TNR by Sean and Angie: Divine caramelised fatty char siew with a side of Hakka noodles, but skip the siew yoke
With Malaysia’s new government hanging in the balance, I find myself gravitating towards comfort food for the past 48 hours in anticipation of the results. And what’s more comforting than a plate of sweet sticky, fatty char siew? Where better than at Petaling Jaya’s holy grail of roast meats, TNR by Sean and Angie?
It’s relatively easy to spot the restaurant. Just look for the signboard with a giant pig with a fork in its mouth! Before I get into the nitty gritty details of their menu, you would be interested to know that just 10 minutes away in SS2/72, there’s another Toast & Roast serving char siew as well and it involves a rather lengthy family feud. But that’s not why I am here— it’s all about the char siu, after all.
The menu at TNR by Sean and Angie is rather extensive. Besides their famous char siew, you can opt for their siew yoke or the Hickory Smoked Chicken. Not in the mood for rice? You can opt for their popular Hakka Noodles or Wonton Mee to go with your desired choice of meat.
You can also add on sides such as Crispy Fish Roll, Sui Kow Soup or Pork Meatball Soup. A helpful tip: If you like your meat lean or fatty, it’s best to inform the staff upfront so they can choose the right cuts for you.
What I tried at TNR by Sean and Angie
Instead of my usual rice fare, I decided to switch things up by ordering their Hakka Noodle Premium Char Siew (RM12.20). Unable to resist temptation, I ordered another serving of their Premium Char Siew (RM7.60)— after all, one can never have enough of their fatty barbecued pork.
But even with two servings of the char siew, my gluttony decided it was not sufficient and I proceeded to order a small serving of the Siew Yoke (RM7.60).
In 10 minutes, the barbecued pork, crispy siew yoke and noodles arrived with a side accompaniment of pickled green chillies and the customary chilli sauce. At first glance, the char siew had a red-orangish hue on the outside and this beautiful glossy gleam (which I later discovered was due to caramelised sugar). The very sight of this beautifully dressed meat is undoubtedly able to bring even the strongest of man to his knees.
Unlike the char siew served at the famed Char Siew Yoong outlet in Pudu which is more buttery and fatty in terms of texture, the one served here had a firm, glossy surface on the outside and tender on the inside.
The flavours worked well together. The sweet candy-like taste from the exterior, a good bite from the meat and not to forget, the fatty bits. Honestly, it took all of me from popping slices of the char siew into my greedy mouth and chewing on the warm, sweet juicy pork.
The Hakka Noodles was a pretty straightforward dish. It consisted of boiled flat yellow noodles mixed with mild savoury soy sauce and lard oil before being topped off with pieces of lard and spring onions. Be sure to toss the noodles along with the oil at the bottom or you might not get to enjoy the flavours.
The good thing about the noodles was that they were springy and well-flavoured. However after a couple of bites, I could feel the lard oil coating my lips. In the end, I could not finish the noodles as it left me feeling extremely greasy. Not a great experience, or aftertaste.
I must admit next to its glazed friend, the siew yoke looked rather lacklustre and super uninviting. Hoping that the taste would somehow win over its (lack of) appearance, I eagerly took a bite. Unfortunately, after having tasted some of the best siew yoke in Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya, the one here paled in comparison. Sure, there was a crunch to it, but it was very faint and the meat was rather dry.
Final thoughts
I turned my attention to the leftover char siew and had no issues licking that plate clean. As I sipped on my Chinese tea in hopes to get rid of the greasy aftertaste of the noodles, I wondered if TNR by Sean and Angie lived up to its roast meat hype.
For the char siew, definitely. Bring your whole family or your char siew-loving friends and order the large plate of Char Siew (RM49.80) or if you dare, the 500gram or even a whole kilo. It’s worth every single calorie.
And I’d suggest you skip on the roast pork. I missed the joy of biting into spectacularly crispy crackling. Sure it had a slight crunch, but it was honestly under seasoned and cut rather lean.
Expected damage: RM13 – RM25 per pax
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