Three signature dishes, three stories at Enjoy Eating House & Bar
Chef Joel Ong on three Singaporean signatures at Stevens near Orchard Road
For Chef Joel, the starting point is the food he grew up loving in Singapore. At Enjoy Eating House & Bar at Mercure Singapore on Stevens, near Orchard Road, family memories and professional kitchen experience come together in dishes shaped by his own preferences.
“We take our food seriously,” says Joel. As Chef Owner, he is closely involved in developing the recipes. Three signatures reveal that approach particularly well: Grandma’s Te Kah Bee Hoon, Opeh Leaf Hokkien Mee and Rolls Royce Rendang Beef Short Rib. Each has a different story, but all belong at a table where people share their food.
Grandma’s Te Kah Bee Hoon: a Sunday memory, finished in the wok
Joel visited his grandmother every Sunday while growing up. About once a month, she would cook pork leg bee hoon for the family. It is a dish he remembers from his earliest childhood, and the inspiration for Grandma’s Te Kah Bee Hoon (猪脚米粉).
After his grandmother passed away, Joel found himself missing her cooking. Following seven years in Thai restaurants, he decided to create Enjoy Eating House as a way to remember her and share the dishes he loved with others. Grandma’s Te Kah Bee Hoon remains Enjoy’s number-one signature dish today.
“It’s a sense of nostalgia and familiarity,” he says.
His grandmother used the front knuckle, prized for its gelatinous texture. At the restaurant, Joel chooses the meatier hind knuckle and serves it boneless, with the skin retained. The change gives diners more meat alongside the soft, gelatinous texture that makes the dish comforting.
The pork braises for about five hours with soy sauce, five spice, star anise, cinnamon, coriander, oyster sauce, pepper and rock sugar among other ingredients, until fork-tender. Its braising liquid becomes the foundation for the noodles.
The bee hoon is then wok-fried to develop wok hei—the smoky aroma developed through high-heat wok cooking—before the braising liquid is added. The vermicelli absorbs the sauce, becoming moist and lightly saucy. It is served with the braised pork leg, vegetables and shiitake mushrooms.
That wok finish is Joel’s addition to the family memory: something his grandmother could not achieve in the same way in her small HDB kitchen. The first impression is smoky, followed by the sweetness and savouriness of the braise, tender meat and yielding skin. Joel is heartened when guests tell him the dish reminds them of their own mother’s or grandmother’s cooking.
Opeh Leaf Hokkien Mee: a delivery favourite finds its place at the table
Joel was initially reluctant to put Hokkien mee on the restaurant menu. A substantial noodle dish can be a meal on its own, while he wanted diners to explore a variety of dishes together. During the COVID dining restrictions, however, he developed a delivery version.
There was strong demand, followed by encouragement from regulars when it was introduced at the restaurant. It eventually became a permanent fixture.
This is Singapore-style fried prawn Hokkien mee, rather than the dark, soy-led Kuala Lumpur style. Joel uses three types of noodles: yellow noodles, thick white bee hoon and thin bee hoon. He deliberately uses less yellow noodle because he prefers a less pronounced alkaline taste. It gives his version a different balance and mouthfeel, while keeping the flavour rich and punchy.
The stock features a serious amount of prawn heads and aromatics, cooked down for depth. The noodles are served with large prawns, squid, clams, house-roasted pork, freshly fried pork lard, bean sprouts and chives.
For Joel, two stages matter most: building the wok aroma, then gradually adding the stock so the noodles absorb its flavour as the sauce thickens and coats them. He keeps the finished noodles on the moist side because they continue to absorb sauce as they cool. The opeh leaf contributes more fragrance to the dish.
His suggested finishing touch is the homemade sambal and calamansi. Squeeze the lime over the noodles, add chilli to taste and mix: the acidity and heat meet the sweetness, savouriness and depth of the seafood stock.
Rolls Royce Rendang Beef Short Rib: richness with a refreshing counterpoint
The choice of beef is central to Joel’s rendang. He uses boneless short rib for the way it responds to slow braising: tender and succulent, while retaining strands that gently separate as you eat. It is a deliberate choice of cut and texture, rather than simply a larger serving of rendang.
The rempah starts with coriander and cumin seeds, chillies, garlic and shallots. Joel cooks coconut milk until it releases its oil, then fries the paste with aromatics including kaffir lime leaves and lemongrass. The beef is prepared over 48 hours, allowing the rendang flavours to develop and the short rib to become tender.
The result is a rich, gently sweet sauce with warmth rather than overwhelming chilli heat. The short rib should be tender enough to cut with a spoon, with the beef and aromatic sauce enjoyed together in each mouthful.
The winged bean kerabu is an essential part of that experience. Its crunch and citrusy, spicy dressing cut through the richness of the beef, while toasted coconut adds another layer of texture and flavour. Joel wants diners to give the side as much attention as the short rib itself.
For Joel, the appeal lies in the quality of the cut, the patient preparation and how the beef, sauce and salad work together.
Find these dishes at Enjoy Eating House & Bar
Grandma’s Te Kah Bee Hoon, Opeh Leaf Hokkien Mee and Rolls Royce Rendang Beef Short Rib are served on the regular menu at Enjoy Eating House & Bar, 30 Stevens Road, unit 01-07, Singapore 257840, near Orchard Road.
Supper has a separate menu from 9:30pm; these three signatures are not part of that supper menu. Please refer to the full menu for current prices and availability.
Meet Chef Joel Ong and discover the story behind Enjoy’s four outlets.
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