Johor Beef Noodles Selection

 

Beef noodles have a special place in my heart as the comfort food that is a "luxury" and associated with celebration and achievement. When I was about 13 or 14 years old in early 1970s Singapore, I worked as a construction worker during my school holidays. I was paid a princely SGD2 a day. At the workshop in Victoria Street where we fabricated windows to be mounted in buildings, there was a back lane beef kway teow stall. I have forgotten most of the details like the name of the stall, how much the noodles cost, and how exactly it tasted except that it was the traditional Hainanese type with that gooey beef gravy. But, the thing that I remember vividly was the deep satisfaction and happiness I felt knowing that I could enjoy the good things in life through my own effort. This feeling about beef noodles stayed with me ever since.

I have eaten at many of the beef noodles shops and stalls in Johor and here are the ones that I enjoyed the most.

The beef kway teow at Grand Beef Noodles Restaurant is quite different from the usual Hainanese beef kway teow. The sauce mixed into the kway teow is more like that sauce used in Teochew kway teow. Yet, the beef are done so well that customers who were initially skeptical as they expected that characteristic gooey gravy, were soon converted to Grand Beef Noodle's style. 

Ah Yong Beef Noodles is located at the exact spot where Ah Deng, JB's most famous beef kway teow stall used to be. Ah Yong operated from Ah Deng's spot since the latter retired in mid-2012. Ah Yong actually had to wallow in quiet business for about a year as customers used to Ah Deng's were initially slow in accepting Ah Yong's noodles. Now, through hard work and perseverance, Ah Yong's business has picked up and he has built up a following of loyal fans for his traditional Hainanese beef noodles.

Many of Johor's best beef noodles are run by elderly hawkers in their 70s or even 80s. One by the one, old style beef noodle stalls are closing as their elderly owners retire. Fortunately, some of the best old style Hainanese beef kway teow stalls are today reincarnated in contemporary style bistros by third generation owners. Yean Kee in Kluang run by the grandson of the founder is a Must Try for beef noodle lovers when in Kluang.

Tangkak Kuang Fei beef noodles serves a famous savoury herbal broth with chunks of nicely cooked tender succulent beef cubes, tripe and tendons. Only one style is served, with soup. But, it is definitely worth the short detour off the NSE (North South Highway) to enjoy this marvellous beef kway teow soup.

Tangkak also has Restoran Do Do Do that beef lovers all over Malaysia and even Singapore raved about. Strictly speaking, Do Do Do is not just a beef noodle shop as it does beef in a variety of innovative ways. My favourite is their steamed calf slices. Thin, super tender and smooth calf slices with a very mild bovine flavour. 

There are also other very good beef noodle shops in Johor that I have enjoyed.

Click on the picture above for the list of these favourite beef noodle stalls in Johor. Try them, as they may also suit your taste buds.

 

Beef noodles have a special place in my heart as the comfort food that is a "luxury" and associated with celebration and achievement. When I was about 13 or 14 years old in early 1970s Singapore, I worked as a construction worker during my school holidays. I was paid a princely SGD2 a day. At the workshop in Victoria Street where we fabricated windows to be mounted in buildings, there was a back lane beef kway teow stall. I have forgotten most of the details like the name of the stall, how much the noodles cost, and how exactly it tasted except that it was the traditional Hainanese type with that gooey beef gravy. But, the thing that I remember vividly was the deep satisfaction and happiness I felt knowing that I could enjoy the good things in life through my own effort. This feeling about beef noodles stayed with me ever since.

I have eaten at many of the beef noodles shops and stalls in Johor and here are the ones that I enjoyed the most.

The beef kway teow at Grand Beef Noodles Restaurant is quite different from the usual Hainanese beef kway teow. The sauce mixed into the kway teow is more like that sauce used in Teochew kway teow. Yet, the beef are done so well that customers who were initially skeptical as they expected that characteristic gooey gravy, were soon converted to Grand Beef Noodle's style. 

Ah Yong Beef Noodles is located at the exact spot where Ah Deng, JB's most famous beef kway teow stall used to be. Ah Yong operated from Ah Deng's spot since the latter retired in mid-2012. Ah Yong actually had to wallow in quiet business for about a year as customers used to Ah Deng's were initially slow in accepting Ah Yong's noodles. Now, through hard work and perseverance, Ah Yong's business has picked up and he has built up a following of loyal fans for his traditional Hainanese beef noodles.

Many of Johor's best beef noodles are run by elderly hawkers in their 70s or even 80s. One by the one, old style beef noodle stalls are closing as their elderly owners retire. Fortunately, some of the best old style Hainanese beef kway teow stalls are today reincarnated in contemporary style bistros by third generation owners. Yean Kee in Kluang run by the grandson of the founder is a Must Try for beef noodle lovers when in Kluang.

Tangkak Kuang Fei beef noodles serves a famous savoury herbal broth with chunks of nicely cooked tender succulent beef cubes, tripe and tendons. Only one style is served, with soup. But, it is definitely worth the short detour off the NSE (North South Highway) to enjoy this marvellous beef kway teow soup.

Tangkak also has Restoran Do Do Do that beef lovers all over Malaysia and even Singapore raved about. Strictly speaking, Do Do Do is not just a beef noodle shop as it does beef in a variety of innovative ways. My favourite is their steamed calf slices. Thin, super tender and smooth calf slices with a very mild bovine flavour. 

There are also other very good beef noodle shops in Johor that I have enjoyed.

Click on the picture above for the list of these favourite beef noodle stalls in Johor. Try them, as they may also suit your taste buds.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Beef Noodles at Grand Beef Restaurant 牛肉王之家 in Taman Melodies, Johor Bahru

  

 

Grand Beef Restaurant was mentioned a few times by Johor Yummy friend Melvin Wu. Melvin once said that the beef noodles here is one of JB's "best kept secrets". Indeed, Grand Beef Restaurant is tucked in a quiet corner of Taman Melody, yet it is just a stone's throw from the bustling KSL City Mall and Taman Century.

Today, I "finally" found my way to Grand Beef Restaurant. "Finally" was Ben Ting's comment when I posted about my lunch at Grand Beef Restaurant on Johor Kaki Facebook page.

The understated Grand Beef Restaurant obviously has many supporters online and also at the restaurant as I saw during lunch.

If anyone wonders how come Grand Beef is located in this part of town, which seemed out of place for a restaurant, this shoplot used to be a spectacle factory. This gets even more intriguing. The boss MR Ong's family used to operate a spectacle frame manufacturing factory here. But, ten years ago, the family decided to switch business due to competition from low cost imports from China. As the family patriarch is passionate about cooking, MR Ong's father decided to open a restaurant. And, hence, Grand Beef Restaurant was born.

So, how was the food?

To start, it's a little different from the other Hainanese beef noodles that I have tried. I was looking forward to that gooey, beefy gravy made by boiling beef bones and cut offs into a jelly like syrupy gravy. This goo was "the thing" in Hainanese style beef noodles that got me hooked.

But at Grand Beef, there isn't this signature Hainanese beef gravy. Instead. the kway teow was garnished with a blend of dark and light soy sauce and shallot oil much like what we will find in Teochew kway teow soup stalls.

The boss MR Ong explained that they use the same sauce for both the beef noodles and pork noodles which Grand Beef Restaurant also serves. Many customers do not eat beef, so they decided that both the beef and pork noodles shall use the same sauce. At first, I wasn't excited about this compromise.

Any reservations that I initially felt was quickly forgotten once I tasted Grand Beef's beef. The pieces of beef, innards and tendons were so tender and tasty.

The savoury and subtle herbal flavours were mild and easy on the palate. It appealed to people who like their beef without the "beefy" taste, yet for those who like that bovine flavour, it is there when you pay attention to what your taste buds are feeling. MR Ong said that they used local cows 黄牛 to make their beef noodles. Overall, it's a very pleasant taste and flavour, and mouth feel.

 

Grand Beef's soup is another distinguishing feature which is unlike the beef soup I have tasted elsewhere. MR Ong said the soup is made by boiling chicken and beef bones. The soup was cloudy, not too oily and it was full bodied and soothingly smooth. I like its savoury umami flavour. It's like a beef version of good savoury prawn soup.

Grand Beef's beef noodles are quite different from other beef noodles that I have tried, and I like it. If I am in the area, I would be glad to pop by to have this beef noodles for lunch or mid afternoon tea.

Restaurant name:  Grand Beef Restaurant 牛肉王之家
Address: 89, Jalan Beringin, Taman Melodies, Johor Bahru
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/h3ZxY
GPS: 1.490437,103.763058
Hours: 11:30am to 5:00pm (Closed on Mon. Closed at 3:00pm on Sundays)
Non Halal

Date visited: 3 Jan 2013

  

 

Grand Beef Restaurant was mentioned a few times by Johor Yummy friend Melvin Wu. Melvin once said that the beef noodles here is one of JB's "best kept secrets". Indeed, Grand Beef Restaurant is tucked in a quiet corner of Taman Melody, yet it is just a stone's throw from the bustling KSL City Mall and Taman Century.

Today, I "finally" found my way to Grand Beef Restaurant. "Finally" was Ben Ting's comment when I posted about my lunch at Grand Beef Restaurant on Johor Kaki Facebook page.

The understated Grand Beef Restaurant obviously has many supporters online and also at the restaurant as I saw during lunch.

If anyone wonders how come Grand Beef is located in this part of town, which seemed out of place for a restaurant, this shoplot used to be a spectacle factory. This gets even more intriguing. The boss MR Ong's family used to operate a spectacle frame manufacturing factory here. But, ten years ago, the family decided to switch business due to competition from low cost imports from China. As the family patriarch is passionate about cooking, MR Ong's father decided to open a restaurant. And, hence, Grand Beef Restaurant was born.

So, how was the food?

To start, it's a little different from the other Hainanese beef noodles that I have tried. I was looking forward to that gooey, beefy gravy made by boiling beef bones and cut offs into a jelly like syrupy gravy. This goo was "the thing" in Hainanese style beef noodles that got me hooked.

But at Grand Beef, there isn't this signature Hainanese beef gravy. Instead. the kway teow was garnished with a blend of dark and light soy sauce and shallot oil much like what we will find in Teochew kway teow soup stalls.

The boss MR Ong explained that they use the same sauce for both the beef noodles and pork noodles which Grand Beef Restaurant also serves. Many customers do not eat beef, so they decided that both the beef and pork noodles shall use the same sauce. At first, I wasn't excited about this compromise.

Any reservations that I initially felt was quickly forgotten once I tasted Grand Beef's beef. The pieces of beef, innards and tendons were so tender and tasty.

The savoury and subtle herbal flavours were mild and easy on the palate. It appealed to people who like their beef without the "beefy" taste, yet for those who like that bovine flavour, it is there when you pay attention to what your taste buds are feeling. MR Ong said that they used local cows 黄牛 to make their beef noodles. Overall, it's a very pleasant taste and flavour, and mouth feel.

 

Grand Beef's soup is another distinguishing feature which is unlike the beef soup I have tasted elsewhere. MR Ong said the soup is made by boiling chicken and beef bones. The soup was cloudy, not too oily and it was full bodied and soothingly smooth. I like its savoury umami flavour. It's like a beef version of good savoury prawn soup.

Grand Beef's beef noodles are quite different from other beef noodles that I have tried, and I like it. If I am in the area, I would be glad to pop by to have this beef noodles for lunch or mid afternoon tea.

Restaurant name:  Grand Beef Restaurant 牛肉王之家
Address: 89, Jalan Beringin, Taman Melodies, Johor Bahru
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/h3ZxY
GPS: 1.490437,103.763058
Hours: 11:30am to 5:00pm (Closed on Mon. Closed at 3:00pm on Sundays)
Non Halal

Date visited: 3 Jan 2013

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Ah Yong Hainanese Beef Kway Teow Noodles 家乡牛腩面 at Jalan Lumba Kuda (Near Hotel Suria) in Johor Bahru, Malaysia

Over a year ago, the legendary Ah Teng retired from his very popular Hainanese beef teow business and closed his stall at Jalan Lumba Kuda (near Hotel Suria and Hotel Grand Blue Wave). Ah Yong then recieved a telephone call asking if he would like to set up a beef noodle stall at this same location vacated by Ah Teng.

 

Ah Yong who is from Malacca and had been running his own beef noodle stall for over 10 years, accepted the offer.  

In the beginning when customers showed up at the stall, they expected to find Ah Teng but found Ah Yong, instead. Ah Teng's loyal regulars were understandably disappointed. Little wonder then that reception of Ah Yong's stall was at first lukewarm, at best.

Ah Yong and his family persevered and slowly but steadily build up his own customer base. One year later, Ah Yong now has his own following. When I was here this late Monday morning, I found that Ah Yong has regular customers of families, and a following from Johor and Singapore. A gentleman named Danny from Ulu Tiram was buying three packets for his family. I chatted with Danny and found that he is familiar with most of the beef noodle stalls in JB, Kulai and Tangkak. Danny told me that Ah Yong is his family's favourite now.

I also noticed Singapore taxi drivers who ply the Singapore - JB route among Ah Yong's customers. Well, many Singaporeans will tell you that, if you want to know where to eat in Singapore, ask the taxi uncles. They know where the best eats are.

And, I requested for a bowl of kway teow dry with mixed beef plus additional beef tendons, which I always found irresistible.

 

The beef was kept boiling with this large bag of herbs, perfuming the air

Sitting down and waiting for my beef kway teow, I caught whiffs of that beefy aroma that triggered flash backs to the beef noodle stall at the back lanes of 1970s Victoria Street in Singapore. I was then a 15 year old construction worker and I always looked forward to that Victoria Street back lane beef kway teow during lunch, which I bought with my handsome $2 a day salary :)

 

Ah Yong squeezes in a dash of his signature black sauce before delivering his beef noodles

My bowl of Ah Yong's beef noodles was snowy white kway teow bathed in a gooey gravy and Ah Yong's signature sticky black sauce. The kway teow and pieces of beef were topped with finely chopped preserved cabbage (kiam chye), parsley, spring onions, and a sprinkling of peanuts.

 

I squeezed a lime into the noodles and gave everything a vigorous stir.

 

The tacky gravy coated kway teow noodles were simply delicious.

 

This lai fun or thick rice noodles is the Hainanese way of eating beef noodles. The thick noodles while tender still have a slight firm and bouncy bite. My friends who have not tried lai fun before love the change from the usual kway teow or bee hoon.

 

The gravy was robustly beefy with touches of sweetness and savouriness with just subtle herbal hints. The kway teow coated with this syrupy gravy was slithering soft and slippery smooth.

 

 

The nicely well bodied soup was tasty and beefy too.

 

Ah Yong cut the beef into tiny pieces with sissors which seemed to be the Hainanese style (as this was also done at Mok Chye, Mok Gao, and Ah Teng's elder brother's stall in Kluang).

 

The beef and tripe were tender and tasty. The tendons too were soft yet bouncy to the bite. I liked these all.

 

Another customer's beef bee hoon soup. Looks delicious.

Ah Yong is a new player in JB, and in my humble opinion, he and his delicious beef noodles deserve a warm welcome from Johor and Singapore foodies.

Restaurant name: Ah Yong Beef Noodles @ Restoran Yong Mui 永美茶餐厅-家乡牛腩面
Address: Off Jalan Lumba Kuda
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/MCnNt
GPS: 1.460827,103.767247
Hours: 7:00am to 3:00pm (Closed on Wednesday)
Non Halal

Date Visited: 5 Nov 2012, 16 Apr 2013

Over a year ago, the legendary Ah Teng retired from his very popular Hainanese beef teow business and closed his stall at Jalan Lumba Kuda (near Hotel Suria and Hotel Grand Blue Wave). Ah Yong then recieved a telephone call asking if he would like to set up a beef noodle stall at this same location vacated by Ah Teng.

 

Ah Yong who is from Malacca and had been running his own beef noodle stall for over 10 years, accepted the offer.  

In the beginning when customers showed up at the stall, they expected to find Ah Teng but found Ah Yong, instead. Ah Teng's loyal regulars were understandably disappointed. Little wonder then that reception of Ah Yong's stall was at first lukewarm, at best.

Ah Yong and his family persevered and slowly but steadily build up his own customer base. One year later, Ah Yong now has his own following. When I was here this late Monday morning, I found that Ah Yong has regular customers of families, and a following from Johor and Singapore. A gentleman named Danny from Ulu Tiram was buying three packets for his family. I chatted with Danny and found that he is familiar with most of the beef noodle stalls in JB, Kulai and Tangkak. Danny told me that Ah Yong is his family's favourite now.

I also noticed Singapore taxi drivers who ply the Singapore - JB route among Ah Yong's customers. Well, many Singaporeans will tell you that, if you want to know where to eat in Singapore, ask the taxi uncles. They know where the best eats are.

And, I requested for a bowl of kway teow dry with mixed beef plus additional beef tendons, which I always found irresistible.

 

The beef was kept boiling with this large bag of herbs, perfuming the air

Sitting down and waiting for my beef kway teow, I caught whiffs of that beefy aroma that triggered flash backs to the beef noodle stall at the back lanes of 1970s Victoria Street in Singapore. I was then a 15 year old construction worker and I always looked forward to that Victoria Street back lane beef kway teow during lunch, which I bought with my handsome $2 a day salary :)

 

Ah Yong squeezes in a dash of his signature black sauce before delivering his beef noodles

My bowl of Ah Yong's beef noodles was snowy white kway teow bathed in a gooey gravy and Ah Yong's signature sticky black sauce. The kway teow and pieces of beef were topped with finely chopped preserved cabbage (kiam chye), parsley, spring onions, and a sprinkling of peanuts.

 

I squeezed a lime into the noodles and gave everything a vigorous stir.

 

The tacky gravy coated kway teow noodles were simply delicious.

 

This lai fun or thick rice noodles is the Hainanese way of eating beef noodles. The thick noodles while tender still have a slight firm and bouncy bite. My friends who have not tried lai fun before love the change from the usual kway teow or bee hoon.

 

The gravy was robustly beefy with touches of sweetness and savouriness with just subtle herbal hints. The kway teow coated with this syrupy gravy was slithering soft and slippery smooth.

 

 

The nicely well bodied soup was tasty and beefy too.

 

Ah Yong cut the beef into tiny pieces with sissors which seemed to be the Hainanese style (as this was also done at Mok Chye, Mok Gao, and Ah Teng's elder brother's stall in Kluang).

 

The beef and tripe were tender and tasty. The tendons too were soft yet bouncy to the bite. I liked these all.

 

Another customer's beef bee hoon soup. Looks delicious.

Ah Yong is a new player in JB, and in my humble opinion, he and his delicious beef noodles deserve a warm welcome from Johor and Singapore foodies.

Restaurant name: Ah Yong Beef Noodles @ Restoran Yong Mui 永美茶餐厅-家乡牛腩面
Address: Off Jalan Lumba Kuda
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/MCnNt
GPS: 1.460827,103.767247
Hours: 7:00am to 3:00pm (Closed on Wednesday)
Non Halal

Date Visited: 5 Nov 2012, 16 Apr 2013

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Hainanese Beef Noodles @ Mok Chai 莫才 in Kulai, Johor, Malaysia

My friend Alex from Kulai brought me to Mok Chai 莫才 which is one of the two famous Hainanese beef kway teow shops in Kulai. The other famous beef kway teow shop in Kulai is Mok Gao 莫搞.

 

I asked Mok Chai if he was related to Mok Gao, the other famous Kulai Hainanese beef noodle shop. Mok Chai said no. He explained that the word Mok is like the word Ah in Hokkien and Cantonese. So Mok Chai and Mok Gao, is like Ah Chai and Ah Gao in Hokkien and Cantonese. I got a language lesson while food finding, not bad :)

Mok Chai told me that he started working at his father's Hainanese beef stall in 1965. That's 47 years ago! And, Mok Chai told me that his beef kway teow is made in the same way through all these years. That means, everything is done by hand and all ingredients have to be fresh. So, Mok Chai and his wife start work every day at 3:00am to prepare the beef, broth and the gravy.

And, customers stay with Mok Chai because they are so used to the old tastes and flavours.

 

 

We ordered a dry version. It looked very similar to those Hainanese beef kway teows that we had in JB and Kluang.

 

Kway teow noodles, doused in thick beef based gravy and topped with fragrant chopped parsley leaves, preserved vegetables, fried shallot crackles and crunchy fried peanuts.

 

The brownish gooey beef gravy is the soul of beef kway teow. Made by boiling beef parts for many hours, the beef gravy was slightly salty, and had that distinct beefy flavour which I liked. Don't take this beefy flavour for granted just because this is a beef kway teow stall - I have eaten at enough beef kway teow stalls that serve gravy that had no beef flavour at all i.e. no soul, so to speak.

The clear beef soup was tasty, slightly herbal, and had generous amounts of beef and beef parts soaking inside.

 

 

Every piece of beef was fresh, naturally sweet and cooked till tender.

Dipping the beef into this tangy, spicy hot chili sauce made it even more delicious.

Mok Chai's beef noodle is very likable and the warm, familial ambiance make it even more enjoyable. Little wonder then that regular customers stay loyal to Mok Chai 莫才 for decades.

Restoran name: Mok Chai 莫才 Noodle Restaurant
Address: Jalan Kenanga 29/4 (in commercial centre off Persiaran Indahpura Utama)
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/XwHTW
GPS: 1.641887,103.619109
Hours: 6:00am to 1:30pm (Closed on Monday)
Non Halal

Date visited: 1 Oct 2012

My friend Alex from Kulai brought me to Mok Chai 莫才 which is one of the two famous Hainanese beef kway teow shops in Kulai. The other famous beef kway teow shop in Kulai is Mok Gao 莫搞.

 

I asked Mok Chai if he was related to Mok Gao, the other famous Kulai Hainanese beef noodle shop. Mok Chai said no. He explained that the word Mok is like the word Ah in Hokkien and Cantonese. So Mok Chai and Mok Gao, is like Ah Chai and Ah Gao in Hokkien and Cantonese. I got a language lesson while food finding, not bad :)

Mok Chai told me that he started working at his father's Hainanese beef stall in 1965. That's 47 years ago! And, Mok Chai told me that his beef kway teow is made in the same way through all these years. That means, everything is done by hand and all ingredients have to be fresh. So, Mok Chai and his wife start work every day at 3:00am to prepare the beef, broth and the gravy.

And, customers stay with Mok Chai because they are so used to the old tastes and flavours.

 

 

We ordered a dry version. It looked very similar to those Hainanese beef kway teows that we had in JB and Kluang.

 

Kway teow noodles, doused in thick beef based gravy and topped with fragrant chopped parsley leaves, preserved vegetables, fried shallot crackles and crunchy fried peanuts.

 

The brownish gooey beef gravy is the soul of beef kway teow. Made by boiling beef parts for many hours, the beef gravy was slightly salty, and had that distinct beefy flavour which I liked. Don't take this beefy flavour for granted just because this is a beef kway teow stall - I have eaten at enough beef kway teow stalls that serve gravy that had no beef flavour at all i.e. no soul, so to speak.

The clear beef soup was tasty, slightly herbal, and had generous amounts of beef and beef parts soaking inside.

 

 

Every piece of beef was fresh, naturally sweet and cooked till tender.

Dipping the beef into this tangy, spicy hot chili sauce made it even more delicious.

Mok Chai's beef noodle is very likable and the warm, familial ambiance make it even more enjoyable. Little wonder then that regular customers stay loyal to Mok Chai 莫才 for decades.

Restoran name: Mok Chai 莫才 Noodle Restaurant
Address: Jalan Kenanga 29/4 (in commercial centre off Persiaran Indahpura Utama)
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/XwHTW
GPS: 1.641887,103.619109
Hours: 6:00am to 1:30pm (Closed on Monday)
Non Halal

Date visited: 1 Oct 2012

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Old Pasar 老巴刹牛腩粉 Beef Noodles in Kluang, Johor, Malaysia

More than 80 years ago, MR Goh Hin started his famous Hainanese beef noodle stall at the Old Pasar (market) 老巴刹 in Kluang, Johor. Goh Hin had seven children, and three sons followed his foot steps to become famous beef noodle sellers themselves, like their father.

The eldest son's beef noodle stall is still in  PKH kopitiam in downtown, Kluang (a stone's throw from Kluang Rail Station). Goh Hin's youngest son's shop (Yean Kee) is now run by his son (Goh Hin's grandson) in Taman Murni, Kluang. Goh Hin's third son, Ah Deng, ran the much loved beef noodle stall in Jalan Lumba Kuda in Johor Bahru, before he retired in 2011.

Ah Deng had already retired when I started Johor Kaki blog on 20 Dec 2011. I traced Goh Hin's youngest son's beef noodle shop Yean Kee in Mar 2012. I recently found Goh Hin's eldest son's stall.

This is a humble looking stall that looked like any other in typical small Malaysian towns. The only hint that this might be a notable stall is a small framed newspaper article hanging (too) high on the weathered, whitewashed wall.

We requested for a lai fun (rice noodles), dry from the friendly lady boss who was the owner's wife i.e. Goh Hin's daughter-in-law and Ah Deng's sister-in-law. This home made lai fun noodle is the signature of the Goh family beef noodle stalls.

 

 

The gravy was beefy in flavour and was like kicap in consistency, i.e. not syrupy in texture. (Personally, I am biased in favour of gravy that feels syrupy.)

 

Stirring the gravy with the lai fun produced a tasty dish. The rice flavoured lai fun was coated with a slippery, salty, beefy, sweet and tangy film. The tanginess came from the squeezed calamansi and chopped chiam chye.

 

Mixed in the noodles were chopped spring unions, kiam chye (preserved vegetable), fried peanuts, shallot oil and crackles, and a soy based, blended sauce. These, especially, the peanuts, kiam chye and shallot crackles added interesting flavours and texture to the beef noodles.

The beef were cut in strips. The strips of beef, tripe and tendon were tender and beefy in taste. (Personally, I like my beef most when they come in large chunks that let me to chew on them longer and allow the beefy flavour more time to massage my taste buds.) 

 

The beef soup was slightly herbal and salty.

 

If you like a taste of really old school beef noodles, here it is :) Definitely must try, at least once.

Restaurant name: Old Pasar Beef Noodles 老巴刹牛腩粉
Address: Junction of Jalan Teoh Siew Khor and Jalan Sultan
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/WAz6X
GPS: 2.031358,103.319724
Hours: 7:00am to 1:00pm (Closed on Tuesday)
No pork, no lard

Date visited: 20 Sep 2012

More than 80 years ago, MR Goh Hin started his famous Hainanese beef noodle stall at the Old Pasar (market) 老巴刹 in Kluang, Johor. Goh Hin had seven children, and three sons followed his foot steps to become famous beef noodle sellers themselves, like their father.

The eldest son's beef noodle stall is still in  PKH kopitiam in downtown, Kluang (a stone's throw from Kluang Rail Station). Goh Hin's youngest son's shop (Yean Kee) is now run by his son (Goh Hin's grandson) in Taman Murni, Kluang. Goh Hin's third son, Ah Deng, ran the much loved beef noodle stall in Jalan Lumba Kuda in Johor Bahru, before he retired in 2011.

Ah Deng had already retired when I started Johor Kaki blog on 20 Dec 2011. I traced Goh Hin's youngest son's beef noodle shop Yean Kee in Mar 2012. I recently found Goh Hin's eldest son's stall.

This is a humble looking stall that looked like any other in typical small Malaysian towns. The only hint that this might be a notable stall is a small framed newspaper article hanging (too) high on the weathered, whitewashed wall.

We requested for a lai fun (rice noodles), dry from the friendly lady boss who was the owner's wife i.e. Goh Hin's daughter-in-law and Ah Deng's sister-in-law. This home made lai fun noodle is the signature of the Goh family beef noodle stalls.

 

 

The gravy was beefy in flavour and was like kicap in consistency, i.e. not syrupy in texture. (Personally, I am biased in favour of gravy that feels syrupy.)

 

Stirring the gravy with the lai fun produced a tasty dish. The rice flavoured lai fun was coated with a slippery, salty, beefy, sweet and tangy film. The tanginess came from the squeezed calamansi and chopped chiam chye.

 

Mixed in the noodles were chopped spring unions, kiam chye (preserved vegetable), fried peanuts, shallot oil and crackles, and a soy based, blended sauce. These, especially, the peanuts, kiam chye and shallot crackles added interesting flavours and texture to the beef noodles.

The beef were cut in strips. The strips of beef, tripe and tendon were tender and beefy in taste. (Personally, I like my beef most when they come in large chunks that let me to chew on them longer and allow the beefy flavour more time to massage my taste buds.) 

 

The beef soup was slightly herbal and salty.

 

If you like a taste of really old school beef noodles, here it is :) Definitely must try, at least once.

Restaurant name: Old Pasar Beef Noodles 老巴刹牛腩粉
Address: Junction of Jalan Teoh Siew Khor and Jalan Sultan
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/WAz6X
GPS: 2.031358,103.319724
Hours: 7:00am to 1:00pm (Closed on Tuesday)
No pork, no lard

Date visited: 20 Sep 2012

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Tin & Tin (Cathay) Beef Noodles along Jalan Lumba Kuda, Johor Bahru, Malaysia

I first visited Ah Teng when I just started Johor Kaki blog and soon after he started his Hainanese beef noodle stall in Shang Ji kopitiam in Jalan Lumba Kuda.

 

Ah Teng was as friendly and cheerful as ever.

 

Kelvin learning the ropes under the watchful tutelage of Ah Teng

Today, Ah Teng was joined by his son, Kelvin.

 

Like the last time, I had Ah Teng's RM7 dry beef kway teow.

Ah Teng who started selling beef noodles forty years ago, told me that he was constantly modifying his beef kway teow dish based on customer feedback. I noticed that the kiam chye topping I enjoyed at the last visit was now gone.

Ah Teng's syrupy gravy was more delicious than ever. Ah Teng told me that his gravy was brewed for many hours with old hens, large beef bones and bits of beef.

 

The gravy was a smooth, delicious blend of robust beefy flavour with savoury sweet and salty notes.

 

The tasty herbal soup was also beefy with hints of flavour that reminded me of that ubiquitous old British Marmite beef essence spread that I had as a boy, years ago.

 

Look at the generous amount of beef parts in the soup :)

 

 

I really enjoyed this tender, chewy piece of sinewy, marbled beef.

 

I just love these pieces of tender, jelly like yet savoury beefy tendons. It's got just the right texture, bounce and taste - awesome.

 

Super tender and smokey textured, naturally sweet beef tripe. Ah Teng told me that beef tripe needs constant watching during the tedious braising process to get just the right texture.

Ah Teng's chili sauce deserves a mention. Tangy, hot, and grainy from the bits of fresh ground chili. Goes very well with the beef parts without overwhelming the beefy flavours.

Picture suitably cropped for General Audiences :)

I noticed these curious looking pieces and asked Ah Teng what were these? They were beef penis 牛鞭. Ah Teng prepares two of these everyday. Ah Teng said each piece is about 3 feet long?!! "Does anyone asked for these?!" I asked incredulously. Ah Teng replied matter-of-factly with a cheeky grin and twinkle in his eye, "Sold out every day" and regular customers often called in early to reserve.

 

Actually, the same applies to the other less esoteric beef parts as well - Ah Teng sold out of everything, everyday by 2:00pm.

 

 

Restaurant name: Tin & Tin (Cathay) Beef Noodles
Address: 141 & 142, Jalan Lumba Kuda, Bukit Chagar, Johor Bahru
Map: http://g.co/maps/qysgr
GPS: 1.461162, 103.767403
Hours: 7:00am to 2:00pm (Closed on Monday)
No pork, no lard

Date visited: 7 Sep 2012

I first visited Ah Teng when I just started Johor Kaki blog and soon after he started his Hainanese beef noodle stall in Shang Ji kopitiam in Jalan Lumba Kuda.

 

Ah Teng was as friendly and cheerful as ever.

 

Kelvin learning the ropes under the watchful tutelage of Ah Teng

Today, Ah Teng was joined by his son, Kelvin.

 

Like the last time, I had Ah Teng's RM7 dry beef kway teow.

Ah Teng who started selling beef noodles forty years ago, told me that he was constantly modifying his beef kway teow dish based on customer feedback. I noticed that the kiam chye topping I enjoyed at the last visit was now gone.

Ah Teng's syrupy gravy was more delicious than ever. Ah Teng told me that his gravy was brewed for many hours with old hens, large beef bones and bits of beef.

 

The gravy was a smooth, delicious blend of robust beefy flavour with savoury sweet and salty notes.

 

The tasty herbal soup was also beefy with hints of flavour that reminded me of that ubiquitous old British Marmite beef essence spread that I had as a boy, years ago.

 

Look at the generous amount of beef parts in the soup :)

 

 

I really enjoyed this tender, chewy piece of sinewy, marbled beef.

 

I just love these pieces of tender, jelly like yet savoury beefy tendons. It's got just the right texture, bounce and taste - awesome.

 

Super tender and smokey textured, naturally sweet beef tripe. Ah Teng told me that beef tripe needs constant watching during the tedious braising process to get just the right texture.

Ah Teng's chili sauce deserves a mention. Tangy, hot, and grainy from the bits of fresh ground chili. Goes very well with the beef parts without overwhelming the beefy flavours.

Picture suitably cropped for General Audiences :)

I noticed these curious looking pieces and asked Ah Teng what were these? They were beef penis 牛鞭. Ah Teng prepares two of these everyday. Ah Teng said each piece is about 3 feet long?!! "Does anyone asked for these?!" I asked incredulously. Ah Teng replied matter-of-factly with a cheeky grin and twinkle in his eye, "Sold out every day" and regular customers often called in early to reserve.

 

Actually, the same applies to the other less esoteric beef parts as well - Ah Teng sold out of everything, everyday by 2:00pm.

 

 

Restaurant name: Tin & Tin (Cathay) Beef Noodles
Address: 141 & 142, Jalan Lumba Kuda, Bukit Chagar, Johor Bahru
Map: http://g.co/maps/qysgr
GPS: 1.461162, 103.767403
Hours: 7:00am to 2:00pm (Closed on Monday)
No pork, no lard

Date visited: 7 Sep 2012

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