Bee Kia Seafood Restaurant - Wok-Charred Beef Hor Fun

Tucked inside a coffee shop along Thomson Road, opposite Thomson Medical Centre, Bee Kia Seafood Restaurant has built its reputation on two dishes that appear on nearly every table: Beef Hor Fun and Prawn Paste Chicken. The stall does not operate with a printed menu, relying instead on a wok-fired repertoire of zi char staples built up over decades. Despite its name, the kitchen’s strength lies less in seafood and more in its beef and fried chicken preparations, cooked over high heat in the classic zi char style. Beyond the two signatures, the stall turns out a full spread of stir-fried meats, claypot dishes, and vegetable plates that round out a typical order.

Beef Hor Fun — $8

The stall’s most ordered dish consists of broad, flat rice noodles wok-charred over high heat until they take on a smoky, slightly blistered edge. The noodles are then tossed with generous slices of beef in a thick, savoury sauce built on fermented black beans, finished with a touch of chilli for mild heat. A single portion is substantial enough to serve two. The dish is best eaten immediately, as the charred aroma and heat fade quickly once it leaves the wok.

Prawn Paste Chicken (Har Cheong Gai) — $10

The stall’s other signature is chicken marinated in fermented prawn paste before being deep-fried to a deep golden colour. The result is a shell that turns audibly crisp on the outside while keeping the meat beneath moist. Rather than sticking to a single cut, the chicken parts served can vary by portion, drawing from wings, drumlets, and other sections of the bird. The prawn paste flavour comes through as a background savoury note rather than an overpowering one, allowing the meat itself to stand out.

Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs — $10

Pork ribs are battered and fried before being tossed in a tangy, lightly sweetened sauce, typically studded with pineapple and bell pepper. The ribs are cut to retain bite around the bone, giving the dish more textural contrast than boneless versions of the same preparation.

Hei Zho Prawn Roll — $10

This dish wraps minced prawn paste in bean curd skin before deep-frying, producing a roll with a brittle, golden exterior and a dense, savoury prawn filling. The preparation is a traditional zi char starter, valued for the contrast between its crisp skin and tightly packed interior.

Ginger Onion Fish Slices — $10

Fish fillets are stir-fried with a heavy hand of ginger and onion, producing a fragrant, lightly gravied dish. The ginger is sliced rather than minced, giving diners distinct pieces of aromatic ginger throughout rather than a uniformly blended sauce.

Claypot Tofu — $10

Soft tofu is braised in a claypot with a savoury sauce, often alongside minced meat or vegetables depending on the day’s preparation. Cooking the dish in a claypot allows the tofu to retain its silken texture while absorbing the surrounding gravy, and keeps the dish piping hot at the table for longer than a plated version would.

Sambal Kang Kong — $8

Water spinach is stir-fried with a chilli-based sambal paste, giving the leafy vegetable a spicy, slightly pungent coating. The kang kong is cooked briefly over high heat to retain crunch in the stalks while allowing the leaves to wilt just enough to take on the sambal’s flavour.

Old Cucumber Pork Rib Soup

A double-boiled soup made with mature old cucumber and pork ribs, simmered until the broth turns clear and lightly sweet from the cucumber’s natural flavour. The dish is a regular order among returning diners, serving as a lighter counterpoint to the wok-fried dishes that dominate the rest of the menu. Pricing for this soup could not be verified across available sources and has been omitted accordingly.

Bee Kia Seafood Restaurant continues to draw a steady stream of regulars to its corner of the coffee shop, with the beef hor fun and prawn paste chicken remaining the dishes most diners come back for. The broader menu of stir-fried meats, claypot dishes, and vegetable plates gives the stall enough range for a full zi char meal beyond its two best-known orders.

Address: 1 Thomson Road, #01-326, Singapore, 300001
Opening Hours: 12pm – 11pm daily
Tel: +65 6254 8490