[CLOSED] Char Seal Bar (Havelock)

Interesting to find this char siew specialised place in a very Instagrammable interior.

Their char siew is really a winner here, as you could really taste the softness texture in every bites. Smoky enough and not too overwhelming with the oil.

If you are bored with rice like me, go for the waffle set instead. And the truffle sauce given is really a add on to enhance the taste.

Great charsiew - smoky, charred and soft. It's hidden in an obscure mall near to backyard bakers (and yay to yummy brownies). Greatly recommended - especially if you love indomie too!

Pretty intrigued when I first heard about Char Seal Bar; a new F&B establishment that has recently moved into Havelock 2 beside Thai Kha — Char Seal Bar had first started as Char Seal; an online-based business which serves up their very own Char Siew. They are probably best known for creating the Char Siew Necklace and Char Siew Bouquets — slightly over-the-top things if you ask me, though their menu here features interesting dishes like the Char Seal Fries (i.e. shoestring fries with truffle oil, layered with shredded parmesan, char siew and truffle sauce), and Char Seal Steak — essentially their signature Char Siew with Fries.

The prices of the items do vary quite a fair bit here so it really boils down to what one decides to order here. The Char Seal Special Noodle is one of the items that is priced on the lower end of the spectrum here — coming with Char Siew, Indo Mee, Onsen Egg, Tobiko, Crispy Pork Lard, Fried Broccoli and Signature Original Sauce, this costs us $13.90; a rather fair price considering how they make their char siew here. The condiments fully covers the Indo Mee beneath — giving the noodles a quick toss around, the noodles are springy and coated in a savoury and lightly spicy sauce that was especially enticing (it’s Indo Mee anyway 😆) whilst mixing the sous-vide egg provides a silkier, creamier texture that binds all the other elements together, but the highlight was indeed the Char Siew here. The Char Siew is pretty close to that of the Malaysian-style Char Siew; liked how the pieces here aren’t too gelatinous despite being a fatty cut — still carried some bite though we wished for the caramalised exterior to come with a slight crisp as the texture was rather monotonous as compared to some other artisanal Char Siew we have previously had. That being said, dipping the Char Siew in the Signature Original Sauce by the side provides much of the sweetness akin to that of sweet sauce mixed with oyster sauce; also liked how the meat didn’t carry any undesirable porky stench as well. The fried broccoli was something I absolutely enjoyed; crisp florets that is just a crowd favourite, while the pork lard is sufficiently crisp as well. The Ebiko here seems to be added for a visual appeal, giving the dish a more colourful appearance in an attempt to make it more enticing for patrons ordering this dish.

Serving up their very own Char Siew made from scratch with a twist, Char Seal Bar does have a rather interesting concept — from pairing up their Char Siew with various types of alcohol alongside six different housemade sauces (think the Signature Original Sauce, to more adventurous ones such as Wasabi, Garlic, and Mala) to serving up their Char Siew as part of a brunch plate dubbed the “All-Day-Breakfast” with steamed mantou, eggs (sunny side-up or scrambled), sautéed mushroom, tomato and mixed salad, Char Seal Bar is indeed trying to put out something different to its patrons. That being said, while we understand the homemade nature of the Char Siew here, prices for most of the mains are a tad steep with the exception of the individually-sized dishes; perhaps in an expectation that those items might be shared. Nonetheless, Char Seal Bar does work as a drinking hole with a Char Siew-centric focus — an interesting spot where the concept seemingly revolves around their Char Siew that would give some artisanal versions a run for their money.