Restoran Weng Heong 永香肉骨茶

Notice: This is a non-halal post... hahahaha...

Karma will probably get to me at the end because of how much pork I have consumed this lifetime. I have had friends ask me what I would eat if tomorrow was D-Day and immediately I would exclaim, "Bak kut teh!"

There have been instances when I would organise bak kut teh outings and not to just any place, they would be to the bak kut teh capital of Malaysia, Klang. Klang is not only known as a port town but it also for bak kut teh. 

Many KLites and Selangorians purposely make trips to Klang for this dish and everyone would have their personal favourite restaurant. My personal favourite is Restoran Weng Heong in Taman Intan.

No meal of bak kut teh is complete without Chinese tea, bird's eye chilli (lots of 'em) and fried dough fritters.

We ordered both the dry and wet versions of this popular Hokkien dish cooked in a claypot. Generally, I am more a normal wet version person, as I love-to-death a good bak kut teh soup base.

The Klang-style soup base is thick, hearty and rich in flavour.  And when you have bak kut teh with us, it will be a claypotful of everything - lean meat, innards, pork belly, feet, beancurd puffs and iceberg lettuce leaves.

However, lots of water should be consumed after a bak kut teh meal, as the soup base is quite heaty from all the Chinese herbs mixed in it. Oh, actually, that's what the Chinese tea is for. ;)

Restoran Weng Heong 永香肉骨茶
28 & 30 Jalan Batai Laut 5, Kawasan 16, Taman Intan, 41300 Klang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
Mob: +60 12 382 4408 

Bai Tian Gong

Bai Tian Gong (拜天公) literally means praying to the Heavenly Grandfather. After some research only did I find out that actually the Heavenly Grandfather refers to the Jade Emperor (玉皇). In Chinese folk culture, the Jade Emperor is the ruler of Heaven and all realms of existence below including that of Man and Hell. He is one of the most important gods in the traditional Chinese religion pantheon. However, in actual Taoism, the Jade Emperor governs all of the mortals' realms and below but ranks below the Three Pure Ones.

The worship of the Jade Emperor, or bai tian gong takes place at the strike of midnight of the 9th day of the Chinese New Year. Mainly practiced by Hokkiens, there are two legends that relate to the origins of this practice, one of which I am more familiar with.

During the Ming Dynasty, the coastlines of China were often raided by Wokou or Japanese pirates. There was one Chinese New Year when the Wokou plundered the coastal region of Fujian. As the villagers ran for their lives, they prayed to Tian Gong for protection and came across a field of sugarcanes, where they hid. After the Wokou left, the villagers returned to their homes. This day was the 9th day of the Lunar New Year and since then, the Hokkiens offered prayers of thanks to Tian Gong on this day of the Chinese New Year.

This year, for the first time in my life, I joined in to bai tian gong. I did not realise that it was such a big deal for the Hokkiens.

The whole of OUG was in war, a war of fireworks and a war of whose offerings were more elaborate.

Normally, there would be offerings of roasted pig, duck, fruits, incense, mock gold paper and such. This year, the Kohs decided to go vegetarian.

Sugarcane stalks tied together with red ribbons or paper strips are always included as remembrance of the protection provided by the sugarcanes.

At the end of the prayers, the mock gold and elaborate mock mansion are burnt to be 'sent' to Tian Gong.