[CLOSED] Char Express (Timbre+)

Finally tried Char's bbq pork at their express outlet at timbre+ a bit disappointed by that the food is not piping hot. The veggies and egg omelette are a little cold.

Step into Char and the one thing you’ll notice on each table is the ubiquitous plate of (you guessed it) Char Siew. At Char, they pride themselves on this brown, glistening roasted meat and true to their name - they deliver. Each piece has the perfect ratio of meat to fat such that it melts in your mouth, and the caramelised exterior lends the meat that smoky aroma.

We also tried the Roast Crispy Pork Belly which was roasted to near-perfection, with a crispy crackling skin as promised. A spice mix coated the underside of each chunk, giving every bite an additional sweet edge which went well with the mustard dip.

Another star was the Salted Egg Pork which is highly recommended as well. Bite sized fried chunks of pork were coated with a salted egg yolk sauce - think sweet and sour pork on crack. They were generous with the sauce, and bits of salted egg yolk could still be found in the dish. Each chunk was an explosion of flavours!

We also ordered the XO Sambal Fried Rice which was tasty but lacked the spicy kick that we were expecting. Adding Char’s well-done sambal to each spoonful remedied this though.

On another visit, we spoke to the owner of the place and he was very friendly and welcoming! A vietnamese who grew up in the UK, he looks just like a Singaporean but catches you off guard with an English accent. You’ll probably see him around on weekends, and do let him know if you like the food, I’m sure he’ll appreciate it.

(Review listed under the Timbre+ Char Express but visit was to Char restaurant at Jalan Besar)

Char Express takes over Portico Platos at Timbre+, serving up a simple menu of rice bowls and bento sets with their signature roasts and other meats.

The Works come with all the add-ons that are available at only $8.50 — that includes the Prawn Omelette, Dou Fu Dried Scallops, Fish Skin with Sweet Chili (honestly I don't get the sweet chili part though) plus your choice of meat (soy sauce chicken/char siew/roasted pork) atop a bed of rice; a little like economy rice if you put it that way, but definitely gives it the more wholesome feel. The Char Siew is pretty much the same as what one would expect from Char — sticky, sweet glazed morsels of meat that is a mix of both lean and fatty parts for the bite and that melt-in-the-mouth texture for the mor gelatinous parts. The Fish Skin is decently crisp without being overly salty, but totally lacking on the sweet chili (was there even sweet chili in the first place?), while the Dou Fu were bouncy and drenched in a lightly savoury sauce for flavour. Prawn Omelette was pretty standard, while the blanched vegetables was the one I really liked the most; crunchy greens in oyster sauce that is simple but so satisfying.