Ban Lee Bak Kut Teh @ Jalan Ipoh, KL

Ban Lee is one of the two popular Bak Kut Teh restaurants (the other being Leng Kee) along Jalan Ipoh that are always crowded during meal times.
We have always wanted to try it but the plan was always put off due to lack of parking space in the area. One day we decided to be determined to have our dinner there, come what may.

I am not sure what exactly are the differences but the Bak Kut Teh here is available in claypot and bowl servings. You are recommended to take the claypot for normal cuts and have the big and small bones (大骨 & 小骨) in bowl. Service is fast and efficient here and it did not take more than 5 minutes for us to be served although it was almost full house.
The first thing we noticed about the Bak Kut Teh was the darker, almost herbal tea like soup. Taste wise it was quite different from the rest too, as it was quite mellow with a strong herbal profile. In other words it might be bland to some but that was easily fixable by adding some soya sauce.

We were satisfied with the tenderness of the big bone’s meat. However, the pork ribs we had were quite chewy and didn’t taste as soft as they should’ve been. Since it was late, the ‘yao zhar guai’ was understandbly soft (plus it was raining too) but still quite enjoyable after being dipped into the soup.

Our dinner cost a total of RM41 which I think was slightly pricier than expected. Nevertheless it was a pleasant meal overall so we did not mind it at all. Even though the soup was kind of different from what we usually have, it was surprisingly very appetizing and we finished everything in a jiffy.
Besides Bak Kut Teh they also serve poached chicken that seem to be a hit as well with the customers. Their Sang Kuat BKT which requires early booking is said to be excellent too.

By the way, there seems to be a split of opinion among the customers. Some feel that the Bak Kut Teh tastes better in the morning/afternoon and I am keen to find that out myself.

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