Char siew + siu yuk mee (叉烧烧肉面) ($5.50)!
Tiong Bahru hawker Cantonese roast meat noodles: springy egg noodles in dark sauce with char siew and roast pork, kai lan and a clear soup side (bowl branded Lee Hong Kee). $5.50.
Lunch at Tiong Bahru: char siew + siu yuk mee, $5.50. Cantonese roast meat duo on noodles. 😋
What was on the tray:
- Springy egg noodles: thin wanton-mee-style noodles tossed in a dark savoury sauce
- Char siew (叉烧): the red-rimmed glazed roast pork slices, caramelised at the edges
- Roast meat slices: the second roast laid alongside the char siew
- Kai lan: the blanched Chinese broccoli, the green counterweight
- Clear soup on the side: the light broth with scallion, the bowl branded Lee Hong Kee (李鸿记)
The two-roast noodle order is the Cantonese roast shop’s power move: rather than choosing between the sweet lacquered char siew and the second roast, take both over one plate of noodles. Char siew is about the marinade and the char, pork glazed with maltose, soy and five-spice, roasted until the sugars blister dark at the edges, ideally from a fattier cut so it stays juicy.
The noodle toss underneath is the wanton-mee base: thin springy egg noodles coated in a dark soy-and-lard sauce, lifted the moment they hit the plate so they stay separate rather than clumping. The springiness is the texture you want, slightly alkaline, with bite.
The clear soup on the side is the standard roast-meat-noodle partner, resetting the palate between mouthfuls of the rich glazed pork. Stir in a little of the chilli if the stall provides it.
At $5.50 for a two-roast noodle plate with soup at Tiong Bahru, this is fair Cantonese-hawker value.
Overall: 4.2 / 5. 😋👍🏼 The caramelised char siew edges over the springy noodles were the standout. Would re-order.
