An Unexpected Find

When in doubt, we pick eateries that are obviously well patronised. That's not to say that we are suckers for hype, but it makes sense to me that people go to where the food is good. This is even more so when these are hawker stalls, which in general are less prone to the kind of hype that afflicts the restaurant industry. We look at how many people patronise a particular stall. Long queues may mean hype (or not), but definitely indicate must tries. Some business may mean not everyone's cup of tea, but worth trying if the opportunity arises. No business at all? Hmmm...

That's why it took us 11 months to get round to Tan's Beef Noodles, located just downstairs at the Buona Vista Hawker Centre. In a hawker centre that is bustling at lunch time, few patronised the stall, a bad sign if ever there was one. Still, it's one of the few stalls open in the evening, so one evening when HM was late back, I gave it a shot. The noodles were dense, like la mian should be, and the stock was sufficiently beefy. I thought it good enough to recommend to HM.

a $4.50 bowl

HM liked it too, so now we have an alternative to ban mian for those evening meals downstairs. As for the lack of business, the owner himself says that people either love it or hate it...