The Beef House (Syed Alwi Road)

Tendon Beef ball soup $4
Looks plain and boring but it is surprisingly flavourful! I thought the soup was light and refreshing but my friend described it as plain and unimpressive. I think it really depends on what kind of person you are ( zhong kou wei or not). Would definitely be back for the tendon beef ball soup! The tendon beef balls are undeniably more flavourful than the beef balls 😋 Skipped the chilli as i felt that it spoils the flavour of the beef balls.

Sliced beef beehoon soup $4
Sliced beef kway teow dry $4
Sliced beef is tender but not v flavourful imo. Initially thought that the sliced beef would have a ‘beefier’ taste as compared to the beef balls

Prices starts from $4
Didnt manage to get the suan pan zi :( Looked amazing tho 😢

Enjoyed every dish i ordered. Felt like a v healthy n hearty meal. 家🏠

The Beef House at 217 Syed Alwi Road is famed for several things: yong tau foo, beef balls, beef tendon balls, soon pan (笋粄) and suan pan zi (算盘子).
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It is not hard to understand why they are so immensely popular because nothing here is factory made - well, maybe except for the various noodles (bee hoon, kway teow, Hakka mee) used here but otherwise, everything else is handmade.
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I ordered a bowl of beef tendon ball soup with bee hoon ($5), two pieces of soon pan ($1 each) and a plate of suan pan zi ($2).
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The soup is refreshingly light and clean-tasting especially with the addition of coriander however, what really stood out for me, are the tendon balls.
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Seriously, I have not tasted such beefy flavored balls before. Also, the texture is firm yet bouncy, I suspect if it rolled off my table, it might bounce across the road to the coffee shop opposite.
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It is so meaty, so substantial I doubt there are any fillers in it.
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I loved suan pan zi but they are so hard to find! This Hakka delicacy is made by kneading tapioca flour with yam but over here, they added pumpkin into the mixture as well which is then rolled into shape and stir fry with a copious amount of minced meat, black fungus, mushrooms and hae bi (dried shrimps).
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The Hakka soon pan had yam added into the dough of the skin.
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They are extremely generous with the fillings inside the soon pan which included jicama, bamboo shoots, black fungus, mushrooms and hae bi.
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Incredibly chewy and starchy, the crystal-like translucent skin may seem a little thick but to me, that is the best part because I enjoy chewing on chewy stuff!
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They are extremely generous with the fillings inside the soon pan which included jicama, bamboo shoots, black fungus, mushrooms and hae bi.
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Read more: https://thedeadcockroach.blogspot.com/2021/04/the-beef-house-217-syed-alwi-road.html?m=1

Was really surprised to see such a generous portion of abacus seeds at such a wallet friendly price tag. Each of the abacus seeds was huge and had a nice chew to it. Just as any traditional recipe, they were stir fried together with minced pork, mushrooms, dried shrimps, shredded woodear and spring onion! So happy to be able to discover this new place as the abacus seed seems to be a rare find these days:(

Hakka Abacus Seeds

Quite tasty... actually I enjoyed this more than their beef balls.

My favourite abacus seeds (算盘子) stall is really hard to catch, leaving my cravings for it hanging since last year! 😭 Unlike the usual pure yam abacus seeds, the ones here are made with both pumpkin and yam - though more soft textured, still retained a lovely springy chew without being too oily. SO GOOD. The stir fry of the seeds in minced meat, black fungus, mushrooms and hae bi (dried shrimps), also helped to bring out a really nice fragrance. I'm not Hakka, but these are probably one of the best ones I've had!

The soon kueh (笋粄) on the other hand, was plump and filled to its brim with ingredients. Instead of just a mouthful of bang kuang (turnip), the fillings here are generously mixed in with mushrooms, black fungus, hae bi, etc., giving the bite you take a greater variety of textures compared to others out there. The best part of it all was the skin made with yam, don't know how it's done but it's so chewy!

This is just humble good food right here. Go early to catch them as they usually sell out by 1pm. Thank you for sharing this gem with us Ni Zhen! 🙆🏻 Can't wait to go back to try the Hakka YTF! #BurppleJalanBesar

📍客家大埔酿豆腐 Hakka Yong Tau Foo
The Beef House/Gar Lok Eating House
217 Syed Alwi Road Singapore 207776
8am to 5pm Daily, Closed on Fridays

Having only seen it on TV, my impression of Hakka Abacus Seeds has always been of a firm yam “gnocchi” with its signature flat round shape and distinct indentation in the middle. Thus I was surprised (and maybe even a little disappointed) to find The Beef House’s rendition ($2) to be missing the dimple in the middle. However, the taste was not compromised and certainly not the texture (as assured by Ni Zhen with her Hakka roots).

Soft, chewy, and a touch starchy, each button held just the right amount of bite. Each glistening yet not greasy, the yam seeds were kneaded with pumpkin and had the added sweetness which I absolutely adore. And though I haven’t had others to compare by, their suan pan zi was pretty well-executed. The bits of dried mushroom and hei bi also supplied a great umami flavour.

Next to it, packed full of dried shrimps and turnips, their Hakka Soon Kuehs ($1) are not to be missed. With a “QQ” skin, ours were cut for easy consuming and to reveal the crunchy fillings that exploded with each bite.

#BurppleJalanBesar

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Chewy and tasty abacus seeds, this is as authentic as it gets. It is extremely tedious to make and you need to work fast in hot yam dough. Ive seen my mom do it as a kid and I can appreciate the hard work they put in w every bite that I take. 😄
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Hakka soon kuehs, unlike teochew soon kuehs have yam in their skin, making it more chewy 😋 🍴
The hakka beef balls were super tender! Dip it in the chilling sauce for a snack/side dish or add noodles for a main meal.
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They are open by 8am but gets sold out by 1300, so go early to avoid disappointment!
#burpple #burpplejalanbesar #hakkafood

I actually learnt about this place from the soonkuehs. It's so difficult to find somewhere which serves these 'Suan pan zi' already. I would recommend eating them with chilli if you do not have sore throats like i do now.

#sgfood #burpple #sharefood #eatoutsg #igsg #instafood

I think it costs $2. Quite yummy considering I tasted it for the first time although I'm a Hakka. Haha.