Cheng Kee Beef Kway Teow, a popular food stall in Kovan, closed in February 2024.

However, all is not lost.

A new stall, Cowboy Beef Noodles, has opened in its place at the Meetup @ 203 coffee shop.

Cheng Kee was previously operating for at least two decades.

Reviews of the beef noodles were full of praise for its "robust soup" and "tender" beef slices, all painstakingly prepared by the stall owner.

There was always a snaking queue during meal times.

About the previous owners

According to comments on a Facebook post on the "Hawkers United - Dabao 2020" page, the owner of the stall was a man known to patrons as Uncle Chua (pictured on top on the left).

But he was not the original founder of the business.

One commenter noted that Uncle Chua had taken over the stall from a previous owner, known as Ah Qing.

Ah Qing apparently worked as an apprentice, and then as a stall owner at the former Simon Road Market.

When the Simon Road Market closed down in 1999, Ah Qing relocated, together with several other hawkers, to Kovan to continue their trade. 

Many years later when Ah Qing retired, Uncle Chua took over the stall.

Younger chap at the helm

The current owner of the new stall, Cowboy Beef Noodles, is a young chap, Oscar.

A review on Miss Tam Chiak mentioned that Oscar was previously an assistant at Cheng Kee.

The review praised Cowboy Beef Noodles for carrying over the rich, robust flavours of the previous stall while giving it a new spin, such as through the use of a "new Thai-inspired chilli".

Prices have gone up slightly at the new stall though.

While the regular beef kway teow at Cheng Kee cost S$5, the beef sliced soup at Cowboy Beef Noodles costs S$7.

Cowboy Beef Noodles

Block 203 Hougang Street 21

Opens daily 8am-8pm

Top photo from Don Leow