The Legend Roasted Meat Rice & Noodle: Mind-blowing fatty char siew in Chinatown, only in limited portions

Hong Lim Market and Food Centre is home to many out-of-the-ordinary hawker stalls, from Eddy’s serving duck confit to Coffee Break with their atas tea lattes. But did you know that The Legend Roasted Meat Rice and Noodle has an exclusive char siew that hits max indulgence? 

Despite the owner having worked at several high-end Cantonese restaurants before, the stall does not have much media coverage. After finding The Legend Roasted Meat Rice & Noodle through a personal blog post, I was all the more excited to try what they have in store.

Of course, I have heard of the Bruce Lee memorabilia being hung on the walls, as this was The Legend Roasted Meat Rice and Noodle’s signature decor. Did you know that the auntie running the stall had been collecting them for 40 years? 

Having set expectations, I was rather dismayed that a big majority of the decor had been taken down. In comparison to the pictures featured online, there were only 2 remaining posters hung by the soup pots, which were no doubt eye-catching. 

Another noteworthy factor would be their customer service. Whilst a customer had gone off to buy a drink, the auntie running the stall noticed. She had reacted by placing a plate over her rice to keep any unpleasant visitors away. A small gesture, yet incredibly thoughtful.

Anyone coming to Hong Lim Market and Food Centre irregularly is sure to be lost. I definitely was, having been circling around the place to find both the stall and a seat. I was appalled by the abundant lunch crowd, which definitely made finding a table all the more tedious. Sharing a table is certainly not out of the question.

What I tried at The Legend Roasted Meat Rice & Noodle

A must-try is definitely the Fei Po Char Siew, the stall’s exclusive meat! Only available on the odd days of the week, this char siew is said to be one of a kind. Will my curiosity be satisfied? There’s only one way to find out.

This is a new level of fatty meat for me. Costing S$7.50 with noodles and S$7 with rice, Fei Po Char Siew does have a heavier price tag than the usual hawker char siew. However, this piece of char siew blew what I had in mind out of the water. 

With chunky cuts and delicious marbling, this exclusive meat was definitely a sight to behold. The taste was equally impressive, having a holy balance of fat and lean meat that simply melted in my mouth. I loved the slight charred texture on some pieces, which created a smoky taste.

With all honesty, I had a hint of worry when I saw the lack of colour in the noodles. To my surprise, the gravy tossed with the noodles was more of a lighter sauce, reminding me of  wanton mee. What’s surprising was that the noodle was handmade, showing its freshness via the springiness of the noodles.

The Roast Pork (S$5), which comes with char siew and rice/noodles, uses the same type of pork for The Legend Roasted Meat’s char siew, which is no doubt one of the more premium cuts of pork in the market. 

Loving the visible distribution of fat, I felt that the pork had a great succulence. My favourite part had to be the audible crunch from the top crust, which gave much textural contrast. I do admit that it made the dish super jelak, so a refreshing drink is required to flush it down.

Lastly, the soup contained yet another made-in-house item, which I wholeheartedly appreciated. I adored the dumpling’s hint of parsley, which added a new flavour profile. The soup’s flavour was slightly herbier than the accompanying soup that usually comes with char siew noodles.

Final thoughts

Out of all the roasted meats I’ve had, The Legend Roasted Meat Rice and Noodle’s is an extremely memorable one. Dragging my family to try it is a requisite the next time we come to Chinatown. I would be sure to stop by during the odd timings, just to avoid that peak lunch crowd. 

Expected damage: S$4 – S$7.50 per pax

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