bonvivantsg:

I am not kidding you when I say that Hock Lam Beef Noodles is by far the BEST beef noodles I have ever tasted. In the world. And trust me, I have tried many different types (including the Vietnamese Pho). But nothing…NOTHING can compare to Hock Lam’s! No wonder the founder’s daughter, Ms Tina Tan quit her high-paying banking job to run the business. This businesswoman has expanded the business to 4 outlets island-wide now. We sincerely hope she’d be able to expand her operations worldwide because the rest of the world really needs to try just how rad this dish is.

My foreigner friend rated this dish: 9/10! He was simply blown away by the beef noodles. I asked him “have you tried beef noodles before?”. His reply “No. This is really the best noodles I have ever tasted”. And he doesn’t lie.

Seriously, you guys need to check it out for yourself.

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Here is an article which appeared in THE BUSINESS TIMES
- written by Tan Teck Heng | Tue Oct 2 2012:

You cannot deny that a recipe that has been around for 101 years has staying power.

Throw in fourth-generation owner Tina Tan’s branding savvy to the tried-and-tested Hock Lam beef noodles, and you get a winning formula.

The flagship stall in China Street has the look of hawker fare given a 2.0 upgrade, joining the ranks of Ya Kun; google the Hock Lam Beef name and you will be pointed to a put-together website, complete with YouTube video marking its centennial.

Ms Tan, who ditched a high-paying banking career to take over the stall in 2005, said: “My father took a year to pass me the recipe, and there’s no recording of it as he doesn’t want to leak it.”

Spurred to make the career switch because her father’s failing health would have meant the end of a legacy, she went from a desk job to 16-hour-days preparing ingredients - she slices up 60kg of beef herself - and managing the daily operations. She has no regrets.

The manpower issue continues to dog her. The prep work is brutally labour intensive: the chilli, for instance, takes five days’ work because of the addition of blue ginger, which has to be hand-shredded, squeezed, then sun-dried and de-veined with scissors.

She adamantly refuses to cut corners on this, saying it is part of educating the younger generation of customers so a heritage is not lost.

But the chilli definitely complements the beef slices, which are briefly scalded so they remain deliciously pink and tender.

Going for the noodles in soup is a good choice. The broth is characteristically Teochew with a mild, simple herbal flavour.

If you still prefer the dry version, add some pickled vegetable garnish. It is juicy and a tad too salty, but does the job to moderate the thick sauce so it does not get too heavy.

Despite staffing problems, Ms Tan has expanded to a total of four outlets; a new branch at Alexandra Retail Centre offers an extended menu which will be rolled out to other branches soon.

Her brother Ken has joined the business.

To those who gripe that $6.50 to $8.50 for a Hock Lam original is too steep, Ms Tan has this snappy comeback: “Why is one more willing to pay more than $15 for a bowl of ramen with three thin slices of pork?”

Fine, she’s got us there.

** End of Article **
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We dined at the Alexandra Retail Centre (ARC) outlet. This is possibly the most upmarket of all the outlets. For 2 pax, it can cost almost S$60.00 to dine here if you choose 2 set meals with 1-2 additional dishes e.g. vegetables like what we ordered.

Per set meal comprising of 1 bowl of Beef Noodles, 1 side dish and 1 drink costs about S$15.00.

But hey, for such wonderful food, we don’t mind paying a little bit more!

Above: Long Beans with Chye Poh (Pickled Vegetables). Their signature dish. Highly recommended. It is truly delish!

Above: Spicy Chicken Nuggets. This comes as part of the Set Meal. Really succulent yet, so crispy!

Above: Coleslaw. This also comes as part of a Set Meal. You have an option to choose either Spicy Chicken Nuggets or Coleslaw as your side dish.

Above: Fried Pumpkin. My friend apparently loves this!

Official Website: http://www.hocklambeef.com/blog/

Food Rating: 5/5 (yes, I am serious)

HOCK LAM BEEF

Outlets:
Far East Square:
22 China Street, #01-01, Far East Square
Tel: +65 6220 9290

Operating Hours:
Monday to Sunday & PH: 10.00am – 9.00pm

Upper Serangoon:
949 Upper Serangoon Road
Tel: 6285 6119

Operating Hours:
Monday: Closed | Tuesday to Friday: 5.00pm to 11.00pm | Saturday, Sunday & PH: 10.00am – 11.00pm

Seah Street:
38 Seah Street
Tel: +65 6339 9641
Nearest MRT station: Esplanade, City Hall

ARC:
Alexandra Retail Center #02-24
460 Alexandra road
Singapore 119963

bonvivantsg:

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Above: Fine dining at The American Club’s 2nd Floor Restaurant, Singapore
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We recently celebrated a friend’s birthday at the rad American Club here in Singapore. For information, the Club is not opened to the general public. Membership is strictly for American citizens residing here OR for corporate memberships (i.e. American organizations with an office in Singapore). AND, it is not cheap to join the American Club either :-)

Needless to add, any place with the word “American” needs high level security. Security at the American Club is extremely tight. You are not even allowed to take photos of the area! And have you ever been to the American Embassy? Oh boy, when I was there recently, it looked like Fort Knox! I was trembling at the sight of guards holding automatic guns!
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Above & Below: The Lobby of the American Club. These photos which I have uploaded onto my blog have been checked and approved by the Club! Yes, they actually checked the photos that I took before allowing me to move on…
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Anyway, back to the American Club… We held the birthday celebration at the Club’s 2nd Floor Restaurant (yup, it’s literally called that)..and yes, it was located on the 2nd Floor! ;-)

The Club has a restaurant serving buffet, another cafe next to the swimming pool…and then there is the posh 2nd Floor Restaurant serving a la carte and set meals.

We chose the Set Meal. Per set meal (depending on which ones you choose) cost an average of S$35 which is really value for money. We chose the most expensive ones in the menu.

This is the most expensive Set Meal in the Menu:

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Above: For starters, we were served an array of the best warm breads available…from the Chinese Man Dous to Oatmeal bread et al. It was so delicious that we ordered another basketful of bread!
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Above: This is my Asian Tapas consisting (from left): Hunan Bean Curd wrapped with Sliced Roasted Duck + Deep-Fried Prawns tossed with hot Pumpkin Sauce + Steamed Chicken Dumplings. Verdict: It was sooo yummy that I was so tempted to order a second round of the Asian Tapas!
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Above: My main dish: The 80-Hour Braised Szechuan Style Beef Brisket with White Rice. Seriously, I don’t think they actually took 80 hours to cook this because it was still not tender enough when I ate it. A chunk of the beef brisket almost choked me! It was really difficult to chew! Sigh.
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Above: Mango Pudding for Dessert. This was perfect!
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This is the cheapest Set Meal in the Menu costing approximately S$25.00.
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Above: My friend had Dim Sum. It’s almost similar to my Asian Tapas…but the dumplings were not as expensive, I guess. Haha.
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Above: This is my friend’s main dish: Japanese Seafood Ramen. He said it was good. Whatever that means! He’s a man of very few words…
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This is Set Meal 2 i.e. The In-Between. Not too expensive and not the cheapest in the Menu!
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Above: Corn and Radish Soup. I was told this was - delish! ;-)
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Above: My friend’s main dish - Stir-Fried Beef with Yam + White Rice. Again, the verdict given for this dish was - delish!
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Above: Aloe Vera with Ice Cream for Dessert. Looks yummilicious!
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Above: Coffee, anyone?!
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GRACE!! ;-)
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The lovely 2nd Floor Restaurant.…

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The view of the gorgeous (and inviting!) swimming pool at the American Club as seen from the 2nd Floor Restaurant…
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If you have an opportunity to dine at the Club, I encourage you to check out the 2nd Floor Restaurant.

Buon Appetito!