Ang Moh Roast at CH叉R

Ang moh sous vide style cooking + Cantonese style roast = Char.  The lion made his way down for a taste test at this new joint. Will it fail his Asian palate? The man behind this restaurant is a Vietnamese-born, UK citizen. He is helped at the helm by a consulting chef who is also his brother. This brother owns a Chinese restaurant in Birmingham, England. Personally, the lion had hoped for some verbal abuse that might take him back to the rudest restaurant in London - Wong Kei.    

 Located underneath an unassuming block of low rise apartments
along Guillemard Road, Char is not difficult to spot. Watch out for its clean
black signage. The hip Tuckshop, who counts HK actress Cecilia Cheung
as its patron, is just a few doors away... ... We wonder if she has tried
this place.......

Waaaah.... Authenticity declared. Ok challenge accepted.

Cantonese Roast given a mod update.

Palate cleanser - lime juice.

Poor little pig... ... doesn't know its fate.

Simple but modern furnishings. Great for family dinners.

Lion and friends got the triple roast platter to share ($20.50).
You get to choose 3 meats out of 4. They picked the roast duck,
crispy pork belly and the special char siew.

The roast duck was a little disappointing for the lion as he's
more of a traditionalist when it comes to roast (his late uncle
was a roast chef). The skin was rendered dry and the meat juicy,
but taste wise, it was nothing extraordinary or to live for
compared to local gold standards around the island.

Special Char Siew.... now this is the highlight. The lion usually
does not like his meats sweet but this char siew was well-balanced
(for lack of a better word). It had a good ratio of fats and the caramalised
glaze was not too overtly sweet. The meat was so tender (thanks to
sous vide?) and was not too charred with a little addictive burnt ends
left.

The roast pork belly is another must-try dish that had been
marinated in a medley of Chinese (and not so Chinese) herbs
and spices overnight. After which, it is roasted on high heat till the
skin bubble. Again, a good ratio of succulent fats, juicy meat and
crackling skin. Nuff said.

 Hot and sour soup ($5).  This classic Sichuan broth is comfortingly
yummy but for those who are not adventurous on the spice trail, do
tell them not to add chilli padi into the soup.

Beef hor fun ($12)..... well, just order if you need to have your
carbo fix.

Verdict? The Char Siew and Pork Belly are worth a try. The lion thinks the char siew resembles the acclaimed version at Overseas Restaurant in KL. Apart from food, there is also a selection of English ciders and beers. A comfy place to have your meal and then wash it all down with English booze.

CH叉R

393 Guillemard Road 

Singapore 399790

www.char.com.sg

Mellben Legend at a hidden spot

If you are Singaporean or a crab lover and you have never heard of Mellben, well.... you've been missing out on something pretty awesome. Mellben Legend, one of the crab institutions of Singapore, has moved to Ruby Lane.

Situated at a small neighbourhood in between Bendemeer and Potong Pasir, getting to Mellben Legends is a bit of a challenge. There are many one-way roads and one wrong turn could lead you on a highway to another realm. But for the crabs it is worth it.

Salad You Tiao

Homemade Beancurd with Mince

Prawns in sweet and sour soup

 

Mixed fried bean

Laksa Crab

Black Pepper Crab

Golden Sand Crab

There is no review for this as Mellben is well known for their crab. 

For those who are interested in going there, here is the address:

Mellben Legend

9 Opal Crescent

Singapore 328404

Tel No : 6509 0918

Liliputan Adventures at Tiny's Cafe

Mandai Estate? Woodlands road? These road names does not seem to have any link to great food places but the lions managed to sniff one out around that area - Tiny's Cafe. Always wanting to do a review on this little (now huge and modern) zichar place, we finally did after visiting the place with Cuchi's family members. Knowing that Cuchi's dad likes cheap and good food, and Cuchi's brother, Kermit, likes crabs, we decided to bring them to Tiny's Cafe. Situated in the old picket and rail warehouse at Mandai Estate, it is a rather difficult to find but the boss of Tiny's Cafe (I believe he is called Amos) has set up a huge crab sign overlooking woodlands road thus you cannot miss it.

A rustic interior with wrought iron chairs and toasted brown tiles

It's a mini museum as well!

Unbeknownst to all, the dumb waiter in the middle can actually rotate by itself

Tiny's Cafe has a lovely rustic but yet modern ambience. The exterior of Tiny's Cafe looks mundane, like one of those industrial building or warehouses around it but once you step in, it's a different feel altogether. We later found out that the owner of Tiny's also owns the furniture shop on top of the cafe. However, as the lions' stomachs were crying, food has to be ordered before exploring further.

Stir fried vegetable with dragon mince (It's just pork floss ok.....)

Marmite Pork Ribs

Salted egg crab

Initially when we first came to Tiny's Cafe, we thought it would be the normal zichar fare. We were surprised that they offer Devil's Curry and Captain's Curry alongside other Portuguese-influenced zichar. Salted egg crab, stir-fried kailan with dragon mince, fried chicken wings, devil's curry, marmite pork ribs and cai poh omelette were the orders of the day. Unfortunately before I could whip up the camera for a shot, the devil's curry, fried chicken wings and cai poh omelette were decimated. The fried chicken wings were crispy and had been marinated well before they were fried. The stir-fried kailan with dragon mince caught our attention with its name. Deep fried seaweed was placed on top of the vegetables followed by a sprinkling of the dragon mince (meat floss). Devil's curry was definitely unique, spicy like our local curry with a hint of sourness in it. Most of the salted egg crab was devoured by Kermit when it came. Unlike some of its peers, this version of salted egg crab is dry and not creamy. The meaty succulent crab was outstanding.

As I mentioned earlier, there is a furniture shop above Tiny's - Watershapes. Selling mainly designer furniture, it is well worth a look.

Here is our review for Tiny's Cafe

Price of food: Zichar pricing

Food quality: 8.5 pawprints out of 10
Ambience: 8 pawprints out of 10

Specials that you should try: Salted egg crab, kailan with dragon mince, eurasian fried rice/noodles, devil's curry
 
Tiny's Cafe is a good place for a family outing as they can accommodate a huge number of people (Yes they have a single table for 15 people. Check the above photo) Plus parking is free. Do check out the stage that they have if you've got any parties or events.  

For those who are interested in going there, here is the address and website

 Tiny's Cafe and Lounge

566 Woodlands Road, Mandai Estate,

Waterbridge Building, Singapore 728697

Tel: 6362 1223