Founder Bak Kut Teh

Founder Bak Kut Teh is one of Singapore's most renowned Bak Kut Teh brand. The official opening hour is 12pm, but when I walked in two minutes to 12, several tables were already occupied. Throughout my meal, the restaurant just becomes more and more packed. Rumor has it that this store counts Jay Chou as a fan, and every inch of the walls is covered with pictures of the owner posing with celebrities - local and from overseas. 

I ordered the Founder Bak Kut Teh Soup ($9); I figured if that bowl is good enough to have the restaurant's name on it, it'll be darn good. The hot, rich and peppery broth was textbook Singaporean Bak Kut Teh, and the waitresses totting metal pitchers of broth make sure you'll never see the bottom of your soup bowl.  The long bone of the pork rib was soft and tender: perfection in a bite. But it was done at the expense of the overcooked short ribs which was a bit more tough to chew. You Tiao ($1.50) was crispier than the ones at Song Fa, but it could still use another couple of minutes in the toaster. I dream of fresh crispy you tiao to accompany a bak kut teh meal, but I'll have to wait for another day. 

The weak air-conditioning is the sole thing that they could easily improve on. The blazing heat makes drinking hot soup less than appealing, and I only felt warmer and warmer towards the end of the meal, and the uncomfortableness detracted from the experience of the meal. They could take a leaf out of Song Fa Bak Kut Teh's book and look into upgrading their air-conditioning.  

Founder Bak Kut Teh
347 Balestier Road, 329777
Hours: 12pm-2.30pm, 6pm-2am

Near this area? Check out my favourite stalls in Whampoa Food Centre!