Bak Tu Teh 肉骨茶 - Where Pigs Do Fly

Greetings Earthlings...

This is another time for me, yours truly to BITCH speak about everything and anything that comes within sight and my mind.

Like always, before I start talking about food, let's us start this blog by taking a moment to what's currently evolving around our life.

Since 1st May being labour day, I have decided that today topic shall be on FT, FT and more FT

Abbreviation of FT can stands for several thing and just to give you a favor: Fuck Fxck Thing, Fake Tits Teeth, Full Time, Free Trade, Fault Tolerant, First Team and my personal favorite French Toast.

However, if you mentioned FT in the streets of Singapore today, most, if not all people will immediately associated it with Foreign Talents that we have come to learn to perhaps love and hate a little of each.

"If only everyone is a John Lennon"

Before we start the comparison, please read the above quote from John L and fill your heart with as much LOVE as possible, then perhaps with HATE if needed.

I/We must first acknowledged that Singapore was and still is just a tiny island and could be what it is today without all the immigrants from China, Malaysia, India and many more, whom have came here to settle, sweat and built a nation, else Singapore will never be like the Singapore today.

For that I, THANK all the forefathers & fore-mothers for the role(s) that they have played in mounting and shaping what Singapore has become, a modern, clean, safe and thriving city, and for many 2nd/3rd/4th generation like myself that we called HOME today and was proud of it.

However, many would have observed over the recent years, we have seen a 2nd major wave of immigrants coming and competing with home breed Singaporean and suddenly "HOME" seems so distance and foreign to even oneself that have are raised and bleed here all our life, so home doesn't feel like home anymore, or home enough.

Let's start a list of what we love about FTs:

1. FTs bring along skills sets and technology that the average Singaporeans do no possess, in the upper tier
2. FTs allow our country to be an effective and competitive in the global market, given that this little red dot does not have its own resources and enough talent to be equal on the world stage. 
3. FTs are willing to perform tasks and take up jobs that Singaporean do not want, in the lower tier
4. FTs are willing to take a pay that Singaporean will not want to consider, in the lower sector
5. FTs women especially those from PRC, Russian, etc are pretty, flirtatious and some of them even rich, the best for being sugar mummy.

So you may question, what actually do we hate about FTs, let's us ponder and see if you agree with the list below:

1. FTs are competing for the same job in the middle and higher tier, and some are even pay higher than the locals
2. FTs competing for schools, home, cars and everything that moves or breathe
3. FTs coming into our this country and shitting in our its backyard or even in our its face like Pinoy new citizen Angelo Marc Jandugan whom made the following comments: "You have such a LOSER mentality. You have to wake up….We have people earning so much than you guys...Face the new reality, migrate somewhere else cause you can’t stop more of my people (from Philippines) from coming here.” or have you forgotten the beloved PRC NUS Scholar Sun Xu who called Singaporean dogs.
4. FTs preparing what used to be local delights, like Singapore or some say Malaysia Chilli Crabs, chicken rice, char kway teow in the food court, hawkers, cafes, eateries and restaurants.
5. FTs are everywhere I go...

Therefore, I sincerely hope that Singapore "current" PM Lee meant what he said: "While we must always be open to the world, let me be quite clear – Singaporeans will always be our priority. This is the purpose of all our policies, including on foreign workers and talent." Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, May Day Rally 2012

Please don't misunderstand me, for I have nothing against FTs, and like some of you may know my BETTER half is from Malaysia, all I am saying is, like most thing, it needs to be done in moderation with better QC and not have large in-flood of FTs that we have witnessed over the recent years, that one country citizens suddenly become the stranger/foreigner in their own country.

For I am only ONE man, and hope you will share my "LOVE".

Anyhow, for this non-halal blog, I have decided to talk about this Bak Tu Teh eatery known as "Outram Park Ya Hua Rou Gu Char" located at No. 7 Keppel Road, #01-05/07 PSA Tanjong Pagar Complex that I have personally frequent for what must be over 10+ years now.

Just simple and efficient layout for optimum services and good food

Apparently, the boss Mr. Frankie Gwee was on 星期二特写 《人。情。味2》 last night and what a heart warming story to know that kind souls like him, still linger among us, in a society where only the top "dog" survive.

The only down side is to see that most of the servers are FTs, like in most of the other eateries today, but who can blame him if he wants to be cost effective and remain relative in this market, however the FTs that are working here are like no other, for they will provide good services with a smile, dressed neatly in uniform and long hair are tied up in a bun.

Use some imagination, and I would say that they are the Bak Tu Teh Girls of Singapore "Where Pigs Do Fly", similar to that of the Singapore Girls of the Singapore Airline "A Great Way to Fly"

Their menu, like their food, straight forward and no BS

Here, you can have also anything and everything that you could want to eat off a pig, from pork stomach, rigs to legs, except you will not find no tongue, no ears, no heart, no eyeballs, no nose, no blood and unfortunately, some vegetables to choose from too.

What a typical dinner for two looks like

The bak tu teh here has a peppery soup base, which one may take some time to grow accustom to if you are from the other side of the causeway like my missy who is from Klang, Malaysia and where famous and the original bak tu teh is rumored to be from, but she grew to love it over time, like she grew to love this FAT, short, Handsome man "ME"  : P

Nevertheless, do not be mistaken, for the meat is cooked and tender from the first bite to the last, be it be for the pork leg which is cooked in the dark soup or the pork ribs which is cooked in the clear soup, and how can one have good bak tu teh without fried youtiao 油条, it will be love affair without the love, or what is better known as sex only, no commitments required like a one night stand, however I am in for the long run and this is a marriage.

Verdict Out of Five (5*):

1. Quality of Food: 4 (Meat and more meat)
2. Ambiances: 3 (Love its simplicity)
3. Audiences: 3 (Mostly local)
4. Price: 2.5 (It is not the cheapest in town, but knowing what the boss does for the less fortunate, I don't mind it at all)
5. Services: 3 (Good services and attitude like the boss)
6. Hygiene: 4 (It is neat and tidy)

So my overall conclusion is 4*, and this place is worth visiting if you are a meat lover like myself especially pork, and maybe the next time I am there, I will ask Frankie for an autograph since he is a celebrity now, and if you didn't know, he may have the mobile number to Michelle Chia personal cell and will even hook me up, since I am a humble and yet to be famous food blogger.

Call me Michelle, call me, CALL ME NOW !!!