Gubak Kia: Heritage beef noodles available at Amoy Street bar Moonstone for lunch

If you ask a colleague where to go for the best beef noodles in the CBD, you probably won’t expect a bar to be one of the recommendations.

Well, at least not until recently — this isn’t exactly a new spot, but hawker brand Gubak Kia’s beef noodles are now available at Moonstone for lunch.

The brand has been a part of the bar’s space ever since Gubak Kia chef-owner John Paul joined as Moonstone’s head chef, after his stall initially shuttered in 2021.

What’s new is that, as of May 24, the bar will be open during the day and serving beefy noods to the CBD lunch crowd.

If you need some persuasion to try the beef noodles, know this: John Paul is actually a fourth-generation hawker who took over a family business with a rich history.

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John Paul’s father is none other than David Lim, the retired bossman of the famous Empress Place Beef Kway Teow.

On top of all that, you can actually trace the brand’s beef noodle recipe back to Hock Lam Beef Noodle — John Paul and David are actually related to the owners of the legendary brand.

Beef noods and Hokkien mee

The name “Gubak Kia” was a cheeky nickname that means “beef kid” and, given the associated heritage, you’d expect the beef noodles to be the star.

You won’t be wrong to assume that, but we also strongly recommend trying the lunch-time exclusive fried Hokkien mee (S$14) that Uncle David spent a lot of time researching and fine-tuning.

Uncle David is quite a connoisseur and prefers his Hokkien mee on the drier side.

That means that Gubak Kia’s Hokkien mee sees all of that rich homemade prawn stock nicely absorbed by the noodles.

The result is a wonderfully umami and fragrant rendition — with a good dose of wok hei to boot — that can compete with many of the most popular Hokkien mee stalls in Singapore!

Nonetheless, lunch at Moonstone must still involve some beef noodles, since that’s where Gubak Kia’s draws its origins from.

The most classic beef kway teow (S$14) is the obvious choice and the Moonstone team recommends it dry, so you can savour the special Gubak Kia chilli.

As expected, the noodles are soft and springy, while the chilli is bright and piquant, adding plenty of flavour. The beef slices were silky and tender, too!

If you’d prefer a bit more pizzazz, there’s also a “mala” kway teow (S$14) that comes with speciality mala oil to spice things up.

Those looking for a lower carb meal can also opt for the mixed beef soup (S$16) to enjoy Gubak Kia’s signature master stock, sans the noodles.

Each bowl comes with a medley of sliced beef, brisket, tripe, tendon, beef ball and an abundance of beansprouts. 

Like with any good beef soup, the broth was comforting — tasting light and transparent — but packing more beefy richness than your usual. 

Besides that, the components were all outstandingly cooked — especially the tripe, which was nicely chewy and clean tasting.

Comfort hawker fare aside, Gubak Kia also has an interesting novel creation on its menu, the Gubak bao (S$12 for two, S$15 for three)

Basically a beefy spin on kongba bao, this one comes with soupy pulled beef brisket and is supplemented with daikon and carrot pickles for some acidity — quite interesting.

If you ask us, we think Moonstone might be a great new lunch alternative for those in Telok Ayer.

Good beef noodles, solid Hokkien mee, aircon seating and decent prices? It’s definitely a good place to add to your rotation!

This was an invited tasting.

For more ideas on what to eat, read our stories on the best eats at the ever-popular Newton Food Centre and how to make Korean knife noodles according to a Korean chef.

Enjoy up to 50% off when you dine with GrabFood Dine Out.

You can also book a ride to Moonstone if you want to try Gubak Kia for lunch!