Tok Tok Beef Soup

Tok Tok Beef Soup is one of the stalls that we find ourselves visiting relatively often as compared to some of the other stalls when we are having lunch at the Food Garden food court at Asia Square — the stall perhaps being notable for being run by the same folks that are behind other standalone restaurants such as that of South Union Park, Eleven Strands, and Restaurant Mia which we all love. Tok Tok Beef Soup does stand out from the other establishments run by them however; the only one that is being based out of a food stall within a food court, one thing we especially liked about Tok Tok Beef Soup would be their broth for their soup noodles — okie that has a particular tomato-based note that is almost like an infusion of Borsch soup into the traditional beef soup. That being said, it does seem that Tok Tok Beef Soup had recently brought back its steamed bun offerings — something which was introduced in their menu during their initial period of opening, though had since disappeared from its menu after a while. Offering a good range of different types of meats for their range of steamed buns, some of the variants of the steamed buns include Mala Sliced Beef, Teriyaki Chicken and Chicken Cutlet.

Having skimmed through the various steamed bun offerings which they have to offer, it is needless to say that we found ourselves going for the Braised Pork Belly Steamed Bun. The Braised Pork Belly Steamed Bun can be said as somewhat of a fusion of what some will call a Gua Bao (i.e. Taiwanese Steamed Pork Bun) with a bit of a Vietnamese infusion. The entire appearance of the Braised Pork Belly Steamed Bun is no different from the Gua Bao; the steamed bun coming in the format of a lotus leaf bun that is stuffed with pickled vegetables, coriander and slices of pork belly in between. Taking a bite into the Braised Pork Belly Steamed Bun, we liked how the buns were not too wet or soggy having with soaked with moisture — something that might be of a concern with dishes featuring lotus leaf buns elsewhere. The braised pork belly is really wonderfully braised; absorbed much of that savoury-sweet goodness from the braising liquid that made it so flavoursome, while the texture is incredibly melt-in-the-mouth having seemingly been prepared through the sous-vide process — this was definitely the highlight considering how much of the flavours of the Braised Pork Belly Steamed Bun just came from here. The braised pork also did not carry any undesirable porky stench as well. The addition of coriander helps to cut through a bit of those meatiness and savouriness of the braised pork with its distinct notes, while the pickled vegetables provided a crunchy tang that refreshes the tastebuds. The steamed buns at Tok Tok Beef Soup are going for $4.50 per bun irregardless of the meat option, though one can opt for a set of two buns (different meat options inclusive) at $8.50 or a set of three (different meat options inclusive) at $12. Overall, a pretty decent light bite to have for those whom do not intend to have something too heavy for lunch.

If you’re looking for authentic Hainanese beef noodles, head to Tok Tok Beef Soup! Their Ultimate Trio Beef Bowl ($16.90) features a generous portion of tender beef and noodles, as well as a hearty broth that has been boiled for 16 hours.

Have been thinking of re-visiting Tok Tok Beef Soup which is located within Food Garden at Asia Square Tower 1 for quite a while now — a brand by the folks behind South Union Park, Eleven Strands and Restaurant Mia, their beef noodle soup had been something which lingered in our minds for a while; a craving that we have been looking to solve. Whilst we were also intending to give their range of Steamed Buns a try in our subsequent visit back then, we note that they have since discontinued those items on the menu. In replacement, Tok Tok Beef Soup now offers a range of rice bowls with different meat options to go along — think Braised Pork Belly, Sweet Soy Sliced Beef, Beef Cheek and Beef Shortrib.

Opting for the Mala Grilled Chicken Rice Bowl, it is noted that the all rice bowls do come with other condiments similar to that of what they also serve up with their noodle soups as well — this includes the Bok Choy, pickles, fried onions and coriander, though the rice bowl also sees the serving of half a soft-boiled egg, whilst the bed of rice is also being sprinkled with Furikake for flavour and a more vibrant aesthetic. Each rice bowl also comes with a bowl of their signature beef soup — the very same one which comes with their noodle soup offerings; was told that it is best to be had together with the rice by pouring the said soup into the bowl of rice. While the short-grain rice could be said as pretty sticky on its own, we really liked how it became to be as we drenched the rice with the bowl of soup — liked how the rice didn’t seemingly turn too soggy once the soup is added, while the rice also was distinguishable by the grain from each other. The beef soup was just as what we remember from our previous visit where we had their Beef Ball Noodle Soup — not too heavy nor gamey, and even carried a slight tanginess from the tomato(?) that went into the preparation process of the soup; keeps things fairly light and easy to have. Moving on to the Mala Grilled Chicken; there wasn’t much of a smokiness or char going on in here but we really liked how tender the chicken chunks were — the mala sauce that each chunk of chicken was coated with was almost akin to that of a teriyaki sauce in terms of its consistency. Flavour-wise, we also liked how the mala sauce veered towards emphasising on the fragrance on Sichuan peppers rather than the numbing and spicy notes often associated with Mala. The Bok Choy comes all fresh with good crunch and moisture locked within, while the addition of coriander cuts through all the meaty and gamey notes with its distinct flavour; the pickles giving a refreshing zing as one crunches through them.

It is a shame that Tok Tok Beef Soup might have stopped serving up their Steamed Buns line-up before we have had the chance to try it, but we were really pleased with how our experience of the Mala Grilled Chicken Rice Bowl went. No doubt ordering a rice bowl with chicken is rather out-of-tune when visiting an establishment that is primarily known for their beef soup, but we liked how Tok Tok Beef Soup has managed to marry the trendy yet simple rice bowl concept together with their signature beef soup to provide for that integrated experience where one complements the other beautifully. It is needless to say how we would be pretty spoiled for choice to opt between their rice bowl or noodle soup the next time we return here, but we are definitely stoked to see what they have to offer the next time we make a visit to Tok Tok Beef Soup!

Dropped by the newest concept @toktokbeefsoup that is brought to you by Chef Terence of @southunionpark, @elevenstrands and @therestaurantmia!

Bowls of comforting Beef Soup that you can pair with either noodles or rice of choice. My pick is to go with Kway Tiao or Ban Mian!

Opening promotion: get a free side of truffle sweet potato fries with any purchase of a bowl of beef soup! For one month only!

The Central Business District has pretty much been bustling with the return of most of the office workers recently — quite glad how this has also translated into new F&B establishments taking over the premises that are left vacated by their previous tenants ever since COVID-19 had started. Opened just earlier this week at the Food Garden food court within Asia Square, Tok Tok Beef Soup is a new concept by the same folks behind South Union Park, Eleven Strands and Restaurant Mia (also unrelated to Tok Tok Indonesian Soup House and Tok Tok Indonesian Restaurant at 313@Somerset and Joo Chiat Road respectively) — the stall is situated along the same stretch where Twyst and Pepper Lunch are located at for those who are familiar with the food court. Unlike their previous concepts, Tok Tok Beef Soup is not a restaurant-style concept; rather, Tok Tok Beef Soup is a food court stall — the first of such establishments for them. Primarily serving up beef noodle soup, the stall offers five (5) types of beef noodle soups — the Sliced Beef Noodle Soup, Ultimate Trio Beef Bowl, Beef Ball Noodle Soup, Beef Cheek Noodle Soup and Beef Short Rib Noodle Soup. Apart from beef noodle soup, Tok Tok Beef Soup also serves up Steamed Buns — think different meats sandwiched in between Lotus Leaf Buns just like what the now-defunct Bao Makers used to serve up. Sides available at Tok Tok Beef Soup includes the Truffle Kombu Sweet Potato Fries, while beverages available include Pink Lychee Lemonade and Lemonade (both from a Nestle dispenser), as well as soda drinks and water.

Being one who rarely makes beef noodle soup a choice to go for a meal, we found ourselves going for the Beef Ball Noodle Soup which sounds less intimidating as compared to those that feature sliced beef. Tok Tok Beef Soup allows patrons to pick their choice of carbs — one could opt for the Kway Teow, La Mian, Ban Mian or Plain Rice as the carbs to go with the Beef Soup; we went with the La Mian for our choice of noodles. Digging straight into the bowl, we started with the La Mian first — the La Mian is done just about right with the noodles carrying just enough bite without being overly firm. Having a sip of the broth, we found that the broth was especially interesting — whilst it does carry that savoury note that is typical of braised beef noodle soup, there is this element of tanginess that seemed to have come through from the use of tomatoes(?) that makes it especially appetising. That light, zippy note cuts through the heaviness of the meatiness and the broth, and along with the coriander just made it especially comforting and easy for one to finish the entire bowl of soup — something which would really be what we would be craving for on a rainy day. Apart from the beef balls which seemed to be handmade (considering how they were a little unevenly shaped with a bit of variance in texture — we could be wrong though), they also have included beef tendon as well; the former provides a good meaty bite with a slight gaminess from the beef that further elevates the flavours of the broth and noodles, while the latter gives this interesting gelatinous and chewy texture that provides so much contrast to the bowl of noodles. Needless to say, we found ourselves finishing the bowl of Beef Ball Noodle Soup in no time — each element seemingly having its place in the bowl of noodles for that extra flavour and texture, but yet comforting and speaks to the heart while at it; really satisfying.

It hasn’t been too long a while since we have said this; having followed the folks from South Union Park, Eleven Strands and Restaurant Mia over the years, we are pretty much fans of what they have served up. Tok Tok Beef Soup may be quite their most “outlandish” concept so far — one that operates as a food court stall, and also probably the only one by far that seems to be dedicated in serving up homely local fare. That being said, the end product feels like it is nothing short of what we would have expected from their previous ventures — just quality, comfort food that is priced reasonably for the office workers in the area. Not only is the food quality of the usual standard that one would expect from South Union Park, Eleven Strands and Restaurant Mia, but the portion sizes here are really generous for the price — the lowest priced Beef Noodle Soup dish starts at $10.90 for the Sliced Beef Noodle Soup and the Beef Ball Noodle Soup; the latter being packed with loads of beef balls and beef tendon, while the price of the Steamed Buns ranges from $6.50 to $6.90. It is needless to say that we would definitely return for the other beef noodle soup items; the beef noodle soup being something which we would probably be developing cravings for, though we are also pretty positive that we would be giving their range of Steamed Buns a go in due course as well. Congratulations to the folks behind South Union Park, Eleven Strands and Restaurant Mia for the opening of Tok Tok Beef Soup, and wishing them all the best in what is to come!

Flavourful broth and beef was soft! Portion was big too :)