Horiginal is co-owned by Michael Ho (left in pic), 45, and Randy Pang, 30. Michael is an F&B veteran — he owns a food processing company that makes noodles, fishballs, and other food items, as well as hawker stall Hosay Mee Pok (the “Ho” in the stall’s name is his, um, trademark), which now has three outlets. “I’m a noodle lover,” says Michael on his foray into beef noodles, adding that he eventually wants to branch into prawn noodles and fish noodles too. 

His young partner, Randy, who developed the recipes and cooks here, used to work for Michael at one of his stalls. Before that, he’d cut his teeth at other hawker stalls, where he learned how to make all sorts of noodles from various hawker veterans. The Johorite, who moved to Singapore 10 years ago, says he learned how to make beef noodles from his ex-boss, a “master” of the dish (he won’t say which shop except that it was at Kovan), and after heading up a number of Michael’s stalls became a natural choice to kickstart this new business. 

The beef noodles here claim to be unusual in a few ways. For a start, Randy says the soup he developed has a more herbal profile than others. He happily shows off some of the aromatics that go into it, which include galangal, cinnamon, angelica root, tamarind peel, and bay leaves. Then, there’s the choice of beef cuts that go with the noodles.

On top of the usual brisket, tripe, beef balls, and tendon, they offer beef short rib, oxtail, and, gulp, beef pizzle, i.e. beef penis, definitely a first for us. “We want to introduce unusual products to our customers,” Michael says of this delicacy. “Beef pizzle has the texture of pork hock,” he says, and when it’s cooked down after several hours, is gelatinous and collagen-rich.

Sadly (or maybe not for us), this beefy appendage was not available during our visit as their importers are trying to get supplies into the country. Thankfully, the slightly luxe beef ribs and oxtail — not usually found in your everyday beef noodle stall — were.

Like most places, there’s your choice of the clear Teochew-style soup or the Hainanese-style thick gravy variety. A bowl here ranges from $4 for lean beef slices, tripe, and brisket, to $7 if you add on beef balls and tendon. Pile on the ribs to that and you’ve got the Premium Mixed Noodles ($9). For the full works, you’ll want the Power Mixed Noodle ($12.80) which is what we sample. It has everything including the oxtail and unavailable-as-yet beef pizzle. Apart from noodles, you can also have the soup version served with rice and a side of preserved vegetables. 

Being fans of the gravy version, we tuck into that first. The meats from Australia are all very tasty: tender brisket, gelatinous tendon that still has some bite to it, and soft, bouncy meatballs (not homemade, we’re told). The tripe is fresh-tasting and has a nice texture, but is cut into small pieces that we wish were more substantial. What about the star cuts? Yummy: the hefty chunks of beef ribs are fabulously fatty and flavourful, and the oxtail is meltingly tender and falls off the bone. Altogether, it’s a delicious, meaty overload.

Sadly, we find the gravy itself under-seasoned and too light on beefy flavour. The consistency is also a bit too thin, almost soupy. We’re told that they’re trying to make a version with less soy sauce, that’s thinner and less sweet than most other offerings, but we think it needs some fine-tuning. 

The gravy improves tremendously with a few dollops of one of their homemade chili sauces, including a galangal-infused chili and a Thai-style fragrant chili oil made with wok-roasted dried peppers and spices. The cincalok in particular, made with sugar and vinegar, is fresh, zingy, and full of funk.

We vastly prefer the soup version, which comes with your choice of noodles or rice. Brewed for at least six hours, it’s light and, with its herbal profile thanks to aromatics like dang gui and cinnamon, almost pho-like. It’s not an overwhelming, medicinal amount of herbal flavour, just enough to lend some sweetness and complexity that complement the beefy richness. The addition of fatty cuts like oxtail and rib adds body and some richness to it. Michael suggests stirring in some chili to add dimension, but we like the subtle herbal notes undisturbed. 

We’re fans of the delicate, herbal soup though the gravy version could use some work. The main feature here is the good amount of meat you get with the upgraded bowls — hearty chunks of our favourite cuts like oxtail and short rib — that are big on flavour. But stick with the yummier pho-like soup for now.

#01-3139 Koufu, 739 Bedok Reservoir Rd, S470739. Open daily 8am-7pm. https://www.facebook.com/Horiginal-Beef-Noodle-102870704958991 

Photos: Alvin Teo

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