Bak Kut Teh

I am officially announcing my new Bistro Palooka category! I am starting a series of introductory cuisine from around the world! My first series will be Singaporean cuisine, which is where I am right now. Bak Kut Teh is a popular soupy comfort food served in Singapore, but also can be found in Malaysia, China and Taiwan. 

Wikipedia: The name literally translates as "meat bone tea", and, at its simplest, consists of meaty pork ribs simmered in a complex broth of herbs and spices (including star anise, cinnamon, cloves, dang gui, fennel seeds and garlic) for hours. However, additional ingredients may include offal, varieties of mushroom, choy sum, and pieces of dried tofu or fried tofu puffs. Additional Chinese herbs may include yu zhu (rhizome of Solomon's Seal) and ju zhi (buckthorn fruit), which give the soup a sweeter, slightly stronger flavor. Light and dark soy sauce are also added to the soup during cooking, with varying amounts depending on the variant. Garnishings include chopped coriander or green onions and a sprinkling of fried shallots.