Soon Lee Stew Beef (牛二代) – Herbal Stews in Alexandra Village Food Centre

Maybe it has been the late nights, but I found myself being less energetic these days. I thought it might be a good time for a hearty herbal stew to get myself back on track.

Soon Lee Stew Beef (牛二代) can be found in a corner of Alexandra Village Food Centre. Its menu is rather lean, comprising Beef Stew with different parts(ranging from $5 – $10), Herbal Mutton Soup ($6/8/10) and Seasoned Vegetables with Oyster Sauce ($5).

I ordered the Stew Beef & Tendon Fire-pot ($6), the Beef-ball soup ($5) and the Herbal Mutton Soup ($6) to share with my dining partner.

The Stew Beef & Tendon Fire-pot ($6) came in a claypot. You don’t need to dig deep to find out how much meat they’ve put in. The wonderfully tender beef cubes and chewy tendons sat in a flavorful broth that had sour hints brought about by the incorporation of salted vegetables.

I also found a good portion of potatoes and carrots in my soup. These ingredients lent a lovely sweetness to the soup.

The Beef-ball soup ($5) came with 7 firm but tender beef balls.  They were such a joy to bite into!

I saved the best for last — the Herbal Mutton Soup ($6). While it says Herbal Mutton Soup in English on the menu, the Chinese title is (当归羊肉汤), which actually translates to Angelica Mutton Soup.

And they weren’t kidding. The mutton Soup carried a deep and rich herbal flavour. Its taste can be likened to Traditional Chinese medicinal tea. A lot of places avoid using too much herbs so that the dish can cater to more palates. It’s been a while since I’ve had such deep herbal flavours and I really enjoyed the soup. The mutton ribs in the soup were tender and delicious too.

Just when I thought I was about done with my meal, I remembered the home made chilli sauce that I took from the counter. The appetising sourness of the chilli sauce awoke my senses, and made me crave for more. The chilli sauce made me feel like I was hungry again, and ready for another bowl of goodness!

I poured the chilli sauce into my soup and the result was incredible. I’ll recommend finishing three-quarters of your soup, before adding in the chilli sauce.

I had to ask the chef about the chilli sauce. He shared with me 2 of the key ingredients in the concoction — white vinegar and calamansi.

It was my first visit to Soon Lee, but it certainly won’t be my last.

MissTamChiak.com made an anonymous visit and paid its own meal at the stall featured here.

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