Crisp, fatty, caramelised exteriors — when it comes to meats, one of our favourite ways to enjoy its meaty umami is to have it roasted. Not only does the flavour become intensified due to the loss of water, but the meat also gains a smoky aroma from charcoal flame or greater savouriness from Maillard reactions. Ahead, we’ve rounded up 10 of the best hawker stalls and restaurants to tuck into the best roast meats like char siew, roast duck, and roast pork belly.
88 Hong Kong Roast Meat Specialist was founded by former Western cuisine chef Martin Ong. Since its opening, the hawker stall has been immensely popular and was reported to sell around “450kg of meat” in February 2023. That led him to expand beyond his Lavender outlet to open up his latest outlet in Far East Square with air-conditioned settings so that diners, who would largely be white-collared workers in the vicinity, can tuck into his charcoal-roasted meats without breaking out a sweat.
88 Hong Kong Roast Meat Specialist has multiple locations in Singapore.
Mei Mei was started by the younger sister of the former owner of Kay Lee, another popular spot for roast meats that has since switched hands to someone outside of the family. The boss of Mei Mei, Madam Lee, worked at Kay Lee for 15 years before starting her own hawker stall peddling her own take on various charcoal-roasted meats in 2003. For those who need a little soup to cut through all the grease, Mei Mei serves double-boiled soups too.
Mei Mei Roast Meats is at Ubi Rd 1, Blk 3014 Kampong Ubi Industrial Estate, Singapore 408702.
Foong Kee shocked fans in 2021 when it announced the closure of its Keong Saik restaurant. After a year of rest, chef-owner Derrick Wong has made a comeback with a hawker stall in Commonwealth where he continues to create his signature charcoal-roasted duck, roast pork and char siew he has perfected over two decades. Unfortunately, Foong Kee no longer sells noodles, due to space constraints, so there is only rice available.
Foong Kee Traditional Charcoal Roaster is at 31 Commonwealth Cres, #02-90 Commonwealth Crescent Market and Food Centre, Singapore 149644.
Awarded the Michelin Plate from 2016 to 2018 and listed in the Michelin Guide from 2018 to 2019 under the Fine Cantonese Food category, Chinese restaurant Char is now in its ninth year.
Those new to the restaurant, located in the Jalan Besar enclave, should undoubtedly go for its char siew and roast meats. Beautifully charred and caramelised with a proprietary marinade that leans on the sweeter side, the original Signature Char Siew is fatty and hits the spot. You can also go for the Double Roast which includes succulent crispy roast pork. The new Mala Char Siew, marinated with 13 different spices, adds a spicy kick that doesn’t overwhelm.
Char Restaurants is at 363 Jalan Besar, Singapore 208994. Visit its website for reservations or for more information.
Maxwell Food Centre is a food haven as it is. And once you’re there, Fu Shun Shao La Mian Jia can be easily spotted from the long queues waiting for its variety of roast meats. The hawker stall was started in 2008 by Chan Tuck Kwai and remains a popular choice for these moreish proteins accompanied by either rice or noodles.
Fu Shun Shao La Mian Jia is at 1 Kadayanallur St, #01-71 Maxwell Centre, Singapore 069184.
Nightlife promoters turned hawker entrepreneur Kai and Randall founded Roast Paradise in 2016 after wanting to seek new opportunities. The duo went to Malaysia to learn how to make KL-style roast meats (which favours fattier cuts of meat) and later opened up their first stall in Old Airport Road Food Centre. The move was clearly a success as the brand now has three stalls in Singapore, with the other two being in Sengkang and Tampines.
Roast Paradise has multiple locations in Singapore
Here’s a place for you Westies. Fei Fei is a Michelin Bib Gourmand-recommended hawker stall located in Yuhua Village Food Centre. It is a family-run business that has been around for over 40 years. To date, the brand continues to roast its meats over charcoal in-stall daily. PS: The Char Siew or Wanton Noodles are a big draw here. They don’t do roast pork (siu yok) anymore but there is roast duck.
Fei Fei Roasted Noodle is at 254 Jurong East St 24, #01-28 Yuhua Village Market and Food Centre, Singapore 600254.
New Rong Liang Ge doesn’t command as much cachet as the other stores in this list, but its quality has gotten confirmed through its queues and Michelin Plate recommendation. Besides the usual trifecta of roast meats, the hawker stall also offers a variety of double-boiled soups such as old cucumber, salted vegetable duck and lotus root to wash your meal down.
New Rong Liang Ge is at 269B Queen St, Singapore 182269 and Block 725 Clementi West Street 2, #01-190/192, Singapore 120725.
To get to First Culinary Restaurant, you’ll first have to head back to school. ITE College Central in Ang Mo Kio, to be specific. The restaurant, established in 2011, specialises in Southern Chinese cuisine spanning from Cantonese and Hakka to Hokkien and Teochew. The biggest stars, however, are the Kung Fu Roasted Duck, Peking Duck, K.L Char Siew and Crispy Roasted Pork.
First Culinary Restaurant is at 2 Ang Mo Kio Drive ITE, College Central, #01-09 Block A – Campus Centre, Singapore 567720.
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Kam’s Roast is a cherished roast meat shop with over 70 years of experience in Hong Kong. In fact, they’ve been so consistently good that they have retained their one Michelin star rating for the ninth year in a row. And while you can’t get roast goose here, the other roasted proteins – from Golden Roast and Pipa Duck to Iberico Char Siu and Crispy Roast Pork – wouldn’t disappoint
Kam’s Roast has multiple locations in Singapore
If you’re looking for an upscale location to host or celebrate, head to Mott 32 in Marina Bay Sands. The global chain serving inventive Cantonese cuisine draws its name from 32 Mott Street in New York where the city’s first Chinese convenience store opened in 1891. Here, the humble roast meats are elevated into dishes such as Apple-Wood Roasted 42 Days Peking Duck and Barbecue Iberico Pork Glazed with Yellow Mountain Honey. The duck requires pre-ordering while there are limited quantities of the latter.
Mott 32 is at 10 Bayfront Ave, B1-41/42 Marina Bay Sands Shoppes, Singapore 018956.