Heng Kee Bak Kut Teh in PJ
[Non-halal] Heng Kee Bak Kut Teh in PJ Old Town is an institution.
This restaurant has been serving bak kut teh for more than 50 years, and is a popular dinner spot for families in the area.
In fact, we used to visit this restaurant with our respective families when we were younger. We’re happy to say that the quality and flavours had remained consistent over the years.
Heng Kee Bak Kut Teh in PJ Old Town
Heng Kee Bak Kut Teh occupies a corner shop lot in PJ Old Town, and only operates for dinner service from 4.30pm onwards (closed on Mondays).
This establishment is not to be confused with the Michelin-listed Hing Kee Bak Kut Teh in Kepong (see our review here).
While both share similar-sounding names, Heng Kee has no connection to the Kepong business and distinctly mentioned that it has “no other branch” elsewhere.
And it’s true. We have eaten once at Hing Kee (again, see our post here) and found the flavours and broth to be very different. We do prefer the BKT here at Heng Kee.
What makes Heng Kee BKT good?
It is important to note that Heng Kee serves a “PJ-style” BKT, which is slightly different that the original Klang version.
While Klang BKT tends to fatty with a thick gravy, the “PJ-style” BKT tend to have a lighter broth with a more pronounced herbal flavours.
And Heng Kee fits the bill. We liked Heng Kee’s broth as it has a good herbal hit with an inherent sweetness (as opposed to the more fatty and savoury broth in Klang).
Heng Kee also serves its meat in individual bowls (instead of claypots) which we actually prefer as we grew up eating in this manner. This is also very similar to how BKT is traditionally served in Klang.
Heng Kee BKT meat is tender
The prices here are actually quite decent when you consider the portion and inflation over the years.
One pax serving of BKT costs RM19, and you can get veggies for RM8.
Heng Kee offers a variety of cuts – which include soft ribs, pork belly, pig’s tail, stomach, trotters and shoulder.
Our favourite BKT cuts are always pork belly (pun fei sau) and soft ribs (yin kuat). The ones here are very tender and fresh-tasting. They also use quality pork and we can actually taste the natural sweetness of the meat.
Go for the Tau Fo Bok
The Tau Fo Bok (tofu puffs) is our standard order here as well. The texture of the tofu puffs really absorbs the soup well. Also, no faults with the Veggies and Fried Cruellers (not the crispiest but it is soaked in the soup anyway).
Summary
After so many years, we are happy to report that the quality and service here remained consistently good. We recommend coming early to avoid the peak hours as this place is very popular.
We also grew eating at Ming Kee BKT nearby, but somehow Heng Kee edges slightly due to the better cuts and broth.
RECOMMENDED!
Heng Kee Bak Kut Teh
Address: 16, Jalan 1/10, Seksyen 1, 46000 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Hours: 4.30pm-10pm (Closed on Mondays)
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