The Chinese roast pork with a "char siew liquid candy effect".
Without a doubt, Roast Paradise will always be my go-to place for char siew (Chinese roast pork) in Singapore. And that's coming from a char siew gastronome who's run the gamut of some of the best char siew in our little island-state.
What truly impresses me is the char siew's perfectly charred, caramelised top layer that's savoury-sweet but without a trace of bitterness. And there is just the right amount of fat underneath the charred layer that readily melts and fuses with it to create what I call a "char siew liquid candy effect".
Take a bite into the super tender and moist meat, and this char siew liquid candy immediately becomes the perfect condiment for the meat.
One must-order item every time I visit the stall would be its char siew noodles, which is a dry noodles dish made of broad Hakka noodles that's seasoned with the char siew drippings collected while the meat is being roasted — the "char siew juice", if you will.
Always say "yes" when you are offered a dollop of chilli paste to go with the noodles, simply because it truly adds another delicious dimension of flavour to this dish. Trust me on this.
While this stall also offers sio bak, or cripsy roast pork belly, I have to say that it is still not one of my favourite sio bak, yet.
Nine years in business, I must say that the young bosses who have learnt their craft from a master in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, have taken the art of char siew to a whole new level. While I wouldn't say that their prices are cheap by hawker centre standards, it was definitely worth it.
I found out that they also own a restaurant on Killiney Road called Fook Kin (in partnership with The Muttons from Class 95 FM), which serves up a wider range of dishes, on top of what they offer at their stall in Old Airport Road Food Centre and other outlets.
Time for me to check that out soon!
Locate it
Address:
Roast Paradise
Old Airport Road Food Centre
51 Old Airport Rd, #01-121, Singapore 390051
Operating Hours:
Tuesday-Sunday, 10:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.
(closed on Mondays)
Call:
9786 7396
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