In August 2017, I was in Tiong Bahru to search for some wall murals that were painted by Yip Yew Chong, a local artist who produced several great artworks both in Singapore and overseas. I did not know that Yip added another masterpiece, named "Bak Kut Teh", in Tiong Bahru a year later until recently.
"Bak Kut Teh" means "pork ribs soup" (肉骨茶) in Hokkien although there are various versions regarding the origin of that name. This traditional dish is very popular among Chinese locals and is well-known worldwide.
I found the "Bak Kut Teh" mural outside Tuan Yuan Bak Kut Teh (团缘肉骨茶), a restaurant selling pork ribs soup as its signature dish. Fortunately, the mural was located outside the restaurant, which was not opened for business yet since it was only 9:30am when I reached there.
As usual, Yip YC painted the mural to great details, emphasising pork ribs and garlics as the main ingredients. The mural also featured four workers consuming the traditional dish next to olden-day Singapore River.
After taking some photos of the mural, I continued to revisit the three murals near Tiong Bahru Market — to make sure they are still around — and had brunch there. I tried the bak kut teh opposite the "Bird Singing Corner" mural.
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