Malaysia
Singapore
Thailand
Yet another journey to the West and this time, it’s for the neighbourhood favourite Ah Kee Beef Noodle. It’s tucked in the most unassuming coffeeshop in Choa Chu Kang with a signboard that’s admittedly a little outdated. I chanced upon their stall thanks to their Facebook presence and was very heartened by their efforts to spread awareness.
Fueled by his passion to cook, Ah Kee decided to start his humble hawker stall right in the middle of ‘Circuit Breaker’ in June 2020. He modifies his version based on traditional Hainanese recipes, with no preservatives.
The estate is more mature, so there were quite a few elderly folks relaxing around. As I stood in front of the stall, a kind lady reassured me that Ah Kee’s beef noodle is a must-try. Can’t go from with a stamp of approval from a Westie herself, right?
What I tried
One look at their All-in Bowl (Dry) (S$7) and you’ll be hooked right away. When it comes to beef noodles, there’s really no escaping its seemingly dull facade. Many would not label it Insta-worthy but boy is this dish is one that’s deceiving. Warning: it’s about to get messy!
Just as its name suggests, the All-in Bowl comes with brisket, beef meatballs, beef slices, tripe, and tendon. All their dry beef noodles come with a bowl of soup too. If you’re a fan of mixed parts, this is for you. Otherwise, the regular Dry Beef Noodle (S$4) that comes with beef slices only, will suffice.
For me, the brisket and tendon were to-die-for. The brisket chunks were beautifully tender and held so much flavour. I assume it’s from the long hours of preparation in the morning before operations begin.
Regardless, I would request a custom bowl of beef brisket, tendon, noodles, and a generous portion of gravy. Ugh, it was that good.
The dark gravy holds herbal notes, all thanks to what I believe is five-spice seasoning, which makes this bowl a comforting one to have when the cravings kick in. The gravy’s viscosity was pleasing and proved to be utterly delicious. Its herbal notes lingered from the semi-sweet gravy, reeling you in for another bite.
Don’t forget to add some of their chilli; for spicy food lovers, this packs a punch in every bite.
Next up was the Basic Bowl (S$4.50)—a less extravagant bowl as compared to the All-in Bowl. For this, I opted for the soup version.
I was pretty impressed by how earthy the soup was. There were herbal and mildly peppery flavours, which I fancied. Plus, it wasn’t overly rich, which will make this bowl a comforting one to tuck into on a rainy day.
As for the final component—and one I was very excited about—beef meatballs! My family has always been particular about this specific element within any beef noodle bowl. Thankfully, Ah Kee lived up to expectations with his own rendition. It wasn’t too chewy or meaty and had a nice, firm bite.
Let’s say if I had to choose between the dry and the soup version, I’d opt for dry. It comes with a bowl of soup on the side, so really, you get the best of both worlds.
Final thoughts
Reminiscent of Taiwanese beef noodles, Ah Kee’s bowls are made with love and is one worth travelling to the far West for. This is perhaps one of the best beef noodles that have aced both the dry and soup version. I’d say, it’s not too far from Blanco Court Beef Noodle which I’m personally a fan of.
Expected damage: S$4 – S$7 per pax
Other articles you might like:
Nice Rice, French Rd: Hidden hawker gem has a S$10.80 steak bowl — and it’s worth every cent
2280 Burger, Henderson Rd: “The winning element of this humble stack lies in the patty”
