Beef noodles
Photo: Fumikas Sagisavas · CC0

History

Beef noodles in Kuala Lumpur are a Hakka and Cantonese hawker tradition concentrated in the streets of Chinatown. Cooks simmer brisket, tripe and tendon for hours, pound beef into springy balls, and serve the noodles two ways: in the broth, or dry with a savoury minced beef gravy and the soup on the side. Soong Kee on Jalan Tun H S Lee has made its dry minced beef noodles and hand-rolled beef balls since 1945, now in its second generation, and Lai Foong on the same road has simmered its beef soup since 1956. Order dry with the soup on the side to taste both.

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Common allergens: Gluten, Soy

Make it at home

Yield Serves 4Hands-on 30 minTotal 3 hrDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 800g beef brisket, in one piece
  • 300g beef tendon
  • 2 star anise, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 tsp Sichuan or white peppercorns
  • 1 thumb ginger, sliced
  • 3 litres water
  • 300g minced beef
  • 2 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1 tsp cornflour
  • 3 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 500g fresh wheat noodles
  • Lettuce, fried shallots and spring onion to serve
  • Salt

Method

  1. Blanch the brisket and tendon for 5 minutes, drain and rinse.
  2. Simmer them with the spices, ginger and water for 2 hours 30 minutes until tender; season the broth with salt and slice the meat.
  3. Fry the garlic, add the minced beef, oyster sauce and both soy sauces and cook 5 minutes; loosen with a ladle of broth and thicken with the cornflour.
  4. Boil the noodles for 1 minute, drain and toss with the minced beef sauce and fried shallots.
  5. Serve the dry noodles with a bowl of broth holding the sliced brisket, tendon and lettuce.

Tip from the editors. Skim the broth often in the first 30 minutes; a clean broth is what separates a good bowl from a muddy one.

Where to eat beef noodles

Beef noodles in Kuala Lumpur

Soong Kee Beef Noodle ★ 4.2

$ NoodlesChinatown

Soong Kee Beef Noodle has sold dry minced beef noodles and hand-rolled beef balls on Jalan Tun H S Lee in Kuala Lumpur since 1945, now second generation.

OrderOrder the dry beef noodles with beef balls, made to the same recipe since 1945.

TipA small bowl runs about RM13. Go before 12:00 or after 14:00, since the Chinatown lunch crowd takes every table.

Directions

Lai Foong Beef Noodles ★ 4.2

$ Chinese MalaysianChinatown

Lai Foong Beef Noodles on Jalan Tun H.S. Lee, across from Kuala Lumpur's Chinatown, has simmered its beef noodle soup and lala clams since 1956.

TryBeef noodle soup and lala clam meehoon

TipGo before 10am on weekends, the beef tendon usually sells out by early afternoon.

Directions

Sin Kiew Yee Shin Kee Beef Noodles ★ 4.2

$ NoodlesChinatown

Sin Kiew Yee Shin Kee Beef Noodles has sold beef noodles in Chinatown, Kuala Lumpur, since 1949 and now carries a Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition.

OrderOrder the dry beef noodles with tripe, tossed in a savory minced beef sauce.

TipIt closes on Wednesdays, so plan a Chinatown noodle stop for another weekday.

Directions

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