Food review: A crisp, crackly and consistent Hong Kong 88 Roast Meat Specialist

SINGAPORE — Hong Kong 88 Roast Meat Specialist might have opened in January in a coffeeshop off Jalan Besar, but the chef-owner of the stall is no newbie to the scene. Mr Ong, as he prefers to be known, has been roasting pork and poultry for the past five years, albeit under different names and at various locations.

The first iteration was in Tampines Street 43, under the name of Cross Way Bay. He later had an opportunity across the causeway and left Singapore to open Tong Tong Cross Way Bay in Johor Bahru.

One-and-a-half years later, as he found the pace of business was too slow, he moved back to Singapore and set up shop in Bukit Batok. Then in January this year, he moved to the current address along Foch Road.

Followers hope that he is permanently settled at his present location, where he serves solidly done roasted pork ($3.50 for a single portion with rice) that he is known for.

Each cuboid is topped off with a layer of golden brown skin a few millimetres thick, that is as crispy as a cracker. Underneath are layers of tender meat interspersed with melt-in-the-mouth fat.

“I take two-and-a-half hours to make the roast pork, which includes braising, blow drying and roasting. These steps allow the fat to burn well to make the skin crispy and release the fragrance,” explains Mr Ong, pointing out that other chefs speed up the process and only take 45 minutes to prepare the meat.

He is equally conscientious about the char siew, duck and chicken that he serves, all of which are prepared onsite in an oven at the stall ($15 for a mix of three meats, includes two portions of rice).

The char siew is edged with a brownish red hue and each hunk is both succulent and moist. He drizzles it sparingly with a honey-based gravy that adds just the right amount of sweetness.

Mr Ong is also proud of his roast duck. “I use duck from Malaysia but slaughtered in Singapore, so it is fresh,” he explains. Made in the traditional Hong Kong style with minimal herbs and seasoning, it is consistently tender with well-balanced flavours, encased in a layer of crispy, fragrant skin.

The chili prepared just for the duckmust get special mention. The burgundy coloured paste is thicker than usual; itranks high on the hot scale and hints at the inclusion of XO sauce.

The good news is Mr Ong hopes to settle down at Foch Road for the long-run and if business is busy enough, perhaps expand into the neighbouring stall that is currently empty. One can only hope for that to be the case.

Hong Kong 88 Roast Meat Specialist