The hunt for great char siew continues. With endless places offering Cantonese delicacies, char siew has varied from version to version— from different parts to different marinades. A place that serves one-of-a-kind char siew though, is Char.
Known for its spectacular spread of Cantonese roast meats, the Michelin-recommended restaurant has received recognition for its food over the years, as it was awarded a Michelin Plate from 2016 to 2018, and was listed in the Michelin Guide from 2018 to 2019.
Now, they’ve come up with an exciting spicy line-up that you can’t even guess.
New to the restaurant is a familiar favourite flavour, the Mala Char Siew (S$20). A bulk of mala-crazed Singaporeans have gone bonkers over it and its counterparts, influencing the addition in the menu. Char’s version utilises the fattiest part in the pig, pork belly, for more succulence and flavour. This melted almost instantaneously in my mouth— it was so good.
Its flavour comprises 13 different spices and possesses a right amount of kick so that it wouldn’t be too heavy for you to continue your meal.
When I warned you that you probably wouldn’t be able to guess what Char has come up in their new menu, I meant it. I’m sure you couldn’t have guessed what they invented. And yes, you’re seeing this right, there are bananas on top of vegetables. This is the Okra Banana Delight (S$15.50). What inspired the creativity was the lack of fans for ladies fingers.
The banana is warmed lightly on a skillet before plating, and the natural sweetness of the fruit complements its counterpart relatively well, masking the sliminess of the natural okra.
Is it time for dessert yet? Nope, it is just Spicy Sichuan Chicken with Ice Cream (S$18.80). Char understands how la zi ji can be unbearably spicy for some, so they created this hot-and-cold dish that aids with your spice tolerance, all while enjoying the sichuan spices!
It was quite an eye-opener. Never before have I heard of utilising ice cream to subside spice, but I can always expect this restaurant to come up with interesting combinations. I guess that’s why they are worthy of their awards.
One of the few carbohydrates in their new menu would be the Crabmeat Fried Rice (S$19.80). I was wondering why this bowl tasted so incredibly premium, and I found out that it was made by chunks of prized Sri Lankan crab meat. With a huge portion of tobiko blanketed on top, it isn’t as fishy as you would think of it to be.
As they had quite a few new items to their menu, I figured I had to filter out the best of the best. A shout-out is deserved for this particular dish: Tornado Butter Egg Prawns (S$22). Well executed with skillful technique, the chef whipped the egg batter into a consistency that is as thin as a candy floss, making this incredibly addictive. If you’re a fan of ordering salted egg prawns at tze char restaurants, I am sure you’ll like this version more.
Whether or not they’ve zhng-ed up one of Singapore’s favourite dishes at Char, we love them either way. With influences from Chinese and Malaysian backgrounds, this spot is going to be the new it spot for a friendly yet premium tze char meal.
By the way, if you love the basics, try out their original char siew… It was unbelievable!
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Char
363 Jalan Besar, Singapore 208994
Char
363 Jalan Besar, Singapore 208994
