Fellow worldly foodies, rejoice(!), for the day has come. Taiwan’s famous flaming beef cubes, or rather, a re-creation of it, has finally come to Singapore.
Now you won’t have to travel all the way to Taiwan for a taste of this glorious beef, just to Plaza Singapura’s Huoyanshaiziniu.
Yes, the name and look of the place almost entirely mimics that of Taiwan’s flaming beef cubes, but it’s not the same franchise.
Huoyanshaiziniu is, in fact, the brainchild of two Singaporeans who are just extremely fond of this Taiwanese dish. They are Cheo Tianfeng and Sean Lee, in case you’d like to know who to thank.
To prepare these flaming beef cubes, beef is imported from Australia, cut into cubes, and flamed on a grill with a blowtorch. This preparation infuses a strong smoky flavour into the beef.
I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to attend Huoyanshaiziniu’s soft launch and taste the much sought-after flaming beef cubes. That day, they only served the Beef Cubes With Rice ($8).
And let me tell you, it was absolutely delicious! The beef, seasoned lightly and flamed on the grill, had a distinct smoky flavour that truly whet my appetite, even though it was about 10 in the morning.
While the exterior of the beef was charred and had a nice crust, the inside was succulent and juicy. It’s supposed to be cooked medium-rare, but I think mine were just a wee bit over.
I did find some pieces a little on the chewy side, making them difficult to swallow. I suspect that this lack of evenness on the cook of the beef was due to the fact that each beef cube was of a different size.
Still, it wasn’t too much of a hindrance, and I definitely enjoyed the beef.
Beneath the delicious beef cubes sat a bed of perfectly-cooked Japanese rice. And drizzled on top of the rice was their homemade yakitori sauce. Okay, I’ll admit it. The beef cubes were great, but the real MVP here was that unbelievable sauce.
A perfect blend of sweet, salty and sour, the yakitori sauce was packed with flavour. Moreover, it was smooth and had a good consistency, neither too thick nor grimy. With this sauce, it was truly quite impossible to stop eating the rice.
As I wanted to taste the different seasonings together with the beef, I decided to make another trip to Huoyanshaiziniu, when there was more from the menu to try. This time, I ordered two servings of the Beef Cubes ($6.90).
I rather liked the Starbucks-esque service I received. After taking my order, they asked for my name, and wrote it down on the takeaway boxes that my beef was to be packed in.
Anyway, after my order was ready, I proceeded to sprinkle garlic seasoning over one box, and seaweed seasoning over the other.
I much preferred the garlic seasoning to the seaweed one as it was way more fragrant, and amplified the beefy flavour. The seaweed seasoning was very faint, and didn’t really taste like much.
After getting a taste of both ways in which the beef is served, I think the Beef Cubes With Rice is certainly more worth its price. First, the rice makes it filling meal; second, the yakitori sauce is truly something else.
Overall, I think the hard work behind the conception of Huoyanshaiziniu really shows in the quality of food that’s served. According to Tianfeng, they spent three months developing the recipes for the beef, the yakitori sauce and the seasonings.
While I’m not sure if it’s on par with Taiwan’s flaming beef cubes, Singapore’s Huoyanshaiziniu can definitely hold its own. So, anytime you’re missing Taiwanese beef cubes, head on down to Plaza Singapura for a little taste of Taiwan!
Expected damage: $7 – $10 per pax
Huoyanshaiziniu: Plaza Singapura, #B2-49, 68 Orchard Road, Singapore 238839 | Opening Hours: 11am – 9.30pm (Daily) | Facebook
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