The worst bak kut teh (in Johor at least) - Restoran Hong Tat Bak Kut Teh

I've been having an insatiable craving since last week for some really good bak kut teh (pork ribs in soup and spices), the kind where the meat slides off the bones and the boiling hebal soup leaves a pleasant aftermath on the tongue and in the belly. The kind found at the bak kut teh stall on the first floor of Hong Lim Complex hawker centre nearest Chinatown Pt or the kind found at the bak kut teh stalls at Beach Road for eg. Blissful Cafe (at No 29-31 Sultan Gate Tel No: 62988538) where I managed to satisfy my craving finally during lunch hour today with a small bowl of bak kut teh soup for SGD 5 only.

I have heard that there are quite a few famous bak kut teh stalls in JB and so, after work on a cold rainy day, I was insistent on having bak kut teh soup and having it without having to wait a long time because I was starving. The price to pay for my impatience and greed was an unpleasant experience eating at Restoran Hong Tat Bak Kut Teh located at No 93 Jln Sutera Tanjung 8/2, Tmn Sutera Utama 81300 Skudai.

The restaurant had quite a no. of people, was well-lit and clean so we decided to try out the place, figuring that it would be decent. Well, it wasn't. We ordered bak kut teh for 2 pp (RM16), 2 bowls of rice, and beancurd with minced pork (RM8). Here's a pic of the dishes.

The Slog Reviews: 0/10. Absolutely do not waste a penny eating at this shop. The bak kut teh soup was watery (without a strong herbal taste) and the meat was tough and tasteless. The portion meant for 2 was hardly sufficient for 1 person, with less than 6 small pcs of meat. There was barely enough soup and when we asked for a refill, the first refill came promptly enough but for our second request, we were ignored twice. Or rather, the server agreed to bring more soup but never did despite our reminders (She went about serving the other tables). Apparently this shop has been opened for 8 months and that should be long enough time for the food and service standards to be of far superior quality than what we had experienced. I would as such, recommend giving this restaurant a miss - a meal at the many other restaurants in the same area would no doubt yield a more pleasant and satisfying experience.