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Last Saturday, WL and I were in Taman Danau Desa around 2 in the afternoon, wondering what to have for lunch. After mulling it over for a bit, we decided to try out this beef noodle place. Now we have passed the place on several occasions and have been wanting to try it out for a long time now. In fact, we have gone as far as the main entrance on one prior occasion but decided against it since we were on a shoestring budget then. However, since got paycheck, it being lunch time and us being in the vicinity, the rest, as they say, is history.

Now for those of you who don’t know how to get to Taman Danau Desa, take the highway heading towards Seremban Highway (the connection is from MidValley). The first turning to your left will lead you out of the highway into Taman Desa. When you come to a cross road with traffic lights and a mosque, hang a right left and you’ll be in Taman Danau Desa. Take the second turning to your right. You’ll pass along a road with apartments on either side, shop houses on your left, and a shell station at the end of the road. Turn left into the shop houses. Go straight down to the second row of shops. The restaurant is on your right just before you reach the end of the t-junction.

Parking shouldn’t be too difficult as there’s ample parking space around the area. You can try double parking if you dare but be warned that the local authorities (DBKL and traffic police) do come by the area to write out summons.

Now one of the things that caught my eye the first time I passed by the place was that it had what they called a “Super Lunch Set” (This was also the reason why I didn’t try it the last time cause they don’t have set meals for dinner X-(). Anyway, the super lunch set which costs RM5.90 nett consists of a main course, drink, and desert of the day. This is cheap when compared to the normal price of a main dish which may range from RM6.90 upwards. Lunch sets are valid for lunch only (obviously) which is between 12pm and 3pm.

When we walked into the restaurant, I was quite surprised at how big the place was. Unlike some places where the back of your chair bumps into the guy sitting behind you, the tables here were spread out with ample room for you to stretch out and relax. One other thing that I noticed immediately was the super cool airconditioning! The afternoon was a very hot one, and the cold air felt great after the short walk from where we had parked.

Inspite of the airconditioned environment, the air was not smelly and oily from the kitchen was behind a wall of tinted glass. Another plus to the establishment for keeping the kitchen and dining area seperate and sealed off. I do pity the kitchen staff though, as you can see them through the tinted glass slaving away on the otherside on a hot Saturday afternoon.

In one corner of the restaurant, there was a spot for a band, complete with drumset, keyboard, and guitars. I assume that at night, they have live performances. This is interesting indeed. The restaurant seemed to be full of surprises. They say that first impressions are very important. I must say that I agree and I was very impressed.

Anyway, as the name may suggest, this is a beef specialty restaurant (although they do serve other meats). We looked at the lunch set and decided to go with a stir fried vermicelli with beef (read: Ngau Yok Kon Hor Chau / Dry Fried Kuay Teow with beef), and a beef curry with rice. Drinks and desert were leong cha (herbal tea) hong tau sui (red bean soup) respectively.

Since the place looked like one of those pricey Taiwan style restaurants, I was expecting a stingy serving of fried kuay teow. However, they surprised me yet again. The Ngau Yok Kon Hor Chau smelt great when they served it to us in a big ass plate with a generous serving of kuay teow and beef. I’m sure there was enough on the plate to satisfy my appetite. The taste and quality is what you would expect of any respectable restaurant night time chinese restaurants. It wasn’t “OMG I must eat another plate” spectacular, but it wasn’t bad either. If I had to represent it with a number, I would give it a 4 out of 5.

In contrast, the Beef Curry with rice was kind of disappointing. They give you exactly one bowl of rice, and a medium sized serving of beef curry. That’s it! Nothing else. No cucumbers on the side, no lettuce to decorate the plate, no tomato slices to add some colour, no vegetables for your nutritional RDA (Recommended Daily Allowances). Just warm (not even hot) beef curry on rice. There wasn’t even potatoes in the curry! However, to their credit, the curry tasted good, with a slightly sweet milky taste to it, and the beef was tender. WL said she liked it. Me, I’ll go with the fried kuay teow.

Well, overall, the meal was alright. It served the purpose of filling our stomachs and at RM5.90 per person (inclusive of tax), it was a steal compared to other similar restaurants. The staff were easy going and friendly and the service was prompt. Atmosphere is great for conversation, although I’m not sure how its like on a weekday or at night.

I’m rather undecided whether or not I recommend the place. The place seems a little too pricey to me for a selection that you can just as easily get for a third of the price at a hawker centre. IMHO, there are just too many similar cafes and restaurants. But they do live up to the claim of being the home of beef cuisine. Beef lovers will have a field day with their wide selection. I recommend tring their super lunch sets first. And if you like the place, you can always go back for seconds. As for the lunch sets, its a noodle house, go for the noodles, stay away from the rice.

Beef Village Noodle House
The home of beef cuisine
17 & 19, Plaza Danau 2,
Jalan 5/109F,
Taman Danau Desa,
Off Jalan Klang Lama,
58100 Kuala Lumpur.

Tel: +603-7983 6008 / +603-7987 6008
Fax: +603-7987 6008

Business Hours: Lunch through to Dinner
Price: Main course from RM6.90 onwards. Super Lunch Sets at RM5.90 nett. Other lunch sets also available.