Hainanese Beef Noodles with handmade beef balls & la mian served in 16-hour broth

Not too way back, I wrote concerning the opening of Tok Tok Beef Soup at Asia Square Food Garden within the CBD district. They supply la mian and ban mian choices for his or her bowls of Hainanese beef noodles versus the standard kway teow or thick bee hoon variations that we’re accustomed to.

As I approached the huge environment encircling the Asia Square Towers, I felt slightly misplaced carrying my casuals amongst the ocean of individuals decked out of their formal workplace put on.

I used to be in awe of the aesthetics of the meals courtroom.It was encased in large floor-to-ceiling glass home windows positioned on the second flooring— an atas-looking place, for certain!

I noticed Tok Tok Beef Soup, which was housed in the midst of different hawker stalls that have been promoting different delights like yong tau foo, and Pepper Lunch.

What I attempted at Tok Tok Beef Soup

I had a selection between plain rice, kway teow, handmade la mian and ban mian.

I ordered the Ultimate Bowl (S$16.90), which got here with beef slices, items of brief rib,  tendons, beef cheek chunks, a few handmade beef balls, nai bai, coriander sprigs, and my selection of la mian.

At Tok Tok Beef Soup, they’ve 2 totally different units. I opted for Set B (+S$3.50), which got here with a drink and a selection between 3 totally different aspect dishes. I chosen pink lychee lemonade and a pair of rooster teriyaki skewers to finish my meal.

My hopes have been slightly dampened once I slurped the handmade la mian. It was barely overcooked and too gentle for my liking. Did I journey all the way in which to the CBD space for nothing?

I made a decision to not be judgmental at such an early stage, and carried on. The beef cheek items have been sliced thickly, and gave off the impression that they have been robust. But as quickly as I popped them into my mouth, they melted like liquid butter— they have been braised to tender perfection!

The home made beef balls have been contemporary and had a pleasing peppery infusion which didn’t overwhelm me. One chunk and I may style the efforts put in by the cooks who made them by hand individually.

The use of nai bai as an alternative of the standard xiao bai cai or choy sum usually discovered at different hawker stalls was a breath of contemporary air.

As I ate the bowl of noodles, I found mini ivory-coloured items of braised tendons which disintegrated instantaneously in my mouth. They acted like tiny Kinder surprises, including a touch of pleasure to every monotonous chunk I took.

The broth used over right here isn’t the everyday thick gooey gravy that you simply’ll discover at different Hainanese beef noodle institutions. According to the proprietor, the soup is boiled and slowly simmered for 16 hours earlier than going via a filtration course of which causes it to supply a glistening sheen.

The outcome: a sturdy beefy infusion with an ideal steadiness of flavours. In my opinion, this was the gold normal of a beef broth. It ought to be adopted by different cooks who cook dinner the identical dish.

I moved on to the Sliced Beef (S$10.90), which got here with beef slices, braised tendons, nai bai, sprigs of coriander and my choice of ban mian. I settled for Set A (+S$2), which got here with my chosen drink, lemonade.

The home made ban mian jogged my memory of a fatter model of linguine. It  was barely overdone as soon as once more— a barely extra al dente chunk would’ve gotten my approval.

The beef slices have been sliced extraordinarily skinny, resembling these served at hotpot joints. A magical second occurred once I dipped them into the coolness.

It possessed uplifting hints of calamansi which gave a refined burst of citrus flavours,  progressively easing as much as my style buds with out stunning them like vinegar would. The zing helped reduce down the richness of the meat noodles, permitting me to have extra with out feeling surfeited.

Due to the absence of the brief ribs and beef cheek, the broth for the Sliced Beef wasn’t as oily as that of the Ultimate Bowl.

Final ideas

Although Tok Tok Beef Noodle’s value vary shouldn’t be precisely the most cost effective round, the standard of the broth and the general tenderness of the varied beef components justified the price for me. It’s actually difficult for me to discover a good bowl of beef noodles in Singapore.

Expected injury: S$10.90 – S$20.40 per pax

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Hai Nan Xing Zhou Beef Noodle: Michelin-recognised Hainanese beef noodles from $5 at Toa Payoh