A-One Bak Kut Teh (Closed)

More Reviews at http://www.umakemehungry.com/2015/10/a-one-bak-kut-teh.htmlOpening its branch business since late August 2015, A-One group has taken over the lease space of Boston Seafood Shack in Star Vista replacing the Western cuisine into one of the top local delights, Bak Kut Teh.And of course in this Singapore's first naturally cooled malls, patrons have the choice of dining under the fans or inside the restaurant with air conditioned environment.Interior is spacious and bright with ample of walkways. If you are someone who sweat alot while beating the hot claypot soup, dining here will be the best choice as you get to enjoy both fan and air conditioned environment.A good flip through the menu and you will get to see a number of Singapore's Iconic dishes in claypot.Menu was playfully illustrated with piggy coming out of the claypot, containing Singlish.Served in earthen claypot cradled with porridge that was cooked for at least 45 minutes under high pressure cooker, every grain of rice has disintegrated properly yet still retaining some of the rice grain texture instead of just being pure watery.This process of porridge cooking was separated from the cooking of Bak Kut Teh soup which includes the use of premium white pepper. Minced Meat with Meat Ball porridge was naturally flavoured and spiced then. With the used of anchovies, the porridge was sweetened. Meat Ball was bouncy and friendly to the jaws. Since I'm a minced meat lover, it would be great to have an increased portion on that.If you have the chance, do try out their fruit tea and rest assure that you will keep calm and keep drinking tea . Enjoy the process of looking at the transparent glass teapot while the tea undergo a heating process.The color of the tea was eye catching as time passed, from the faint orange red into beautiful pink. Diffusion took place under the constant heat from the candle which gave the Tea more powerful flavour from the assorted fruit and flower. It stimulates the appetite and till the point we asked if they are for sale. Unfortunately, not.Preparation method for porridge is similar to minced meat with meat ball porridge, just that the ingredients was pork ribs instead. Porridge had more water content as compared to the earlier pot. A good point to note was that the meat was thoroughly cooked and fell off from the bone easily.The Pork Ribs Soup, though belongs to the same genre but was different from the porridge we had. They were cooked to simmer for at least 3 hours to obtain its flavour. Soup was generally refillable with attentive service from the staff.Pig Organ Soup has its soup base similar to pork ribs soup and served under the burning fire, The peppery concoction includes, lean meat, liver, intestines and you can even get to taste the garlicky flavour in the soup! One good point to take note is that, if you want to enjoy the tenderness of liver, don't have it over the flame for a long time.So they say Soya Milk and You Tiao has never been apart but I guess I can't have Bak Kut Teh without You Tiao too as I will feel incomplete. Just dipped these non greasy cut Fried Dough aka "You Tiao" into the bowl of Bak Kut Teh soup.Since the Ampang Yong Tau Foo comes in 3 sizes, we had the medium portion which is good enough for a table of 6 pax. Though it may be a common dish, every item was deep fried into crispiness and drenched using their homemade sauce.Items include, chilli, Tau Gua, Tau Ki, Gor Hiong, bittergourd, dumplings and kang gong.Braised Platter's portion was pleasing with braised processes done in house by themselves from scratch. Braised sauce was inviting yet not overpowering with good use of herbs and spices.Perhaps the only miss here was the varieties of the items on the plate. For instance, it will be good to see braised intestines and preserved vegetables on it.Having too much of pork, it was good that we have Dry Bak Kut Teh with Chicken Cubes. The selling point was not only its chicken cubes but also its shredded cuttlefish that gave a strong aromatic hit once it landed onto our table. Sauces used in the dish includes dark and black sauce. If you dont know, this dish also consist of Bak Kut Teh Soup Base. Dry Bak Kut Teh is also available with Pork Ribs too.Some called it the 4 heavenly king! The original creation of this assorted vegetables in Sambal sauce is from Malaysia and mixed vegetables like long beans, brinja, ladies fingers and sweet peas were stirred fried together with minced meat, dried fish and right amount of sambal sauce without being too overpowering.Overall, A-One Bak Kut Teh is a good place where you can enjoy Singapore iconic dishes. In such a strategic location where business parks and hotels are in the surroundings, it gives foreigner a feel of how our local dishes taste like.Having been to most their claypot houses in Singapore, I would say their meals are fulfilling and close to a heart of Singaporean.This is a media tasting invitation. continue reading

A-One, famous for their claypot scallop porridge, has started their first A-One Bak Kut Teh at The Star Vista. Combining the essence of bak kut teh into their smooth textured porridge, its no surprise they brand themselves as the first in Singapore to offer Claypot Bak Kut Teh porridge.On top of this, they offer various selection of bak kut teh soup and a number of other items like braised and stir fried dishes. As for this food tasting, we were served 1 or 2 items from different category in the menu.First on the table, of course is non other than their bak kut teh porridge.Minced Meat with Meat Ball Porridge (S$9.90)To achieve the taste of bak kut teh, they uses premium white pepper to derive the stock before combining with pearl rice and simmered in high pressure cooker for 45mins. This is the reason why the peppery flavour is so prominent.Pork Ribs Porridge (S$10.90)The same method was used for all their bak kut teh porridge. This taste more like bak kut teh maybe because of the pork ribs.Assorted Fruit and Flower Tea (S$7.90)This sweet tea taste like chinese hawthorn which aids in digestion. Good companion for a heavy meal.Take a look at the ingredients.Pork Ribs Soup (S$10.90)A total different soup base from the one used in preparing the porridge but the one similarity got to be the fiery peppery flavour. Nonetheless, the pork ribs were rather tender and to my surprise the soup taste less pepperish when cooled down.Well, how can bak kut teh be without condiments to go along.And of course! Not forgetting bak kut teh's best friend - you tiao.Pig's Organ Soup (S$9.90)This, in my opinion, is just like normal pig's organ soup with overpowering pepper flavour.Braised Platter (S$14.90)Includes items like pork, beancurd skin, beancurd puffs, eggs and peanuts. This dish definitely reminds me of kway chap. Slight disappointment as the pork are not tender enough and other than the peanuts, the rest seems to have not been braised long enough with the gravy making it a little lacking the braised feel.Ampang Yong Tau Foo (Medium - S$14.90)Comes in small (S$9.90) and large (S$18.90) options too. Not too sure how close this is to the authentic version. Nevertheless, the taste was not too bad just that the items were not really immersed in the gravy.Dry Bak Kut Teh Chicken Cubes (S$12.90)A little spicy with tender chicken cubes, goes perfectly well with a bowl of rice. I personally find that it taste more like Kung Bao chicken.Assorted Vegetables in Sambal Sauce (S$10.90)Also known as Four Heavenly King with four different vegetables in it. Lady fingers, sweet peas, long beans and brinjals stir fried in sambal sauce are soft and not spicy. continue reading

A-One is a chain of casual restaurants which is well known for its claypot porridge. Recently it has opened a new outlet in The Star Vista, taking over the space formerly occupied by Boston Seafood Shack (by Creative Eateries). Similar to its former occupier, there is both air-con and non air-con dining in area. I personally prefer in the air-con area, as the non air-con area is hot and humid, as well as, a bit too dark to take photos of the food. This outlet is different from other outlets under the chain, as it specialises in Bak Kut Teh. Bak Kut Teh Claypot Pork Ribs Soup 砂煲肉骨茶 ($10.90++)The soup is served over a hot stove to keep warm. The soup is refillable. The soup is quite peppery, which I feel it kind of takes away the sweetness of the soup and becomes quite one dimensional. The meat from the rib is tender although I prefer it to be more tender like the falling off the bone type.Bak Kut Teh Claypot Pig's Organ Soup 砂煲猪杂汤 ($9.90++)The soup base is same as the above soup, but instead of pork ribs, it is served with tender pork slices, slices of pig's stomach, slices of pig's liver and meat balls. I wish that the pig's liver has been sliced thinner, as it not tender enough and a bit too thick. The meat ball tastes like the supermarket type with no bite to it.Dough Fritters 油条 ($1.50++)Don't forget to order this to go with the soup. Although the dough fritter is not crispy, but it does a good job of soaking up the soup.In this outlet it also offers Bak Kut Teh Porridge which marry 2 dishes together : Bak Kut Teh and its well known claypot porridge. The porridge uses stock made from high graded white pepper, which has been brewing for more than 3 hours since morning. The white pearled rice is cooked with the stock using a pressure cooker for 45 minutes, until the rice is almost broken. Bak Kut Teh Pork Ribs Porridge 肉骨茶排骨粥 ($10.90++)A good combination of pepper, garlic, spices and fresh pork ribs. It improves blood circulation and strengthens the lungs.The porridge tastes quite peppery. Although the meat from the rib is tender, I would prefer it to be more tender like the falling off the bone type.Bak Kut Teh Minced Meat and Meat Ball Porridge 肉骨茶肉碎肉丸粥 ($9.90++)The porridge tastes similar to the above porridge, peppery. Chicken Cubes Stir-Fried Claypot 干炒肉骨茶鸡丁 ($12.90++)Using the stock of the soup base of Bak Kut Teh, the chicken cubes are braised with lady's fingers and dried chillies until the sauce thickens. When served, it is topped with crispy fried cuttlefish. Tender and flavourful, with a flavour similar to Kung Pao chicken 宫保鸡丁. Braised Platter 卤味拼盘 ($14.90++)Pork 卤肉, Bean Curd Skin 腐竹, Bean Curd Puffs 豆卜, Eggs 卤蛋, and Peanuts 花生The dish is served with a garlic chilli sauce, which kind of reminds me of the McDonald's type. Different from the usual kind of chilli paste. I am a bit disppointed that there is no braised pig's intestines and braised duck in serving. It would be better if there the items have braised longer. The peanuts are not soft enough, while the pork belly do not have a melt in the mouth texture. Threfore a bit hard to eat with its rich layers of fats.Assorted Ampang Yong Tau Foo 安邦酿豆腐 ($9.90++ S, $14.90++ M, $18.90++ L)Although it is modeled against the well known KL version of yong tau foo, I personally feel that the taste is far cry from the actual stuff. The sauce is a bit too heavy, lacking of the hint of sweetness that assoicated with the ampang yong tau foo's sauce. The stuffed yong tau foo such as fried bean stick, beancurd skin, fried wanton, brinjal, tau pok, lady’s finger, bitter ground, and chilli is served on a bed of kang kong with the sauce poured over. The dish is served with a sambal chilli paste which I feel is a bit too salty.Assorted Vegetables in Sambal Sauce 四大天王 ($10.90++)I was told that this dish is well known in Malaysia and consisted of 4 vegetables : sweet peas, eggplant, lady's finger and long beans. Tastes not bad as there is no sticky feel with the lady's finger. There is also crispy fried smelt fish 美人魚 in it, which gives it an extra crunch.Assorted Fruit and Flower Tea 花果茶 ($7.90++)The tea is served over a hot stove. Refreshing and fruity with a hint of natural sweetness on its own.Overall the food still needs a bit of work without making one feeling that it is run-of-the-mill kind of food. continue reading

First we had the Minced meat and meatball porridge. The fragrance and peppery taste of the porridge hit my taste buds. The white peppercorns from Sarawak has been fried before being made into a soup which is used for the porridge. It is then cooked in a high-pressure pot .Great tasty porridge coupled with chewy meatballs. However due to the fiery taste, the porridge is not for children. The Pork ribs porridge is less peppery ,the ribs are well marinated adn delicious.The Ampang Yong Tau Foo consists of kangkong,bittergourd,redchilli ,bringal and fried wanton.It comes with a sambal chilli dip which they make themselves. The ingredients are fresh and tasty. The Braised Platter comes with juicy peanuts, braised pork ,tau pok, beancurd skins and beancurd puff. The Dry Bak Kut Teh chicken cubes comes with dried cuttlefish shreds.It is fried with Bak Kut Teh spices.The tender chicken pieces comes with small pieces of ladies finger.The Pork Ribs Soup  in a pot has 3 pieces of pork ribs kept warm.Not enough soup? Ask for more.the soup is tasty but the ribs could be cooked longer for it to be softer.The Pig's organ soup is flavourful and spicy.It has pieces of pig stomach and liver.Get a bowl of rice ,you will enjoy the dish better.The pot of Flower and fruit tea comes with a warmer.It comes with a little glass cup for you to sip if things get too peppery.The longer the flowers and fruits stay in the pot ,the tastier it is. finish everything,don't waste the tea.  continue reading

Food tasting nite on 21 Oct organized by OpenRice at Aone BKT . They took over the place which used to house Boston Seafood Shack at Star Vista. As for the dishes, there were some hits and misses. This marks their maiden venture into the BKT biz, trying to marry and blend in with their expertise in porridge making. Porridge dishes such as Pork ribs porridge and Minced meat with meatball porridge were generally alright but other dishes such as Ampang Yong Tau Foo, Assorted Vegetables in Sambal sauce and Dry BKT chicken cubes could be further improved, in my opinion as there are better BKT outlets out there. Soups such as Pork Ribs soup and Pig Organ's soup were aright, but nothing to shout about.  continue reading