Hwa Heng (Odeon) Beef Noodle
Famous Scotts Square Beef Noodle Stall Now At Jalan Besar
Hwa Heng Beef Noodle is something of a foodie legend. The stall has been operating since 1948, and with its origins as a street hawker stall selling Hainanese beef noodles next to the old Odeon Theatre. Three generations of the founding family have taken over the reins at Hwa Heng, but their signature recipes still remain the same.
Beef noodle fans will surely know of Hwa Heng Beef Noodle, a stall that spent over 30 years on Orchard Road, including a longstanding stall at Scotts Square’s Picnic Food Court, and ION Orchard’s Food Opera. They’ve since quietly made a comeback at Jalan Besar‘s Earnest Restaurant, a 24/7 kopitiam located next to the Jalan Besar Sports Centre.
At the Jalan Besar outlet, you can get your beef noodles either dry or with soup. A bowl starts at $6 for sliced beef, or with just beef balls. If you’d like both beef balls and slices, a bowl will set you back $9. If you’re ideal bowl comes with tendon, then be prepared to fork out $12. Beef stomach is also available as an add-on.
Hwa Heng (Odeon) Beef Noodles – famous stall with over 70 years of legacy moves to Jalan Besar
Hwa Heng Beef Noodles, previously known as Odeon Beef Noodles, definitely stole the hearts of many Singaporeans. Their legacy dates back to 1948 and continues to live on, at Jalan Besar, Earnest Coffeeshop, serving up comforting bowls of beef noodles, just like in the 70s.
The iconic Hainanese Odeon Beef Noodles was previously located opposite the defunct Odeon Theatre, which closed down in 1984. After the closure, the sticky beef noodles was found at Scott’s Far East food court. Afterwards, that food court closed down as well, and the quest to find these hearty bowls of noodles began. In more recent years, those who are familiar with Hwa Heng Beef Noodles would probably have chanced upon it at ION Orchard’s Food Opera, or at Bendemeer Food Centre. The 2nd generation owners of the stall had separated to open their own stores in vastly different environments— one located in a mall while the other in a hawker centre.
Now, the Jalan Besar outlet is passed down to the 3rd generation owners, allowing the legacy of their family recipe to live on. The new outlet is open till 2am, so you’ll be able to get a delicious bowl even for supper! The quest of finding Hwa Heng Beef Noodles has been a long one. And I’m so in awe that the family decided to carry on their legacy and affect the lives of Singaporeans with the food they create. This is a bowl that wins the hearts of many!
Odeon Beef Noodles – famous stall with over 70 years of legacy
Hwa Heng Beef Noodles, previously known as Odeon Beef Noodles, definitely stole the hearts of many Singaporeans. Their legacy dates back to 1948 and continues to live on, at Jalan Besar, Earnest Coffeeshop, serving up comforting bowls of beef noodles, just like in the 70s.
The iconic Hainanese Odeon Beef Noodles was previously located opposite the defunct Odeon Theatre, which closed down in 1984. After the closure, the sticky beef noodles was found at Scott’s Far East food court. Afterwards, that food court closed down as well, and the quest to find these hearty bowls of noodles began.
In more recent years, those who are familiar with Hwa Heng Beef Noodles would probably have chanced upon it at ION Orchard’s Food Opera, or at Bendemeer Food Centre. The 2nd generation owners of the stall had separated to open their own stores in vastly different environments— one located in a mall while the other in a hawker centre. Now, the Jalan Besar outlet is passed down to the 3rd generation owners, allowing the legacy of their family recipe to live on.
Taste Of The Good-Old Odeon Beef Kway Teow
Not sure if you are in the generation that would remember the good-old Odeon Beef Kway Teow opposite the old Odeon Theatre at North Bridge Road. The first time I tried this brand of Beef Noodles was at the now-defunct Scotts Picnic Food Court. In fact, it probably one of those Hainanese Beef Noodles I fondly remember till now. My mum would bring me that after shopping at CK Tang, and we would share a bowl of that gooey goodness. Wonderful memories.
While the original name with “Odeon Beef Kway Teow” cannot be used anymore, you can still find that nostalgic taste at Bendemeer Market & Food Centre near Boon Keng (not in Toa Payoh just in case.) However, the opening hours of “Toa Payoh · Hwa Heng Beef Noodles” is only from 10am to 2:30pm from Wednesdays to Saturdays. And I have been there a couple of Saturdays to try my luck, but the stall was never opened.
I must have been there about 6 to 7 times, and got fortunate one random weekday (like, finally). Even though I went slightly off-peak lunch hours, there was a long line that took about close to an hour to clear. On the menu are Beef Noodles ($5.00) in soup or dry versions; while you can pick combinations with beef balls, mixed beef with or without tendon, or tendon noodles. That bolt of nostalgia just hit me when I had my first mouthful of that smooth and sticky gravy over the strands of thick vermicelli.
ODEON BEEF NOODLES – Hwa Heng Beef Noodles
Some of you may be old enough to remember Odeon, which was the most iconic movie theatre in Singapore in the 70s and 80s, alongside Capitol theatre, which still exists today. So what you would do then in those days when I was a wee school boy is that you spritz yourself liberally with Jovan Musk, and then you hang out at Bras Basah road area, hoping to meet the blue pinafore brigade school girls from CHIJ (Covent of the Holy Infant Jesus).
While waiting for dusk to fall to catch a movie at iconic Odeon, one needs to eat a late lunch and there is nothing more compelling than burying your face into a bowl of black sticky beef noodles at a stall opposite to Odeon theatre. Welcome to Hwa Heng Beef Noodles. This stall was run by two brothers at a stall opposite the theatre. Later on in life, it was relocated and the two brothers set up a stall at the basement of Scott’s Far East food court where it continued to attract a loyal flock of die hard customers determined to savour it’s goodness, and relive their teenage dating nostalgia.
I lost track of this stall for the next 20 years after it relocated from its Scott’s location. I am given to understand that the older brother now runs a stall at the foodcourt in Food Republic Ion Orchard known as Scott’s Hwa Heng Beef Noodles. The younger brother, however, went the hawker centre route and had a stall know as Toa Payoh Hwa Heng Beef Noodles.
Blanco Court Traditional Beef Noodles has been open since 1979
Many Asian cultures have their own rendition of beef noodles. In Singapore, we’re lucky to have exposure to a little bit of everything, from Taiwanese beef la mian to Vietnamese pho, but Hainanese beef noodles have always been the one closest to heart and home. There are many hawker stalls and restaurants around the city serving this delicacy, though few have withstood the test of time like Blanco Court Beef Noodles.
The eatery has been around since 1979, and no, it isn’t related to the equally famous Blanco Court Prawn Mee except for the fact that they were both once located in the now-defunct Blanco Court hawker centre way back when. They began as a humble stall, but have since expanded to open multiple branches islandwide, from Aperia Mall to Westgate. The brand is currently still run by the third generation of the founding family.
As with most joints, you get to choose between having your order served dry or with soup when dining at Blanco Court Beef Noodles. The former features a starchy gravy that’s the result of boiling down beef bones, spruced up with spices and soya sauces, both dark and light. The gooey sauce here coats each strand of thick bee hoon just right, so every bite is as slurpable as it gets. The latter is a beef broth enriched with aromatics, including ginger, cinnamon, star anise, and clove. This is definitely lighter than the gravy, but comforting—a great pick for rainy days.
Hai Nan Xing Zhou Beef Noodle
Hai Nan Xing Zhou Beef Noodle - dry beef noodles
With close to 70 years of history, Hai Nan Xing Zhou Beef Noodle certainly deserves its newly minted spot in the Michelin Bib Gourmand. This humble yet well-loved hawker stall can be found in Kim Keat Palm Market & Food Centre in Toa Payoh, dishing out bowls of old-school Hainanese beef noodles from just S$5!
Hai Nan Xing Zhou Beef Noodle first started out in Cuppage Centre and moved to Toa Payoh in the late 1990s. It specialises in one thing: beef noodles. You can get it in both dry and soup variations, and the price will depend on which combination of toppings (beef balls, sliced beef, beef stomach, beef tendon) you’d like to go for.
In a bid to beat the lunchtime queue, I visited Hai Nan Xing Zhou Beef Noodle on a sunny weekday morning, with the intention of having a bowl of its famed beef noodles for breakfast. Yet, despite reaching at 10am, there was already a short queue in front of me! Regardless, I waited patiently in line. The queue moved slowly as there was only one elderly uncle manning the stove, while there were several stall attendants assisting with taking orders.
Slurp up the best beef noodles in Singapore at these places
Much like satay bee hoon, beef noodles are one of those ugly, messy yet delicious dishes.
Available in dry or soup versions, beef noodles come from many parts of Chinese cuisine, ranging from the dark, slurpy Hainanese style to spiced Lanzhou and Northwestern Chinese styles.
Keep scrolling to find out where to get the best beef noodles in Singapore:
- LeNu
- Blanco Court Beef Noodles
- Yi Zun Noodle
- Tongue Tip Lanzhou Beef Noodles
- Hong Kee Beef Noodle
- Hock Lam street popular beef kway teow
- Zheng Yi Hainanese beef noodles
- Toa Payoh Hwa Heng beef noodles
- Hai Nan Xing Zhou beef noodle
- J & J Special Beef Noodle
7 best Hainanese beef noodles in Singapore
What comes to mind when the words “beef noodles” are mentioned? While our Vietnamese friends might conjure up a bowl of pho in their heads, and others might think of some sort of stir-fry, Singaporeans will beg to differ.
For us, beef noodles refer to thick rice vermicelli (bee hoon) that’s been blanketed in a dark, unappealing bowl of gravy, before being topped with coriander and peanuts, and served with a bowl of cloudy soup on the side. Give it a good mix and you’ll find beef slices and beef balls, or even tendon and tripe for the adventurous diner within.
Not up for a heavy meal with noodles and thick gravy? Don’t fret. All of our favourite locales in Singapore also have a soup version of these hearty beef noodles that come doused in a savoury-sweet broth that’ll hit the spot every time. Where to find the best Hainanese beef noodles in Singapore:
- Hwa Heng Beef Noodles
- Hai Nan Xing Zhou Beef Noodle
- Hong Kee Beef Noodle
- Kheng Fatt Hainanese Beef Noodles
- Blanco Court Beef Noodles
- Zheng Yi Hainanese Beef Noodles
- Authentic Hock Lam Street Popular Beef Kway Teow
8 Best Beef Noodles In Singapore Worth Queuing Up For
While there are many kinds of beef noodles out there, Singapore beef noodles has earned a special place in our hearts with their tasty rice noodles, tender beef slices, and fresh veggies on the side. From the plethora of options to choose from, we’ve listed the top eight beef noodles in Singapore that are worth visiting on your precious lunch hour:
- Hai Nan Xing Zhou Beef Noodle
- Authentic Hock Lam Street Popular Beef Kway Teow
- Kim Huat Teochew Beef Noodles
- Restaurant Aisyah
- Hongkong Beef King
- Thaksin Beef Noodle
- Blanco Court Beef Noodles
- China Square Hainan Famous Beef Bee Hoon
10 Best Beef Noodles In Singapore Including Both Dry & Soup Versions
Whether it’s with soup or served dry, a bowl of beef noodles is always comforting with tender slices of beef and fresh veggies on the side. While many flock to Taiwan for this hearty dish, Singapore is home to pretty decent and delicious versions that will satisfy any of your cravings.
Here are 10 best beef noodle dishes in Singapore and where to find them, and you’ll be happy to know that we’ve included both dry and soup variations in this list:
- Joo Chiat Beef King
- Hong Heng Beef Noodle
- Blanco Court Hainanese Beef Noodles
- Yi Zun Noodles
- Kheng Fatt Hainanese Beef Noodles
- Hwa Heng Beef Noodles
- Hai Nan Xing Zhou Beef Noodles
- J & J Special Beef Noodle
- Zheng Yi Hainanese Beef Noodles
- The Beef Station
Hock Lam Street & Odeon Beef Kway Teow
Hock Lam Street Beef Kway Teow: Traditional Teochew Recipe since 1911
My Beef Kway Teow list would be incomplete without the inclusion of this famous stall which has been around for almost a century. Hock Lam Street is famous not only for its traditional Teochew Beef Kway Teow recipe, lately it has also become well known for having the most agreeable looking Beef Kway Teow Stall vendor in Singapore (As far as I know).
When you venture into the stall, you are greeted by a young lady whom you think could be wearing a Sarong Kabaya. When starts speaking, you’d probably wonder why she’s not wearing a Citibank uniform instead. The fact of the matter is this fourth generation Beef Kway Teow vendor just happens to be an Australian Degree Holder to gave up her $10K bank job to take over the family business! So you can actually buy a bowl of Beef Kway Teow and talk about the BULL market at the same time!
Tina is adament that the receipe be preserved in its original Teochew form, so it comes with salted vegetables and plenty of ground nuts and WITHOUT the familiar Chinchaluk (shrimp sauce). The sliced beef was nice and very tender. Tina tells us that all the beef is still sliced by hand and no tenderizer is used. The stewed beef and tripe were both very good. The beef balls were nice but they no longer make it themselves. I felt the sauce could be more Shiok, but Teochew food tends to emphasize more on the freshness of the ingredients, so Teochew sauces tend to be a little more bland when compared to the other dialect groups, Definitely one of Singapore’s heritage hawkers and one cannot discuss Beef Kway Teow without including this famous Zhao Pai (Signboard). I am glad that Tina is ensuring that future generations will still get to savor their age-old recipe.
