Big Roy

Roast Paradise – Mountbatten, Singapore

Recently I had the craving for kway chap cos I have not eaten that for a long time. Headed to my favourite stall To-richo but it was closed! Damn! So I went around to look for something nice for lunch and I came across this Roast Paradise which I haven’t seen around. So I decided to try it. I also noticed the guy behind the counter is  pretty young hence I enquired some info from them via email.

I found out from them they just started on August 2015 only and the 2 partners, Kai and Randall, are in their 20s. Both of them used to work in the night life industry which made me curious why such a big change in profession. I was told that they realised that there are not many true char siew roasters who would spend hours slow roasting their meats to get the right texture. That is why their passion for char siew took over and hence entering the F&B market.

Hawker centre is the natural choice instead of some fancy shops due to keeping overheads lower. Char siew afterall is a traditional local dish which should not cost an arm and a leg. Starting out was tough for them as they have no prior F&B experience hence a steep learning curve for them from day 1. But most importantly, like in all trades, they must enjoy what they are doing and do it with passion. I wish these 2 lads all the best and I hope fellow Singaporeans can support budding entrepreneurs like them and support local businesses. #supportlocal #supportlocalfood #soshiokpork

Stall front
Stall front
Look at the glorious char siew...OMG...
Look at the glorious char siew…OMG…
Their version of Char Siew Hakka Noodles ($3.20). Noodles were good but a little bland. But I have feedbacked their minced pork could be a little more saltier and flavourful and use that to spruce up the taste of the noodles. Char siew is really good, tender, well charred, and locking in the juices. Serving is around 50g which was a little small for me. So I added more char siew in the next dish.
Their version of Char Siew Hakka Noodles ($3.20). Noodles were good but a little bland. But I have feedbacked their minced pork could be a little more saltier, flavourful and saucier so that they can use that to spruce up the taste of the noodles. Char siew is really good, tender, well charred, and locking in the juices. Serving is around 50g which was a little small for me. So I added more char siew in the next dish.
Char Siew Rice ($3 + $1) Added $1 char siew. Price is definitely reasonable. Char siew is good as usual. Rice is made to taste like chicken rice style which I reckon was unnecessary. Plain white is good enough with some gravy over it. The little plate of sauce was just too overly sweet, which to me, destroyed the taste of the char siew. Keeping it simple is good enough and let the char siew do the talking.
Char Siew Rice ($3 + $1) Added $1 char siew. Price is definitely reasonable. Char siew is good as usual. Rice is made to taste like chicken rice style which I reckon was unnecessary. Plain white is good enough with some gravy over it. The little plate of sauce was just too overly sweet, which to me, destroyed the taste of the char siew. Keeping it simple is good enough and let the char siew do the talking. Chilli I would recommend the sambal version which I reckon will go well better with the char siew instead of the chicken rice type.


Rating: 4.5/5. Some adjustments will see them having a perfect score.

Taste: Char siew won me over. Good proportion of fats and meat which makes it more delicious. But the rest of the accompaniments are important too for a better overall eating experience for the customers, so I hope they will work towards improving them.

Portion: Slightly below average.

Service: Self-service.

Ambience: Hawker Centre.

Price: As indicated with the pics.

RTE: Definitely!

Location: #01-122 Old Airport Road Food Centre. Hours: Not given but I believe from morning till 3-4pm. Closed on Mondays.