Gubak Kia Review: Beef Short Rib Kway Teow By Son Of Empress Place Beef Kway Teow

Gubak Kia translates to “beef kid”, and is the nickname of 24-year-old owner, John Paul Lim. Wishing to continue his father’s legacy of Empress Place Beef Kway Teow, John learnt the ropes but chose to make it his own.

Even if he follows his father’s beef soup and chilli sauce recipes closely, John lets his creative side loose with a few of his other dishes. Food at Gubak Kia Branching out from the OG Empress Place Beef Kway Teow, Gubak Kia dishes still feature the familiar beef broth.

What caught my eye was their Beef Short Ribs Kway Teow , which costs either $12.90 for 300g or $14.90 for 400g . As a lover of meat, I obviously went all out with the 400g rib, and I have no regrets. This dish is definitely a showstopper with its massive beef short rib that’s close to as big as my face!

Glistening in all its glory, the meat was charred and crispy on the outside. This is all thanks to John’s efforts of sous-viding the ribs for 48 hours.

This results in a smoky aroma that combines with the strong natural beef savour to form a savoury marriage. Fans of Empress Place Beef Kway Teow would be familiar with the flavours, as John kept to his father’s classic chilli sauce.

Gubak Kia in addition serves the traditional Mixed Beef Kway Teow Soup ($7.90) featuring the original beef broth. I was surprised by the lightness of the broth, as I anticipated it to be more heavy and gao like Thai beef noodles . The chewiness of the tripe contrasted with the tendon which melted in my mouth.

These bao come either as a pair ($5.90) or as a trio ($6.90) , and I opted to get the former. The bao are marked with Gubak Kia’s logo, foreshadowing my stamp of approval of this dish. As I bit into the warm and soft bun, juices oozed out from the tender and flavourful beef shreds.

Ambience at Gubak Kia From live band music to graffiti murals adorning the complex, Timbre+ is not your average hawker centre. The verdict Timbre+ may be out of the way for those not working in the surrounding business park, but there is a certain charm to this food park that makes you want to travel down.

I would head back down to unwind from work, with a bottle of beer in hand and beef rib in the other.