We tried Singapore’s best-rated beef noodles

So far for my best-rated series, I haven’t really found a place that truly deserves its rating. Will visiting the best-rated beef noodle stall blow me away? With hope in my heart, I invited 2 happy companions to join me for the review: my parents.

They are fans of beef noodles, particularly the Hainanese-style variety. Growing up, I visited Hock Lam Beef Noodles quite frequently. I also patronised Scotts Picnic Food Court, which used to be in the basement of the now-defunct Scotts Shopping Centre (presently Scotts Square) where Odeon Beef Noodles was located.

While doing some research, I was genuinely surprised that Odeon Beef Noodles has rebranded themselves as Hwa Heng Beef Noodles— it looks like I’ve been living under a rock. 

The stall located at Bendemeer Market & Food Centre has obtained a total of 246 reviews and received 4.6 stars out of 5 on Google reviews (at time of writing).

It was my first visit to this hawker centre and Hwa Heng Beef Noodles had just turned their lights on at 10am sharp. I spotted 4 ladies manning the stall and 2 of them beckoned me to come forward to get a queue number (no. 23).

One of them advised, “Expect about a 45-minute wait; you can go enjoy other dishes and return later.”

After 30 minutes, a long queue had formed. I joined it, but it took me a further 50 minutes to reach my turn. I got scolded by the aunty for not presenting my queue number earlier. Turns out, I had VIP access with the number, and I didn’t need to join the line. How silly of me, right?

She exclaimed, “Number 23! I was calling and looking for you!” Well, now I know what to do for next time (note for fellow first-timers).

What I tried at Hwa Heng Beef Noodles

To savour every item from the stall, I opted for the Mixed Beef Noodles W/ Tendon (S$6.50). The bowl arrived with a rich, dark gravy concealing its goodies beneath. A beef ball emerged on one side, alongside beef slices, a stack of tau geh, Chinese celery and topped with a single calamansi. A hidden mystery awaited below, ready for me to uncover.

With my spoon in hand, I ventured to taste the viscous-looking gravy first. It glided smoothly on my tongue, exhibiting a harmonious balance of flavours, offering subtle notes of beef that neither overwhelmed nor left a lacklustre impression.

Ah, as always… the customary ritual of squeezing the calamansi to infuse the vibrant citrus and floral notes into your noodle bowl. And yes, don’t forget to deftly pluck out those seeds with your chopsticks after that, no matter how annoying they can be.

As I tossed the thick bee hoon, it revealed a treasure trove of delights: beef tendon, stomach, slices of shank, beef balls and beef slices. Each strand of noodle and every ingredient glistened, enveloped in a luscious, deep-brown coat of gravy.

Fu Quan Mixed Vegetables Rice: “Please don’t feature me!” What’s this hawker hiding?

As I slurped up the noodles, my eyebrows arched and my eyes widened in an instant. After savouring countless bowls of beef noodles over the years, this was a nostalgic taste, reminiscent of the very flavour that ignited my childhood love for this dish.

The beef slices were tender and required no effort to chew while the beef shank pieces crumbled easily in my mouth.

The beef balls looked massive before I took the plunge. “What the hell?” I thought to myself. It was intensively beefy with a multi-dimensional taste.

Picture an abundance of beef and its rich essence, densely packed and compressed into a ball. I’m boldly declaring that this beef ball has earned a spot in my personal top 3 favourites.

Dunking it into the chilli took it up a notch with acidic notes and a hint of spice.

That being said, I wasn’t a fan of their cinchalok. It came in a paste-like form, and there weren’t any tangy notes to it, just the slight umami-ness coming from the fermented shrimps.

The small bowl of beef broth at the side had good flavour and served as a great palate cleanser. Visually, it featured a distinct golden layer at the top half, reminiscent of consommé, while the sediments gracefully settled below.

I then moved on to the next dish, the Mixed Beef Noodles W/ Tendon Soup (S$6.50). I requested to switch the thick bee hoon to kway teow instead. Unlike the dry version, the golden translucent broth allowed me to see all the ingredients inside.

The velvety kway teow strands grabbed the bean sprouts and the chopped Chinese celery along for the ride in my mouth, injecting elements of crunch and pungent, herbaceous flavours.

The slices of tripe were soft and didn’t have any unpleasant smells. However, the star of the bowl was the tendons. They were astonishingly silky, dissolving in my mouth like cotton candy. I couldn’t help but wonder, “How long were these yummy morsels braised for?”

Allow me to offer a valuable piece of advice. I wholeheartedly recommend sticking with thick bee hoon when opting for the soup version.

While I relished the petite side bowl of broth earlier on, I found that the flavour of the soup was somewhat subdued by the presence of kway teow. It also overshadowed the beefy intensity which I had previously experienced.

Final thoughts

For the first time ever in my best-rated series, I have stumbled upon an establishment that merits its top Google rating. The execution of the beef components was impeccable, and the gravy was truly divine. What’s not to love about it?

Visit them for the dry version and arrive early to avoid disappointment. Oh before I forget, don’t be silly like me and join the line when you’re given the queue number.

Expected damage: S$5.50 – S$7.50 per pax

J & J Special Beef Noodle: 73-year-old uncle serving braised beef noodles & wagyu beef rice for past 15 years