Char siew roll ($6) & Tender pork roll ($5.50)!
Telok Ayer / Chinatown chee cheong fun brunch — char siew CCF roll $6 + tender pork CCF roll $5.50. Silky rice rolls with smoky filling, the Cantonese way.
Thursday brunch with BB at a Telok Ayer / Chinatown chee cheong fun spot. CBD area has a few stalls that do proper Hong Kong-style CCF rolls — thin silky rice sheets steamed to order with the filling layered in.
We ordered:
- Char siew CCF roll — $6
- Tender pork CCF roll — $5.50
The CCF rolls are the kind that get assembled fresh — thin batter ladled onto a tray, steamed for 30 seconds, filling laid in, rolled while still warm and cut into bite-sized pieces. The silky-translucent skin is the whole point — it should be soft enough to break apart with chopsticks but hold its shape when you lift a piece.
Char siew roll had visible streaks of caramelised pork through the rice sheet, glazed dark with sweet-soy. The smoky-sweet char siew flavour soaked through the rice on each bite, finished with a generous drizzle of light soy and a sprinkle of sesame seeds.
Tender pork roll was the less common order — minced pork seasoned with pepper and ginger, slightly looser texture than the char siew, more delicate flavour overall. Less sweet, more clean savoury.
Both came with a small dish of sweet sauce and another of light soy on the side. Sesame oil dribbled over the top for aroma.
$11.50 for the pair is fair CBD pricing — Chinatown rents are real.
Overall: 4 / 5. 😋👍🏼 Solid CCF brunch — would revisit when in the area.
