My mom and i had been anticipating the opening of New Manlee Bak Kut Teh at Sembawang Shopping Centre for quite a few months and i was ecstatic when i heard from a friend that it's finally open for business!
Brought in by the same company that gave us Ajisen Ramen; the bak kut teh (BKT) brand co-existed physically with the ramen shop and even electronic order pad included dishes from both outlets which was a bit confusing.
I relied on the hard copy menu instead as reference and it didn't take me long to realise prices were indeed expensive! A single-person premium pork ribs BKT would set me back by S$12.90 and that's before government tax and service charge; rice wasn't even included in the price!
Nevertheless, we had been waiting for so long for it to be opened and it would be a pity to leave without trying. Furthermore, New Manlee prides itself on their black, Malaysian style herbal BKT that's "slow boiled using 20 over carefully selected herbs and spices".
Two portable stoves, one for each of us, were placed on our table and lighted up. I guess that's where the extra costing go to since it's additional fuel required to keep our soup boiling hot!
Fried beancurd skin, enoki mushrooms, button mushrooms, lettuce and premium pork ribs in a bowl of black herbal soup, the portion wasn't big but the saving grace was that soup was refillable. I was half expecting a charging component!
Soup tasted more like this traditional Chinese herbal tonic (十全大补汤) that mom would brew for us on yearly (or was it twice a year) on specific dates flagged on the Chinese lunar calendar; albeit with a sweeter touch. Mum can discern the subtle differences and commented that the familiar taste of danggui could have clouded my judgment.
The premium pork rib that continued to be steaming hot; as you can see, it was thoroughly soaked in the herbal broth, resulting in a darker shade even for the bone.
Meat was good and slid off the rib bone easily. The size didn't appear as humongous as in the case of Rong Hua Bak Kut Teh and for a meat eater, i will definitely welcome a larger piece.
Throughout the meal, the soup remained boiling hot due to the stove and this was deemed a plus point by my mom who loves her soup hot even though it also took a longer time to complete the meal.
Finally done! I read a few negative comments on their facebook page with regards to their service and would like to add based on my experience. Service was actually quite good at Sembawang Shopping Centre; the few ladies on duty were patient with my questions and i didn't even need to ask for them to refill the soup.
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Location
604, Sembawang Road, #02 -16/17/29/30,
Sembawang Shopping Centre
Singapore 758459
Map
As above.
Website
https://www.newmanlee.com.sg/
Pricing
Premium Pork Ribs BKT - S$12.90
Rice - S$1.20 a bowl
(subject to GST and Service Charge)