Boo Boo Bak Kut Teh

This might come out of the blue, but have you ever heard of “Bak Kut Teh”? When written in Chinese characters, it might seem like some kind of mysterious dish, but it’s actually a dish found in Singapore and Malaysia—a medicinal soup made by simmering pork spare ribs with spices and traditional Chinese medicinal ingredients. Historically, it was eaten by Chinese manual laborers as a source of stamina to endure hard physical work. In Malaysia, in particular, Bak Kut Teh sells like hotcakes from early morning, and it’s not uncommon for it to sell out by noon.

One evening, I happened to learn that there was a Bak Kut Teh specialty shop in Kyoto. This brought back fond memories of my past travels in Singapore and Malaysia, so I headed straight to that shop—Boo Boo Bak Kut Teh. It had been about six years since I last ate Bak Kut Teh in Japan—the last time was at Mambo Restaurant… So, what was it like to eat Bak Kut Teh at a specialty shop?

It’s small, but it has the vibe of a Southeast Asian food court… That’s what Boo Boo Bak Kut Teh is like…

But before we get into that, let me give you a quick introduction to Boo Boo Bak Kut Teh. Boo Boo Bak Kut Teh is located just a short walk north on Teramachi-dori from the Kyoto City Hall. It opened on April 16, 2023. Apparently, before Boo Boo Bak Kut Teh opened, the space was home to a long-established butcher shop in Kyoto. Well, I’m not sure if there’s any connection to that butcher shop, though…

Now, the Boo Boo Bak Kut Teh shop itself has a slightly unusual layout. It’s about the size of a typical single restaurant, but it’s structured as if they’ve crammed a diner, a coffee shop, and a bar all into one space. Since the coffee shop and bar are lined up right by the entrance, it’s a little hard to tell just by looking at the exterior that Boo Boo Bak Kut Teh is located here. Well, in a way, that’s part of what gives it a vibe reminiscent of a Southeast Asian food court…

Mildly spiced and approachable… What was Boo Boo Bak Kut Teh’s signature dish—Pork Rib Soup—really like when I tried it?

So, let me introduce the signature dish I ordered that day at Boo Boo Bak Kut Teh: Pork Rib Soup (980 yen, tax included). About 10 minutes after ordering, the Pork Rib Soup was brought to my table, and this is what it looked like…

It came in a smaller bowl than I’d initially imagined. It was accompanied by chili peppers, cilantro, soy sauce, and pepper. To be honest, I was a bit puzzled as to why they included “soy sauce.”

Well, putting that aside, let’s get down to tasting it… Based on my memories of bak kut teh from Singapore and Malaysia, it’s usually quite spicy and has a strong medicinal flavor, but the broth in this version is quite mild. On the other hand, the pork’s umami and fat are thoroughly infused into the broth, making it feel more like a simple pork clear soup than an ethnic-style broth. If you add the provided cilantro and chili peppers, it does take on a somewhat ethnic flavor, but then it lacks depth in the spice profile. In that sense, I think it’s a flavor that’s approachable for people who are just asking, “What is Bak Kut Teh?” but for me—who was looking for the taste that had stayed with me from past experiences—it was a bit disappointing.

That said, these pork spare ribs were really good. They were meltingly tender, and when I bit into them, the fat just gushed out along with the meat’s umami. At the same time, there was absolutely no off-putting odor. I thought to myself, “If I can get these spare ribs, I might come back here every now and then…”

So, I finished Boo Boo Bak Kut Teh’s signature dish, the Pork Rib Soup, in about 10 minutes and left the restaurant. It wasn’t bad by any means, but to be honest, I found myself wishing they’d added a bit more of that ethnic flair… Still, the pork spare ribs are top-notch, and while it’s just the soup, you can get unlimited refills, so even at 980 yen (tax included), it’s well worth it. For anyone looking to try Bak Kut Teh for the first time, I’d definitely recommend this place as a great place to start.

They also offer Bak Kut Teh made with ingredients other than spare ribs… To get to Boo Boo Bak Kut Teh, it’s a short walk from the nearest station, Kyoto City Hall Station on the Kyoto Municipal Subway Tozai Line.

That said, Boo Boo Bak Kut Teh offers several varieties of Bak Kut Teh made with ingredients other than spare ribs. There’s pig stomach soup made with the stomach, pig liver soup made with the liver, and pig kidney soup made with the kidneys… For offal lovers, these are intriguing menu items you rarely find elsewhere. Even if you’re new to bak kut teh, it might be a good idea to start with the spare ribs and gradually work your way up from there.

Now, here are the restaurant details…