KEY SUMMARY

In this assignment, we are required to choose 2 similar businesses at two

different locations. After several discussions and deep thought processes, we

agreed to interview on two famous Bah Kut The restaurants in Klang. Both of the

restaurants are located in Klang but at different locations. The first restaurant that

we chose is called Seng Huat Bah Kut The, which is also known as "Under the

Klang Bridge Bak Kut Teh", because of its close proximity to the Klang bridge and

is renown among Teluk Pulai. We chose Klang Lek Bah Kut Teh as our second

shop to be interviewed and is located at the housing estate of Teluk Pulai, Klang.

We then interviewed the owner in both shops to compare the differences between

both shops in terms of history, prices and services.

LOCATION

KLANG LEK BAK KUT TEH

ADDRESS: 27, Jalan Teluk Pulai, Kawasan 6, 41100 Klang, Selangor

Restoran Seng Huat Bak Kut Teh

ADDRESS: Jalan Besar, Kawasan 1, 41000 Klang, Selangor, Malaysia

RESEARCH

-QUESTIONS

Before the day we go to our location, we did our research about the questions for

the interview tomorrow. Below here, are the questions that we asked:-

1. When was the business founded?

2. Who are the key founders?

3. What prompted the founders to start this business?

4. What are the main dishes that you sell?

5. Who is your main customer and how old are they?

6. What is the business’ annual revenue figure?

7. How many branch offices/stores do you have (if applicable)?

8. Can you provide us a brief history of your business and its most recent development?

9. Do you have any competitions? Who are they? Who are your top 3 competitions?

10. What do you think differentiates your restaurant with the others in terms of taste and services?

11. Do you think it is easy to run this business and why?

12. What time do you wake up everyday to prepare the food?

-KLANG LEK BAK KUT TEH

Based on our research, we googled for Teluk Pulai Bak Kut Teh which is

also one of the famous restaurants in Klang. Usually, Bah Kut Teh in Klang

normally opens for during the breakfast and lunch hour. However, I found that this

“Meat Bone Tea” restaurant which so happen to be in the same row as the Teluk

Pulai Bak Kut Teh. It's located at Jalan Teluk Pulai and it opens from morning till

night.

During our interview, Mr. Oan Chee Kian told us about the history of his shop. In

the 70s, Oan Ah Lek started their modest Bah Kut Teh (which is called “meat

bone tea”) business in Teluk Pulai, Klang. It is one of the most popular dishes

served in Malaysia nowadays. The business flourished since then and the next

decade witnessed an increasing of venture into Bah Kut Teh business in Klang and

Port Klang. Thus, he also tells us there are about 600 more stalls/shops of Bah Kut

The in Klang & Port Klang itself. Competition is very intense in this business.

However Mr. Ah Lek is able to strive to be one of the best Bah Kut Teh in town. In

fact, the business was even featured in a few popular food books and magazines.

And today, this business has expanded and the second branch is located in Sentosa

Klang, handle by his elder daughter and her husband, while the main branch by his

son, Oan Chee Kian.

-RESTORANT SENG HUAT BAH KUT TEH

Based on our findings, Seng Huat Bak Kut Teh is also well known as one of

the restaurant which offers the best among the best Bak Kut Teh in Klang. It is

located quite near to the Klang KTM. So it is very convenient to walk from the

KTM station to the restaurant. The restaurant is also said to have 70 years of

history in Bak Kut Teh business and it is real long from their humblest beginning

since 1979, they have been delighted to serve their customers, friends, associates &

visitors from near & far, their authentic Klang, Bak Kut Teh.

The name of Bak Kut Teh literally translates as "Meat Bone Tea". Bak Kut Teh

consists of pork ribs simmered in a broth of soy sauce, Chinese herbs and spices

such as cinnamon, ginseng, star anise, wolfberry, Chinese foxglove and dried

orange peel for hours. Bak Kut Teh is usually eaten with rice or yam rice and this

restaurant also served either individual bowl of Bah Kut Teh with your preferred

cut of meat or the clay pot style which consists of meat, tofu, vegetables, bean curd

and mushrooms.

Seng Huat Bak Kut Teh is also popularly known amongst Klang folks as

"Under the Klang Bridge Bak Kut Teh", because of its close proximity to the

said bridge. They are passionate about Bak Kut Teh, and upholding its culinary

tradition. They love to meet people and make friends from all over the world.

METHODOLOGY

-HOW WE CONTACH THEM?

We surf their website.

http://www.klanglek.com/

http://www.senghuatbakkutteh.com

Then, we contacted them via the phone number they had provided on their website.

-HOW WE GO TO KLANG?

We went there by KTM and it was cheap and time saving. When we

arrived at the KTM station, we hired a taxi which brought us to the

restaurant and had our interview. After that interview, we walked to the

other Seng Huat Restaurant. Although it was very far away from Klang Lek

Bak Kut Teh which is about 1.3km away. After our interview, we went back

by KTM and it was really near from Seng Huat’s restaurant.

-HOW WE DO THE SURVEY AND INTERVIEW?

Before the day we go to Klang, we had done some research about “What

question do we usually ask during an interview (food).” We also prepared our

question and wrote it down in a piece before the day of the interview. After we

reached, we told the owner of the shop about the interview and we started

interviewing them. While some of us were jotting down the content, others were

busy recording down the whole process. Last but not least, the questioner.

Description of Bak Kut The History

Bak Kut Teh is a Chinese soup popularly served in Malaysia and

Singapore, where there is a predominant Hoklo and Teochew community, and also

in neighbouring areas like the Riau Islands and Southern Thailand. It is also

popularly thought to have originated in Klang.

The name literally translates as "meat bone tea", and at its simplest,

consists of different cuts of pork meat simmered in a herb based broth for hours.

Most shops will normally use pork ribs, but they are also known to include other

cuts of pork into the herbal broth as well. Despite its name, there is in fact no tea in

the dish itself; the name refers to a strong oolong Chinese tea which is usually

served alongside the soup in the belief that it dilutes or dissolves the copious

amount of fat consumed in this pork-laden dish. Other ingredients commonly

found in a bowl of Bak Kut Teh are mushrooms, fried tofu puffs, pieces of dried

tofu and iceberg lettuce. However, additional Chinese herbs may include ‘yu zhu’

and ‘ju zhi’ (buckthorn fruit), which give the soup a sweeter, slightly stronger

flavour. Light and dark soy sauce are also added to the soup during cooking, with

varying amounts depending on the variant - the Teochew’s version is lighter than

the Hokkien’s. The dish can be garnished with chopped coriander or green onions

and a sprinkling of fried shallots.

Bak Kut Teh is usually eaten with rice or yam rice, and often served

with chinese crullers (strips of fried dough) for dipping into the soup. Soy sauce

(usually light soy sauce, but dark soy sauce is also offered sometimes) is preferred

as a condiment, with which chopped chilli and minced garlic is taken together. The

meal is not complete without one or two vegetables dishes that are usually cooked

with oyster sauce and dried onions.

There are numerous variants of Bak Ku The with its cooking style

closely influenced by the prevailing Chinese enclave of a certain geographical

location. In Singapore, there are three types of Bak Kut Teh. First and foremost,the

most common variant is the Teochew style, which is light in colour but uses more

pepper and garlic in the soup. Besides, the Hoklo (Hokkien), who prefer saltier

food, use more soy sauce resulting in a darker soup. Third, the Cantonese, with a

soup-drinking culture, add medicinal herbs to create a stronger flavoured soup. In

Malaysia, a dry form of Bak Kut Teh has also recently become increasingly

popular within Malaysia, especially in Klang. Although called dry, the broth is in

fact reduced to a thick gravy, to which other ingredients such as wolfberries, dried

dates, dried chillies and dried squid are added. Unlike the original rib soup, the dry

version has a tangier, sharper taste and is more akin to a herbal stew than the

classical broth. It is often recommended locally in Malaysia as an excellent

hangover cure.

A less fatty variation of Bak Kut Teh made with chicken instead of

pork is called Chik Kut Teh. It also serves as a halal version of the dish catered to

Muslims, whose religion forbids them to consume pork.

Description of Business

Klang Lek Bak Kut Teh

Back in the 70s, Oan Ah Lek started a modest Bak Kut Teh

business in Teluk Pulai, Klang, a Chinese soup popularly served in Malaysia

nowadays. The business flourished since then and the next decade witnessed an

increasing of venture into Bak Kut Teh business in Klang and Port Klang, and

some say in certain areas in Malaysia. Thus, there is about more or less 600

stalls/shops of Bak Kut Teh in Klang & Port Klang itself. Competit ion is intense in

this business, however Ah Lek is able to strive to be one of the best Bak Kut The in

town. In fact, the business was even featured in a few popular food books and

magazines.

Today, the business has expanded and the second branch is located in

Sentosa Klang, handle by his elder daughter and her husband, while the main

branch by his son, Oan Chee Kian. Surprisingly, this 30 years old plus shop was

not as crowded nor as pretentious as the others. No waiting for tables, no rushing to

sip your cup of tea and certainly no problem with parking because this row of shop

facing Jalan Teluk Pulai, is located right in front of a residential area.

Klang Lek Bak Kut Teh serves the usual Bak Kut Teh in clay pots, or

in bowls, according to your preference. The huge yet tender chunks of meat were

greatly appreciated and the soup was tasty with a signature Klang Lek’s Bak Kut

Teh taste. This particular Bak Kut The restaurant shop is also famous with their

Bak Kut Teh served with freshly cut pig innards.

Seng Huat Bak Kut The

Seng Huat Bak Kut Teh or well known as "under the bridge Bak Kut

Teh", because of its close proximity to the Klang bridge, is one of the popular

restaurant in Klang serving Bak Kut Teh since 1979.The business has expanded

and the second branch is located at Kepong Utara while the main branch is handled

by John Lee, the third generation.

Bak Kut Teh consists of pork ribs simmered in a broth of soy sauce,

Chinese herbs and spices such as cinnamon, ginseng, star anise, wolfberries,

Chinese foxglove and dried orange peel for hours. Bak Kut Teh normally served

with rice and side dishes such as "yau char kwai" (golden-brown deep fried dough),

vegetables, tofu and fried tofu puffs. This restaurant served either individual bowl

of Bak Kut Teh with your preferred cut of meat or the clay pot style which consists

of meat, tofu, vegetables, bean curd and mushrooms.

At Seng Huat, the concept is slightly different. Entering the corner

shop lot right beside the pedestrian-cum-vehicles bridge, you won’t fail to notice 1)

the crowd, 2) the guy (or lady) chopping up a storm, picking on pieces after pieces

of meat, and serving them rapidly in bowls for consumption without the bells and

whistles of golden mushrooms, balls, innards and such.

Klang Lek Bak Kut Teh Seng Huat Bak Kut Teh

i.

Competitors

Fortunately there are a

dense of Bak Kut Teh

which is located 3.7 km

from Klang Lek Bak Kut

Teh.

Located 4.5km away,

there is another four

Bak Kut Teh Store.

ii. Brief

descriptions

of

competitors

1. Ah Her Bak Kut The

Strength

Shop is almost like

the usual food

courts, semi alfresco

with a zinc roof on

top, plenty of

electric fans, and no

walls.

Get to choose the

cut that you like,

there’s intestine, big

bone, small bone, 3

layer pork, stomach,

ribs, and more.

Full of intense herbal

flavor that is

somehow not

overpowering

1. Mo Sang Kor Bak Kut

Teh

Strength:

Famous for its

broth.

Never dilute their

broth with water.

Unadulterated,

authentic Bak Kut.

Weakness:

Stinginess in

providing extra

broth.

Weakness

Only get 1/3 bowl of

soup

Last bowl of Bak Kut

The will be sold out

before 8.30 p.m.

2. Ah Chee Bak Kut The

Strength

Thick flavour but not

as spicy as usual dry

bak kut the.

Offer fried stingray

as side dish.

2. Restaurant Kee

Heong

Strength:

has been

operating for over

30 years.

become a

childhood

memory for many

adults who live in

Klang.

loved for the

aromatic herbal

fragrance in its

Bak Kut Teh

broth.

3. Restaurant Weng

Heong

Strength:

Soup is prepared

in claypot

Signature dish is

the very

interesting Sea

Cucumber Bak Kut

Teh.

Sea cucumber is

deliciously springy

and chewy

Weakness:

the sea cucumber

alternative is

expensive.

4. Soon Seng Bak Ku

Teh

Strength

It uses portable

stove to keep the

soup warm.

Meat is tender

Wet gravy for rice

Weakness

Some meet were

overcooked

It is not dry

iii.

Competition

Strategies

1. Pricing

Price at around RM 15 to

RM25 per person which is

consider very cheap.

At around RM20 to

RM30 per person,

depending on the

customer appetite which

enough for some

people

5. Hok Lai Bak Kut Teh

Strength

Chinese crullers

(“Yau Char Kuai”)

is abundant.

Soup isn’t too

thick nor watery.

Served with

mushrooms

Meat is fresh

is quite reasonable.

2. Advertisment

Featured on internet,

blog, websites

Favourite choice

among the local

neighbourhood

Featured on

internet, blog,

websites

Featured on

newspapers and

Taiwan and local

TV programme

Renown among the

locals especially

Chinese

3. Signature Dish

It is famous of its pork

intestine which is chewy

and claimed to be a must-

try-food for the customer.

They also combine chicken

and pork meat in the

claypot to gives the

customer a brand new

taste.

Insists on preparing Bak

Kut The in the traditional

way which comprised of

meaty pork ribs long-

stewed with soy sauce,

spices, and Chinese

medicinal herbs. Some

of the herbs that go into

the dish are cinnamon,

ginseng, star anise, goji

berries, chinese foxglove

and dried orange peel.

4. Quality of Service

The owner is

extremely friendly as

he sits down with his

customer occasionally

to chit chat while

sipping tea with

them.

The owner pays full

attention in

preparing the Bak

Kut Teh to serve

the customer as

soon as possible.

iv.

Obstacles

faced by the

new

business

owner

Not many people are

willing to wake up at 5am

every morning to prepare

the soup and it requires a

lot of efforts to achieve the

taste that most of the

customers prefer.

New business owners

are faced with tight

competitions from the

restaurants around that

area and this in turns

forced new owners to

lower the price of their

food in order to attract

more customer. They

must also come out with

their own specialty in

order to compete with

the old stores.

The Summary of The Similarities between two restaurants

Klang Lek Bak Kut Teh

Similarities

Seng Huat Bak Kut Teh

Bak Kut Teh

Main Products Sell

Bak Kut Teh

5 employees, all of them are

part of the owner’s family

Workers

7 employees, mostly are

foreigners

Shortsighted

Future Plan

Shortsighted

One branch which is located

in Sentosa Klang, handle by his elder sister and her

husband.

Current Branches

One branch which is located

in Kepong Utara, Kuala Lumpur

The Summary of The Differences between two restaurants

Klang Lek Bak Kut Teh Differences Seng Huat Bak Kut Teh

Oan Ah Lek, the owner’s father started the Bak Kut Teh business in Teluk Pulai,

a Chinese soup popularly served in Malaysia

nowadays. Mr Oan first started this business in 1981 in Klang, and now they are

still remaining in Klang. Competition is intense in

this business because there is a lot of Bak Kut Teh shop in Klang, but Ah Lek is still

among the best Bak Kut Teh in Klang town.

Founder And History

The owner’s grandfather

was migrated from China to Malaysia and started doing

some small business. His father then started this Bak Kut Teh business since

1979. It is quite hard to start a business but after a few

years, they succeed and became famous, there are a lot of tv shows who

interviewed them.

Klang Lek Bak Kut Teh is

located in Klang. It is located beside the housing area.

Address:

Jalan Teluk Pulai, 41100 Klang, Selangor, Malaysia.

Locations

Seng Huat Bak Kut Teh is

located at Jalan Besar which is very near the Klang KTM Station.

Address:

Klang, No.9, Jalan Besar, 41000 Klang, Selangor Daru Ehsan, Malaysia.

Inner organ of the pork is the signature dishes of this shop, rice, vegetables, oil

sticks, Chinese tea.

Types of products sell

Pork Bak Kut Teh, rice with scallion, vegetables, oil sticks, Chinese tea and

deserts.

Whole day, 7.30am - 9pm Business hour Half day, 7.30am - 12.30pm, 5.30pm - 8.30pm

This shop is operated by his

own family. Two generations are currently operating the restaurant.

Business operation

Started by the owner’s

grandfather, currently only the owner and his wife are operating this business. The

staff are all hired.

About 150 customers on weekdays, fluctuating to 300 during holiday or weekends.

Number of customers

About 200 customers on weekdays, and up to 500 customers on weekends.

The locals and the neighborhood

Targeted Market The locals and tourists.

Featured in personal

internet blogs only.

Media

Featured in a lot of Tourist

Travel Handbook, internet blogs, newspaper articles and also tv show.

They tried to create new

dishes, such as ‘Fried Fish’ and also retain their own traditional dishes. However,

we also tasted and realized the difference in soup than

others because they use chicken and pork to cook the soup instead of just

pork.

Combating Competition

They only focus on their own traditional taste ad not

trying new taste. it is because the customers like

their traditional taste of Bak Kut Teh.

This shop has clean walls,

fans, relatively modern shop design and situated besides housing area.

Restaurant Layout and

Atmosphere This shop is slightly older

than the Klang Lek Bak Kut Teh, the wall is yellowish in color and the paint is fading

away.

Conclusion

According to the interview and some researches that we had done in these two Bak Kut

Teh shops, we can conclude that even though they are selling the same things, ‘ Bak

Kut Teh ’, but they are completely different in some ways. Both of them are famous to

the locals and featured online, but there are plenty of differences among each other. For

example, Seng Huat Bak Kut Teh is more homely, authentic and has older atmosphere.

However, Klang Lek Bak Kut Teh is more modern and cleaner compares to Heng Huat

Bak Kut Teh.

Besides, both of them are located in Klang but they are quite far from each. Seng

Huat Bak Kut Teh is very near to the Klang KTM Station as it only took us 2 minutes to

walk from the shop to the station, and this is the main reason why more tourists will visit

them. On the other hand, Klang Lek Bak Kut Teh will have more customers from the

neighborhood as it is located besides the housing area.

Moreover, the taste of Bak Kut The from these two shops has a lot of differences.

The soup of Seng Huat Bak Kut Teh uses pork, spices, cinnamon, dried orange peel

and some Chinese medical herbal ingredients to cook, which gives the taste of

traditional Bak Kut Teh, whereas the soup of Klang Lek Bak Kut Teh had been added

with chicken, which makes the taste totally different from Seng Huat Bak Kut Teh.

Furthermore, the way they deal with the competitors are different too. From the

information that we had gathered during the interview, Seng Huat Bak Kut Teh insisted

on serving their Bak Kut Teh in the traditional way, but they try to make other side

dishes too, such as a wide variety of puddings as the dessert. Meanwhile, Klang Lek

Bak Kut Teh had created new dishes for their menu to attract more customers. As there

was already more than 200 Bak Kut The shops in Klang Valley, there is no doubt that

they have to face with a tight competition.

In conclusion, even though both of them are selling Bak Kut Teh, but it is hard for

us to compare which is better in terms of the taste and which has more business

potential as both of them have their own strength and unique taste of soup which really

depends on the customers whether which taste do they prefer.

Recommendation

Based on our analysis of the two restaurants, KLANG LEK BAK KUT TEH and RESTAURANT SENG HUAT

BAH KUT TEH, we have proposed a few recommendations on improving the competitiveness of each

business.

A. KLANG LEK BAK KUT TEH

Current area of improvement

Recommendation

Restaurant hygiene

There are many flies in the restaurant. It's an open air restaurant so it's hard to get rid of the existing fleas,

but areas around the kitchen and dining area must be free from food debris and the bin lids must tightly

closed. Thus, while all the ingredients leave on the table must covered with a mesh food cover.

New coat of paint is needed

Restaurant owners should begin renovating the stall

as the exterior of the restaurant looks old and the colour of the signboard of the restaurant has faded so

it's hard to catch the attention of people when passing by. The facade of the restaurant should coated with bright color so it will easily catch people's attention to visit.

Limited dishes in the menu

Restaurant chef should introduce new recipes and dishes in the menu regularly, besides remaining the

original menu. It may attract the customers and bring more profit while increasing the popularity of the

restaurant.

B. RESTAURANT SENG HUAT BAH KUT TEH

Current Area of Improvement

Recommendation

Stuffy and cramped environment

Restaurant owner should expand their unit in order to provide more spaces and well-ventilated area to create a comfortable surrounding for customers. Besides, installing air-conditioning at the dining area is also recommended to provide a comfortable environment for meals.

Treatments to the employees

The employer is obliged to treat nicely to their employees.

Even though due to some of the poor employee performance, restaurant owner shouldn't scold them heavily even in front of

the customer. Employees should treat with respect and it's the company's obligation.

Short operating hours

Restaurant owner could consider extending the business operating hours instead of starting from the evening. Business may start from lunch hour as it's the peak hour in the town