We tried Singapore’s worst-rated roasted meats stall

2.6 stars. Close to 200 individual users had taken the time to add their opinions about Hiang Ji Roasted Meat Noodle House. The majority seemed to have concluded this is a 1-star joint.

Hmmm, now that’s a place just asking to be reviewed for our Worst Rated series. Our own review from Sep 2019 had accorded it a passable 3 stars, in line with the general public sentiment. I delved into the recent online reviews to see what I was in for.

“Expensive, bad service & bad food,” read one, continuing, “Service is bordering on rude. I was a regular many years ago but since the change of boss, it’s bad service and bad food.” Another stated, “Below average roast meat, super dry and tough. Poor service, overpriced.”

There were also gripes about seating. “You’re in a group with friends who want to bring over food from other stalls while sharing the same table at this stall, CANNOT. You can ONLY eat their food on their tables, and they won’t allow you to bring their food to other stalls even if you returned for them after you were done. Most arrogant attitude.”

Well, well, well. I had my work cut out for me. Fortunately, Hiang Ji Roasted Meat Noodle House is situated in the Food Alley of Blk 190 Lorong 6 Toa Payoh, which isn’t too far from our office. (Note: Dish prices are not displayed on the board)

What I tried at Hiang Ji Roasted Meat Noodle House

I had to try the Chashao Roasted Pork Rice (S$7), which we had covered in our last review of Hiang Ji Roasted Meat Noodle House.

The dish comes with the standard-sized serving of rice and a fairly reasonable amount of roasted pork and char siew. They were generous with the sauce that’s poured over, too, so I prayed it would be good! While nothing fantastic, the sauce was decent. 

Both the meats weren’t bad, either. The portion of roasted pork was satisfactory, but I could have used a bit more char siew. The char siew pieces were quite tender and had a satisfying bite to them. The roasted pork had a nice balance of fat and meat, and I was pleased to discover that the ends were crispy. Score!

The dish came with no vegetables and just a couple of slices of diagonally-cut cucumber. Certainly not a very balanced meal, I’m afraid.

We tried the worst-rated Chilli Pan Mee in KL

Taste-wise, I have to say that it was better than the reviews had led me to believe. I’ve definitely had better-tasting and juicier meat before but this dish is a fairly tasty one and I can’t make any major complaints in that respect.

While I can’t say I didn’t enjoy the Chashao Roasted Pork Rice, I do think that the price is a bit too steep. I was fine eating it on that day to try it out but I do not think it is worth the S$7 that they charge for it.

Stuffed after eating the rice, I decided to tapau the Roasted Pork Noodle (S$6.50). They charge 30 cents for takeaway.

I was dreading trying this dish because reviews had mentioned that the roasted meat was tough and dry, and I dislike that immensely. I hesitatingly peered into the container, trying to gauge whether it was, in fact, going to be that horrible.

When I picked up one piece, though, I was surprised to find that it ‘gave’ even with a simple squeeze of my chopsticks. Another encouraging factor was the good char on the outside of each piece. This caramelisation is one of the signs that the meat was roasted well and, hopefully, sealed all the juices within.

Encouraged, I took a hopeful bite.

Not bad at all! The meat was nothing like the dehydrated, chewy lumps I had been led to believe they would be. Instead, the meat was nice and tender with a good ratio of fat thrown in for good measure. That mixture of soft and firm (but all juicy!) was immensely enjoyable. Then, I realised that I was eating all the roasted pork and hadn’t even touched the noodles.

Drawing them out all the way until they were at eye level, I got a whiff of the dark sauce in which they were coated. Tantalising hints of garlic, ginger and onion wafted across my nostrils, regaling me with their intricately entwined aroma.

It was time for an eager bite and I found the noodles to be soft and springy. There was a mild heat from chilli but nothing even my wimpy tongue couldn’t handle. There was cai xin in there, too, but since my mum wasn’t there, I pretended I didn’t see it. I’m sure it tasted fine.

Final thoughts

I think 2.6 stars is slightly unfair, but based just on a single experience, I can understand if others disagree. For the record, I rate it closer to a 3.5, partly because I did like the Roasted Pork Noodle quite a bit.

One of the trends I have noticed in writing this Worst Rated series is that one complaint always turns out to be false: staff rudeness. I can’t tell if it’s because I am just fortunate enough to get good service, whether staff have taken feedback and improved their customer service skills, or if the comments were exaggerations by frustrated customers.

Regardless of the reason, I just thought that I would share that happy bit of my experiences with you.

Expected damage: S$6.50 – S$15 per pax

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