Restoran New Teo Chew brings Teochew-style ‘bak kut teh’, braised fish, ‘kuih’ and more to Damansara Jaya

PETALING JAYA, Aug 24 — Located in the square of shops around Atria Shopping Gallery, this restaurant feels underrated for its Teochew eats. 

Many know it for its Teochew-style bak kut teh: a much lighter herbal version that doesn’t command as large a fan base as the darker, deeper herbal-tasting Klang Hokkien bak kut teh.

The restaurant’s story dates back to 1983 when it was known as Papajoo Teochew Bak Kut Teh, starting as a humble stall in the OUG market before relocating to Happy Garden, PJ’s SS2, and finally to its present spot. 

Teochew-style Hometown Stir-fried Fish has a dark, thick sauce flavoured with aromatics like leeks, dried chilies, lard fritters, and sliced bird's eye chilies.

This type of bak kut teh is often described in Singapore as having an aggressive pepper punch, but this version lacks that intensity. 

Instead, it’s a sweet, savoury tasting pork broth lightly scented with herbs, making it easier to drink every drop. 

I especially enjoy its purity because it doesn’t leave an oily aftertaste after drinking the broth. 

Each piece of meat and offal is cooked until tender yet still retains its shape. 

The bak kut teh can be ordered with a mix of different cuts of pork for RM20 per person. 

The menu includes the unusual silver silago fillet, or what we call 'ikan bulus,' which has fine flesh and is served deep-fried in a light, crispy batter.

The portion I had came from the lunch set for RM18.80, which included a side dish. Other choices include dry bak kut teh, braised pork, stomach pepper soup and even a vege bak kut teh. 

Their spare ribs pot, a signature dish, requires pre-order at least 2 hours in advance. 

What makes this place more interesting is their wide selection of home-style cooked dishes, some with Teochew flavours, that you don’t really see in other restaurants. 

Tiny mini clams with their delicate paper-like shells are a real treat stir-fried with garlic, spring onions and sliced chilli.

Of course, there’s Teochew style steamed fish with its tangy flavours, but there are also unusual cooking methods like Teochew stir fried fish with curry powder and ham choy. 

The Teo Chew Style Hometown Stir Fried Fish (small for RM35. big for RM50) has a deep flavour; the dark, thick sauce is stir-fried with dried chilies and lard fritters, spiced up with fiery sliced bird’s-eye chilies.

It’s a dish that requires a bowl of rice to balance out those strong flavours. 

Homemade Cai Kueh (left) is abundantly stuffed with finely chopped shrimps, cabbage, carrot, dried beancurd, long beans and yam bean. Peach-shaped Glutinous Rice Kueh (right) is stuffed with an aromatic filling of glutinous rice, dried shrimps, shiitake mushroom, celery and beancurd.

Since they ran out of their usual fish, it was swapped with stingray, which didn’t match well because the fish was a tad overdone. 

The menu also features other goodies, like Deep-Fried Silver Silago Fillet, baby pomfret and the rarely seen pan-fried tongue fish. 

The tongue fish, a flat fish, is prized for its fine flesh. 

Although it may be listed on the menu, it is currently unavailable because supply is limited due to the scarcity of this fish that lives in soft mud.  

Teo Chew Yam Paste has two flavours: one with sweet pumpkin and another with purple sweet potato, which can be purchased frozen to take home.

Deep Fried Silver Silago Fillet (RM35) was the other pick; it is deboned ikan bulus deep-fried with a light, crunchy crust served with chilli sauce. 

Another rarely seen item is their baby lala clams, as most places serve flower clams or the thicker subak clams. 

These Stir Fried Mini Lala (RM15) have paper thin shells and taste sweet, requiring minimal seasoning like garlic, spring onions and chillies. 

Patience is much needed to enjoy these clams, as they’re fiddly compared to the larger shells. 

Some Teochew dishes require pre-ordering as they are made upon order and time to cook ike their Teochew braised duck and braised pork trotters. 

It feels like a family kitchen where prep work for their dishes is done at the tables.

Don’t miss their homemade Teochew kuih which the family’s matriarch makes in small batches.

Regulars know to walk in to pick up the hand crafted kuih.  

Traditional peach shaped Png Kuih or Glutinous Rice Cake (RM3.50 per piece) is stuffed with glutinous rice filling perfumed with shiitake mushrooms and dried shrimps. 

Cai Kueh (RM1.80 per piece, minimum order of 3 pieces) is generously stuffed with finely chopped shrimp meat, cabbage, carrot, dry tofu, long beans and yam bean. 

The kuih are made from Tuesday to Saturday. Usually they’re available from lunchtime, except on Tuesday when they are ready around 4pm since the restaurant is closed on Monday. 

Or Nee (Teochew Yam Paste) can also be bought here frozen for RM8 and steamed at home. Or if you don’t mind waiting 20 minutes, the restaurant can steam it for you.  

It’s paired with sweet pumpkin or sweet potato. 

The restaurant is a few doors from Restoran Ah Pei Char Siu.

Restoran New Teo Chew

48, Jalan SS22/25, 

Damansara Jaya, Petaling Jaya.

Open 9am to 3pm, and 5pm to 8:30pm. Closed on Mondays. 

Tel: 012-6776809

Facebook: @newteochewbkt

Instagram: @newteochewbkt

*This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.

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