I made a trip down to Chalong to find a long queue of eager customers, which was coincidentally also the last day for their one-for-one promotion in lieu of their store opening.
Helming the kitchen is chef-owner Elin Boh — the 26-year-old holds a grand diploma for pastry and cuisine from Le Cordon Bleu (Paris), and a grand diploma from Oliver Bajard International School of Patisserie (Perpignan, France).
On a visit to Chalong located in Phuket, he chanced upon a well-known delicacy, the charcoal-grilled pork. Since then, the lingering taste of the pork compelled him to start up a store in Singapore.
The thing that keeps people going back to Chalong is none other than their meats, whereby the beef is air-flown from New Zealand and the pork is from Spain.
They are charcoal-grilled and smoked in apple wood using a Josper Oven, which caused the meats to be fuller in flavour, smokiness and texture on a whole.
The foods are prepared freshly and only the best ingredients are used in the process, such as the Japanese Yamagata Haneuki rice, Himalayan salt and Denmark butter.
The signature Grass-fed Black Angus Striploin ($14) is a popular item among customers.
It comes in thin strips of medium-rare beef brushed in Himalayan salt and crowned around a mi-cuit (half-cooked) egg. The French red wine sauce is drizzled over, providing the dish a glistening look, that causes one to salivate.
Another favourite is the 18hr sous vide jowl ($12) served with homemade chilli sauce. The pork jowl is tender and juicy on their own, while the chilli has a spicy kick that balances well with the sweetness of the pork.
Customers can also add on grilled asparagus ($1), grilled tomatoes ($1), extra rice ($1) and mi-cuit egg ($1), to make the meal more complete and wholesome.
Chalong is indeed a place full of potential, emphasizing on their meats that are marinated and grilled well. As a takeaway kiosk, it is popular among office crowds who wants something fuss-free and easy.
Expected Damage: $9 onwards