88 Hong Kong Roast Meat Specialist (Far East Square)

You would never go wrong with their roasted meat here. I been to their another place at Lavender long before and finally made my way to their another outlet right at the centre of CBD.

Spacious indoor area here with lots of chairs and tables, probably cater to all CBD workers around here.

I like how juicy it was, making it so enjoyable eating them. You may top up for lava egg to complete your meal.

This probably comes as old news considering how long they have been in operation in the ‘hood by now — that being said, 88 Hong Kong Roast Meat Specialist’s outlet at China Street is one of those places that can be considered to be one of the more difficult places to head for lunch in the Central Business District especially given the mad crowds once peak lunch hour hits. For those whom are unfamiliar with the establishment, 88 Hong Kong Roast Meat Specialist is a stall that specialises in Hong Kong-style roast meats — their executions of the roast meats having placed them on the map ever since the days that they were operating out of two stalls units from a coffeeshop at Tyrwhitt Road. They had since expanded their operations, with two (2) other locations that are run as independent eateries — one being more of a coffeeshop-style concept at Lavender Street, and the air-conditioned shop that we had visited for this write-up at China Street (also just a stone’s throw away from the main store of #thebackyardbakersHQ and the Singapore outlet of Chilli Pan Mee (Batu Rd). 88 Hong Kong Roast Meat Specialist occupies the space of two shop units at China Street; this also means that there is actually quite a big dine-in seating area to cater to the office folks of the Central Business District during lunch hours — the space could also be described to be decked in a way that is function over form. Interestingly, cushioned seats are used rather than benches to provide patrons with a higher level of comfort. As one would expect, the menu at 88 Hong Kong Roast Meat Specialist’s location at China Street largely surrounds around its offerings of Char Siew, Roasted Duck and Roasted Pork which are all available to be ordered ala-carte, or with rice or noodles. There are also a number of add-ons that one can go for, which includes Wanton Soup, Fried Wanton and even vegetables like Nai Bai with Special Sauce that can be ordered to share around the table.

Our last visit to 88 Hong Kong Roast Meat Specialist was quite a while back; that was during the time where they were still only operating out of the coffeeshop at Tyrwhitt Road. We have always had a dilemma whenever we visit 88 Hong Kong Roast Meat Specialist; there is no way we can decide on committing to either the Char Siew or the Roasted Pork — we decided to have the Char Siew + Roast Pork Noodles so as to enjoy the best of both worlds. We had also added a Lava Egg to our order, which is a chargeable add-on at $1.50 for a full egg; we had also opted for our Char Siew + Roast Pork Noodles to come with chili as well, while the noodles also come accompanied with a bowl of soup on the side. We have heard several remarks of the food quality at its China Street outlet being slightly off as compared to that of their Lavender Street outlet — for those whom have been to their Lavender Street or Jalan Besar locations, we found this to be somewhat true; that being said, first-timers to the brand or those whom have only been to their China Street location would probably find the meats well-executed as compared to many of such stalls that are situated in food courts, coffee shops and hawker centres in the heartlands. The Char Siew comes incredibly soft and tender here; pretty much almost melt-in-the-mouth with that sweet glaze that provides that glistening look in its aesthetics — the exterior coming with an occasional crisp from the charring of the edges on the surface, while there is no distinct hint of porky-ness coming from it. For the roasted pork, we liked how the roasted pork at 88 Hong Kong Roast Meat Specialist always comes with a good bite — there is a balance between the gelatinous fatty parts of the meat against the leaner parts that provides a meaty bite that makes their roasted pork not feel particularly jelak even despite the chunky size of the slices here.

The skin comes crackling; almost of a biscuit-like texture, while the meat is again free from any undesirable porky stench — we also like how the roasted pork itself isn’t overly savoury from the spice rub used that the same dish from other establishments elsewhere might feel as well. When it came to the noodles, the noodles were free from any alkaline-y aftertaste; the noodles being springy and bouncy — all that whilst being tossed in a spicy sauce base that comes more zippy than it is being savoury that made the noodles fairly appetising and easy to finish. Interestingly, the Char Siew + Roast Pork Noodles also sees the inclusion of fried pork lard that is included in the noodles for more flavour; liked how the pork lard was fried till crisp without feeling like it has absorbed much of the oil that it was fried in — it was also free from any undesirable stench of overused oil as well. The blanched greens on the side provides a balance against the noodles and the meaty affair that we had opted for, while the lava egg does come with a molten egg yolk with a soft egg white almost similar to that of the marinated egg served with Japanese ramen at ramen restaurants. Whilst we still recalled 88 Hong Kong Roast Meat Specialist’s meats being more fantastic at their Tyrwhitt Road location when we tried it a couple of years ago, it can still be argued that very little establishments come close to serving Hong Kong-style roast meats of this quality these days — and even more so if one mentions about such fare in the Central Business District. This could be easily testified by the crowd queueing for the stall during lunch peak hours despite its slightly premium price point starting from $6 for rice dishes featuring one type of meat, and starting from $7 for noodle dishes featuring one type of meat. With such strong support from the ground, it does seem like 88 Hong Kong Roast Meat Specialist is likely to stay at China Street in time to come

Meat's on the menu at 88 Hong Kong Roast Meat Specialist! Whether you are a char siu fan or a sio bak fan, the best way to settle your meat cravings is to order their Char Siew+Roasted Pork Noodle! Between the thick cuts of caramelized char siew and crispy sio bak atop the lard-coated noodles, I found myself gravitating towards the former cos of how tender it was with the perfect fat-to-lean meat ratio. The outer layer is charred just enough to impart a smoky flavour onto the caramelly aroma of the honey glaze. 
 
Surprisingly the roast pork was on the leaner side, with the emphasis on its biscuit-like crispy skin that gives off a satisfying crunch with every bite! While the meat cut was still juicy, it wasn't as savoury as I would have liked. Not the best I have had so far, but a very decent option to go with your combination of roast meat!  
 
The creamy & glistening lava egg deserves a mention here. Makes the entire dish even better! 🥚 
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📍 Address: 19/20 China St, Far East Square, Singapore 049561, closed on Sundays.  
Bendemeer outlet: 308 Lavender Street, Singapore 338814, closed on Sundays. 

Very tender char siew & roast pork. Although at times can be too fatty and too sweet (char siew). Duck is also not bad.
Can skip the wanton, not much taste.

Roasted Pork & Char Siew Rice