Founder Bak Kut Teh

Singaporean restaurant · Balestier

Founder Bak Kut Teh

Singaporean restaurant · Balestier

347 Balestier Rd, Singapore 329777

Highlights

Founder Rou Gu Cha Cafeteria serves up peppery, rich Teochew-style bak kut teh with tender pork ribs and tasty sides in a celeb-lined, cozy spot.

347 Balestier Rd, Singapore 329777 Get directions

founderbkt.com.sg

@founderbkt

SGD 10–20 · Menu

@onthegrid

On the Grid : Founder Rou Gu Cha Cafeteria/ Founder Bak Ku Teh

"Food enthusiasts are in for a treat at Founder Rou Gu Cha Cafeteria, a first-generation family business serving Teochew-style bak kut teh. "Bak Kut Teh", which literally translates to "meat bone tea", is a pork rib dish cooked in broth of varying styles. Teochew-style bak kut teh, compared to the stronger tasting Hokkien-style bak kut teh, is made from hours of boiling fresh pork ribs, simply seasoned with ground pepper to give it a kick. The owner, Mr. Chua, grew up in a pig farm, and his experience comes in handy when it comes to picking the freshest parts of the pig to prepare the broth. Apparently, ribs at the front of the pig turn black after cooking and thus appear less appealing, so the cafeteria prepares the soup with spare ribs from the pig’s hind, which turn white upon cooking. Apart from the aromatic bak kut teh, one would definitely be able to tell how famous this place is from the distinctive photographs of renowned celebrities from Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore, pasted all over the walls of the cafeteria." - OuterEdit

https://onthegrid.city/singapore/balestier/founder-rou-gu-cha

View Postcard for Founder Bak Kut Teh

@onthegrid

"Founder Rou Gu Cha Cafeteria/ Founder Bak Ku Teh, Balestier by OuterEdit. Food enthusiasts are in for a treat at Founder Rou Gu Cha Cafeteria, a first-generation family business serving Teochew-style bak kut teh. "Bak Kut Teh", which literally translates to "meat bone tea", is a pork rib dish cooked in broth of varying styles. Teochew-style bak kut teh, compared to the stronger tasting Hokkien-style bak kut teh, is made from hours of boiling fresh pork ribs, simply seasoned with ground pepper to give it a kick.The owner, Mr. Chua, grew up in a pig farm, and his experience comes in handy when it comes to picking the freshest parts of the pig to prepare the broth. Apparently, ribs at the front of the pig turn black after cooking and thus appear less appealing, so the cafeteria prepares the soup with spare ribs from the pig’s hind, which turn white upon cooking. Apart from the aromatic bak kut teh, one would definitely be able to tell how famous this place is from the distinctive photographs of renowned celebrities from Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore, pasted all over the walls of the cafeteria."

Singapore

View Postcard for Founder Bak Kut Teh

Leia

Google

I have been a patron of this establishment since my childhood. While the flavors have remained largely consistent, I have noticed a more rapid increase in prices over time. I remember this place being extremely popular, with long queues and waits of at least 30 minutes. Lately, however, the crowds have diminished, and it is now much easier to secure a table. I sincerely wish them continued success and encourage both locals and tourists to give them a try. Their broth is delightfully peppery yet full of flavor, and I particularly enjoy their preserved vegetables. Enjoy!

CS K

Google

It’s been a while since I dine here. The bak kut (pork) it’s tasty and quite soft. Had to order another bowl to satisfy my craving! Goes well with the soup (can be refilled and it’s pepper - Singapore style, different from Malaysia - herbal style). Definitely must order the fried you tiao to dip inside the hot soup. Bak kut teh must have you tiao to complete the experience. Overall the food is good but a bit expensive Service was great as the staff was attentive Atmosphere - it felt a bit hot and stuffy. Maybe the aircon is not strong enough.

Kenny Kurniawan

Google

Ordered their lean pork meat, and intestines. Wow absolutely amazing. The meat was tender, and quite a lot in one bowl. They also offer you free refiill pork broth if you want. I normally give more pepper, and chili to my soup. So it gives more spiciness on the broth. Their intestines was also nice, and really flavorful. Overall, nice place to come when visiting singapore.

T ee

Google

Food is good but isn't as good as i thought it should be. Prawn rolls were very good, though. Enjoyed browsing through the pictures of celebrities on the wall. Parking is not easy during peak hours.

nick yee

Google

Oldies designed restaurant live up to its great long popular Bak Kut Teh! No body should miss this wonderful food.

Khaiweng Leong

Google

Excellent loin ribs and short ribs and so are the kidneys. Enjoyed the braised small and large intestines.

Potato Head

Google

Used to come here quite often but due to my house moving, didn’t have chance to come back past 3yrs. I like Bak kut teh here coz soup is peppery than others and tasty especially when I visit after 9pm. Braised pork intestines are well cleaned and good texture.

Cindy Tan

Google

It’s been quite some time since I last ate here. I was surprised to see that the place has undergone a renovation. The new look adds a modern charm while still holding onto its familiar warmth. Every single dish was thoughtfully prepared, rich and balanced in flavour. Everything was honestly yummy, it left me feeling satisfied, grateful and already looking forward to the next visit.

Hendra W.

Yelp

I don't have to tell you how famous this restaurant is, do I? Just look at the amount of famous celebrities that have been here! The place is clean and spacious. Bathroom is also well maintained! Pricing is fair. The customer service was responsive and friendly! No complaints! The food: - SM3 Founder Bak Kut Teh (10/10): Personal favorite dish, this one! The difference between this, loin Ribs (SM1) and short ribs (SM2) is the former has less fats. The broth is all identical. It's just something about their pork meat, chewy and the seasoning goes deep in the meat! It's a truly exceptional dish! - B2 Braised pig intestines (9/10): If you don't like the idea of eating intestines, skip this! But if you love it? I recommend getting it! The only thing I wish was the gravy to be a little watery. Other than that, it's a good intestines dish! - Braised Tofu skin (Tau Ki) (10/10): Each time we come here, this dish is never left out! I really enjoyed it! The after taste is great and the tofu skin isn't soggy, which makes the texture great! P.S.: My girlfriend went "ok, we have to keep coming back until I get to sit next to where Jay Chou's photo is hung." Sure enough, after the third time, we achieved that mission! Anyways, this restaurant is totally recommended!

Mickey L.

Yelp

Unfortunately, I'm afraid this was one of the worst options I could've picked on Balestier. Paying S$20+ for a premium bak kut teh + the accoutrements (youtiao, preserved greens, no rice), my wallet already felt the pain. By contrast, you can get a whole set for S$13 at other establishments. The pork ribs were not fall-off-the-rib tender, which disappointed me considering I selected their most premium soup. While the BKT flavor was nourishing, never once was I (or other diners I'd observed) offered a refill. To make things worse, I likely got food poisoning here. Six hours after my meal, I began feeling quite unwell and could not eat anything over the next 36h. It's a pity my experience turned out so -- I was really hoping to enjoy my meal here. I'm not closed off to the idea of returning one day, but certainly am in no rush to do so.

Inex P.

Yelp

Founder Bak Kut Teh at Balestier always reminded me of great memories I had in Singapore, memories that were spent catching with people that I loved. I was first introduced to this place by Ria during our quick trip to Singapore. The Founder bak kut teh was also a great place to hang out for late night supper and they had a couple of big table for large group of people. The restaurant didn't look like much from the outside but sometimes during dinner time you could saw a long line formed with diners who couldn't wait to taste the peppery broth of the bak kut teh. I think I got a bit too addicted to the broth and the leftover broth was very enjoyable when eaten together with warm rice. The long ribs was my favourite because bone made it very easy to hold the whole ribs. Sometimes they ran out of the long one and I had to order the short ribs. Both types of pork ribs were juicy and tender. Our usual order usually consists of you tiao (the fried dough), bean curd skin, the must-have salted vegetables, braised eggs, peanuts and heaps of chili padi! Yes, I added a lot of chili padi to the broth to make it spicier (yum). We always end our dinner with a refreshing bowl of Ice Jelly Honey Lime! My last time at the Founder Bak Kut Teh was when my flight back to Perth got delayed for 24 hours. I was beyond upset but there was nothing that I could do except enjoying the additional time in Singapore and thinking about it was better to be safe than sorry. So Efra and I decided to go and eat some bak kut teh. Sure enough, great food and great company really cured my annoyance of the delay :-)

Natalie H.

Yelp

Mother of all bak kut teh places, this outfit along Balestier gets immense human traffic despite it not situated near an MRT station. We were here for two on a Thursday night at 7pm and did not have to queue thankfully. By the time we were done at 815pm, there was a queue of about 15 people outside. So many people want to eat humble pork soup! We ordered before we sat down, and a server very efficiently sent out our order with her trusty iPad. We had the short ribs, offal, salted veggies, dough crullers, bean curd sheets, and barley water to drink. No complaints, standards were maintained. Broth was very peppery and sweet and porky. Free flow of soup, four refills we had! Cost about 30 for both of us. Would come back. Again and again and again. P.S. Offal here is cooked just slightly under, so the soup tends to get a bit red. Don't worry, it's all safe.

Michelle M.

Yelp

My husband took me here for one of my first Singaporean meals. He was initially supposed to take me to a chicken rice place, but when we passed by Founder's there was no line. Excited about that, he steered me to the entrance and proclaimed that we must eat here, as he's never seen this place without a queue. I was jet lagged (boo for passing out between 3 PM and 7 PM!) and hot (thanks, Equator) so I couldn't help but question why he is taking me to a place that was serving hot Chinese soup. Luckily, the joy experienced by my taste buds overshadowed my crankiness and grogginess due to oversleeping. I ended up really enjoying my meal! The peppery broth and the short ribs were fantastically paired with the fried bread that they give you on the side. This place has been here for ages, as the walls are covered with what I assume to be famous Asian actors and/or singers. Too bad I don't recognize anyone! Overall, great spot for anyone looking for some Chinese comfort food!

Wan Qi T.

Yelp

One of the Singapore's best white pepper soup base bak kut teh! Visited this little "restaurant" since I was a little girl. Daddy always brings the family over after a hard day at work which ends at 10pm. A good supper place indeed, with unlimited refill of soup, spicy yummy white pepper-ish soup base, lean/fatty pork ribs and innards available for selection, and the usual pig's trotter, you tiao (fried dough that best consumed after dipping the hot soup), mei cai (preserved vegetables), etc! (I'm drooling as I type!) Came over for supper a few times with my friends, now that I'm a big girl. The taste remains just like when I was a little girl. Quality stays for long, which also explains the walls filled with celebrities pictures! Truly Singaporean dish, die die must try!

Tony U.

Yelp

On my final full day in Singapore, I enjoyed a superb final dinner here at Founder Bak Kuh Teh. Open from 9am to 10:30pm, it's a short walk from the Mustafa Centre (or Farrer Park MRT station) and they offer in my opinion the best Bak Kuh Teh and Pig Organs Soup that I've tried in Singapore thus far. Everything we tried here had superb quality, especially the broth. I also tried two tofu dishes and an order of green vegetables served with fried shallots, very delicious. The whole meal for two, which included dessert and tea cost just over $S35. Quite reasonable. The staff here are very reliable, courteous, helpful, fair, and friendly. The atmosphere inside is spacious, cozy and comfortable with an overall social, relaxing and casual vibe. Will definitely make this a regular place whenever shopping at the Mustafa Centre wheever I visit Singapore. Be careful walking to this restaurant as the sidewalks are uneven and precarious at times. At first, you might not think you'll be heading towards a restaurant as the street block or two between this establishment and the Farrer St. MRT look run down and dark. But keep walking, you'll find this place and it'll be worth it.

Juliana K.

Yelp

Apparently this is THE place to go if you're after bak kut teh. The packed restaurant at lunchtime on a weekday backs up the theory. I haven't got many other bak kut teh experiences to compare it to, but I can tell you this peppery pork rib soup has won a place in my heart! Cash only!

Lionel O.

Yelp

Before you read this, please do note that I am on herbal camp of BKT. Not really a big fan of the pepper kind. :) Well of course I've heard a lot about Founder's Bak Kut Teh and even more since social media has it showing the video of the American Ambassador trying and singing their praises. However as a local and a big time foodie, i'm disgraced to say that my first time trying it is even AFTER an American Ambassador has tried it! Anyways back to the review.... on a cold rainy Saturday night I decided to give it a go! Tons of celebrities photographs and newspaper cut outs exulting the food of this place shouted me from every wall. WHOA! It better be good then! Even late at night I had to queue behind 3-4 other people. I ordered one bowl for myself, salted veg, you tiao, pigs trotters and intestines. The soup was indeed lovely. You can really taste the clean & clear peppered pork infused broth all the way down to your tummy; you take a deep breath and the heat from the soup in your tummy escapes again through your mouth. FANTASTIC on a rainy day. But that's as far as I will say it goes! The pork rib I had was a little dry... it certainly stuck to the bone. Meat was a little tastless. I guess it all went into that delicious soup stock. The salted veg was not bad, but again, similar to many other places. Pigs Trotters was also not bad.. could be a taddd softer. Intestines were so-so too. I dunno... unlike others I just don't see the big deal about this place! hahah... Still loving my Klang style bkt! I guess to each his/her own!!

Am T.

Yelp

Best bak kut teh (pork ribs soup) for me in Singapore thus far. My first craving everytime I am out of Singapore for years.

Oliv S.

Yelp

We ate three times in this place during our visit in Singapure and highly recommend it for casual lunch or dinner. Quality of the food was really good, the spices did not kill the flavors/taste and allowed us to enjoy every bit of it. Staff was friendly and helpful, especially the elderly gentleman who saw that we were both sick with cold and gave us extra portion of broth to help us heal. Special thanks to him !

ゆ

Yelp

This place is said to be the birth pace of Bak Kut Teh. Although many Singaporeans don't believe it is. I find it nice with variety of menu to choose from, and compared to others it's less spicy. You'll see so many photos on the wall it's very impressive. If you live in Singapore, this is a must go spot. ガイドブックにも出ている、自称バクテー発祥の店です。他のバクテー屋さんに比べてメニューが豊富で野菜もたくさん食べれます。肉は比較的柔らかい方だと思いますが、スープはマイルド風で食べやすいです。個人的には他のお店が好きですが、ここは深夜までやってますし、何と言っても発祥の店ですので一度は行かなきゃならんとです。2015/11

Lucas C.

Yelp

I'm a fan of both herbal and white pepper soups. However, I found the soup at Founder's waaaay too peppery. Maybe I was unlucky because I was there around midnight, and they could've been scooping my soup from the bottom of the pot. I had a big handful of whole peppercorns in my bowl. It was also really crowded and they sat me outside where it was quite hot. As you can imagine, i was sweating buckets by the end of the meal, and my tongue was rather numb from the pepper. I couldnt drink the soup at all. -1 star for cleanliness and ambience -1 star for soup taste -1 star for soggy dough sticks +1 star for fast service despite being crowded

Lynn L.

Yelp

Along Balestier Rd, there are a number of Bak Kut Teh around and Founder Bak Kut Teh is one of the earlier ones that I have tired. You can recognise the store by its short stairs leading up to the store and once inside, you will find photos all pasted on the wall. These photos are photos of the boss taken with famous people that have eaten/ visited the place. There are two main type of Bak Kut Teh, one is the herbal type and one is the more pepper taste type. Founder Bak Kut Teh belong to the later one. People who are expect in Bak Kut Teh will know to order the prime ribs which will of cause cost abit more than the usual. The heavy taste of the soup is one of the reason why customers keep returning back to the place. Accompanied with fried you tiao (deep-fried bread sticks) dipped into the soup is the perfect combination.

Kerrie C.

Yelp

This is a comfy place to have bak kut teh. My local friends took me here for dinner in weekday. No queuing luckily. The ribs are well cooked. The pepper soup is of right balance of peppery spice & salt. Dough stick is not made-as-order tho (1 star deducted!).

Manav M.

Yelp

With regards to bkt there's always the eternal debate of herbal vs pepper broth. I'm firmly in the pepper camp and Founders is my absolute favourite in that regard. The peppery kick is awesome. There's generally a queue at most times but it moves quite fast (usually 15-20 mins). They also make you order while in the queue so you don't waste time after you've sit down. While the person managing the queue isn't that fluent in English, the menu has pictures so if you don't have a mandarin speaker handy you can just point. Convenient. For whatever reason, the pork in their basic bkt is usually quite tough so I'd recommend going for the prime rib bkt ($8 vs $6 I think). Beyond that I usually just get the usual sides - pickled vegetables, tau pok, youtiao - and everything is solid. They're also good with refilling the soup.

Equine O.

Yelp

This place is always a great place to bring friends from overseas... or if you need a sort of hangover soup after a heavy night of clubbing and drinking. The story of this place is that the owner used to sell pigs and pork, before he ventured into the bah kut teh business on his own. Shortly after, Mediacorp used to bring their guests from overseas and hence there are tons of photos of famous stars including Chow Yuen Fatt, Emil Chau, etc decked throughout their walls. I'm still waiting for a George Clooney or Brad Pitt... come on Founders! Some people will argue between this and Songfa, but I personally prefer Founders. Recommendations: Pork Rib soup with rice of course. Accompanying dishes can go: dough fritters, soy sauce bean curd, salted vegetables, pork liver and kidneys (we dare you), soy sauce and vinegar pig trotters! Tips: Specify for the long pork-ribs, otherwise they will just give you the combination which isn't as satisfying. Sure it'll cost a dollar more, but well worth the extra meat and less messy bones. And if the soup isn't enough, just ask for a refill... it's free! Note: There is no gongfu tea here, so if you're coming here looking for that you will be disappointed. And the herbal teas and such are all in bubble-tea packaged forms, hence not brewed in the store.

Yong Y.

Yelp

Strolled in for a light afternoon meal and was pleasantly delighted to sink my teeth into the Bak Kut Teh and pig trotters. Pepper based or herbal based, I enjoy them all. The walls of the restaurant are chock full of pictures of celebrities, politicians and luminaries standing together with (I think) the owner of Founder Bak Kut Teh. That must mean something. The soup refill was a nice touch and the You Tiao crispy to the bite even after dunking it in the soup. Will I recommend this restaurant? Sure. The food isn't bad at all, and the staff pleasant and courteous. What's not to like about this place? Nothing. Just remember to bring your appetite.

Serene T.

Yelp

One of the good Bak Kut Teh I've ever tried. Lucky me that the queue wasn't too long when I reached here. The soup smells really fragrance and tastes really delicious. I like pepper-ish food so I was attracted to their soup. Their you tiao, salted vegetables are really yummy too. Mixing the you tiao and the soup together before having it, is really yummy too. I didn't know that it can be eaten with this method. Definitely very filling. It is located near Novena, the building is kinda dark though. Building beside are really old. I will definitely visit again and again for their good Bak Kut Teh. Hope that next time I visit again, the queue will not be too long too.

SH K.

Yelp

Still 1 of the best around, but not as good as I remembered it to be from around 4 years ago. The soup today was a little salty, and not "powerful" as before. At $9 for a bowl of pork rib soup, also not the best value for money. Good thing was that the line moved pretty quickly at 12:30pm on a Sunday, and service was "chop chop".

HianH T.

Yelp

Best and favourite in Singapore. Also try the pork knuckle.

S K C.

Yelp

Good bkt, but nothing extraordinary. Pork was a tad dry in some pieces. Soup refill was slow initially when a refill was desired, but servers were inattentive. After the meal, another server was responsive to offer soup refills to empty bowls.

@onthegrid

On the Grid : Founder Rou Gu Cha Cafeteria/ Founder Bak Ku Teh

https://onthegrid.city/singapore/balestier/founder-rou-gu-cha

View Postcard for Founder Bak Kut Teh

@onthegrid

Singapore

View Postcard for Founder Bak Kut Teh

Leia

Google

CS K

Google

Kenny Kurniawan

Google

T ee

Google

Food is good but isn't as good as i thought it should be. Prawn rolls were very good, though. Enjoyed browsing through the pictures of celebrities on the wall. Parking is not easy during peak hours.

nick yee

Google

Oldies designed restaurant live up to its great long popular Bak Kut Teh! No body should miss this wonderful food.

Khaiweng Leong

Google

Excellent loin ribs and short ribs and so are the kidneys. Enjoyed the braised small and large intestines.

Potato Head

Google

Cindy Tan

Google

Hendra W.

Yelp

Mickey L.

Yelp

Inex P.

Yelp

Natalie H.

Yelp

Michelle M.

Yelp

Wan Qi T.

Yelp

Tony U.

Yelp

Juliana K.

Yelp

Lionel O.

Yelp

Am T.

Yelp

Best bak kut teh (pork ribs soup) for me in Singapore thus far. My first craving everytime I am out of Singapore for years.

Oliv S.

Yelp

ゆ

Yelp

Lucas C.

Yelp

Lynn L.

Yelp

Kerrie C.

Yelp

Manav M.

Yelp

Equine O.

Yelp

Yong Y.

Yelp

Serene T.

Yelp

SH K.

Yelp

HianH T.

Yelp

Best and favourite in Singapore. Also try the pork knuckle.

S K C.

Yelp

Founder Bak Kut Teh

Photos

Highlights

Postcards

On the Grid : Founder Rou Gu Cha Cafeteria/ Founder Bak Ku Teh

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On the Grid : Founder Rou Gu Cha Cafeteria/ Founder Bak Ku Teh