9:30 PM
  • Friday: 9:30 AM ~ 9:30 PM
  • Saturday: 9:30 AM ~ 9:30 PM
  • Sunday: 9:30 AM ~ 9:30 PM

As of my visit.

Good to know

  • Parking available
  • Free parking
  • Reservations accepted
  • Pet-friendly
  • Takeout available