This 23-Year-Old And His Father Serve Shiok Teochew-Style Beef Kway Teow

It isn’t easy running a stall together as a family, but John insists he and his old man “seldom argue”. He adds jokingly: “The only time we squabble is when we can’t decide who has to wash the dishes!” He shares that cooking with his dad has brought them closer together. “Sometimes after we close shop, we’d sit at the coffeeshop and drink beer. My father is very open-minded and I can chat about anything with him.”

On his son’s decision to become a hawker, the proud dad says: “Of course I’m happy. Not many young people want to be hawkers these days ’cos of the long hours. I told my son that no one will look down on him for being a hawker. If he can cook well, he can find a job in any kitchen.” David, who’s married to a former wedding singer, and has two other children, adds: “In fact, when I [first] saw John Paul’s passion for cooking, I encouraged him to step into this line. He will be cooking my food for the next generation. I’m proud of him.”

This bowl is unlike the more common Hainanese-style dry beef noodles featuring thick bee hoon smothered in a dark, starchy gravy. Instead, the kway teow here, served with pickled vegetables and bean sprouts, is mixed with a dash of light soya sauce, sesame oil and chilli sauce. We find it refreshingly light, tasty and fragrant. It’s topped with a good variety of beef brisket, tripe, beef balls and sliced beef, the latter cooked to a nice pink medium. The slow-stewed brisket and tripe are so tender, they melt in the mouth. However, what brings this dish to the next level is the piquant chilli containing blended pineapple, chilli padi, lime juice, and a “secret ingredient”. It gives the dish an aromatic, spicy kick. You can take home this chilli in a small bottle for $5, too.

We tell David that we’ve never really liked tendon as it’s often too chewy. He chuckles and says confidently: “Try ours — you’ll be able to tell the difference.” The beef tendon here is cooked for eight hours, and boasts a soft, jelly-like texture that comes with a nice crunch. We’re pleasantly surprised by how good it is. The accompanying dark soup is made by simmering beef bones and other ingredients for hours. It’s sweet, intensely beefy and so flavourful that we slurp up every drop.

​​​​​​​Think of this as an amped up char kway teow more so than a gravy-soaked hor fun dish. It’s tossed briefly over intense heat in a wok with dark soy, sweet sauce, light soy and fish sauce. It’s perfumed with plenty of wok hei, and goes well with the soft beef slices. Sinful and comforting.

Delicious beef noodles — especially the dry, chilli-spiked version. We’ll be back for more.