88 Hong Kong Roast Meat Specialist @ Bukit Batok East Ave 2

Great news to fans of Cross Way Bay Hong Kong Roasted Meat which used to be at Tampines Street 43 before moving to Johor Bahru, Malaysia. The stall owner, Martin has moved back to Singapore and doing what he knows best, roasted meat. He has opened a new stall and called it, 88 Hong Kong Roast Meat Specialist at Bukit Batok East Ave 2.

What made Martin popular is his biscuit like Sio Bak. Even KF Seetoh wrote an article in Makansutra recommending Martin's Sio Bak.

Sio Bak 4/5 and Char Siew 4.2/5

Unfortunately when we reached the stall at around 4pm, he told us that the good cut has been sold out and can only give us what is left. Someone ever told me that a good Sio Bak should have seven different layers and martin has retained that consistency. While the skin is still crispy and brittle but somehow lacks the standard it used to be. Later did I realize that he is still waiting to install his charcoal roasting oven as he is currently using what is left behind from the previous owner.

On the other hand, it seems like he has improved on his Char Siew. The char siew was not too sweet, tender and with hints of charred aroma.

Roasted Duck 4/5

It seems like when Martin moves to Johor Bahru, he has improved in his roasting skill. His Roasted Duck turned out to be pretty good too. The skin was crispy and the meat was tender. I even packet some back for my family to eat.

Roasted Chicken 4.2/5

The Roasted Chicken was the other surprise with its tender and moist meat. The sesame sauce that is drizzled over the chicken provided the extra lift in flavour.

I am glad to know that Martin has moved back to Singapore. I can't wait for him to get his charcoal oven installed and go back to try his sio bak again, maybe the rest of the roasted meat too.


[MOVED]
88 Hong Kong Roast Meat Specialist
Blk 265 Bukit Batok East Ave 4
Singapore 650265
Nearest MRT: Bukit Batok (NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 9am - 7pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Bukit Batok MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to Bukit Batok Bus Interchange (Stop ID 43009). Take bus number 177. Alight 2 stops later. Walk to destination. Journey time about 10 minutes. [Map]

Raven Restaurant & Bar @ Chijmes

Flown into the courtyard in Chijmes is Raven the new restaurant and bar featuring new Americas cuisine by the same folks behind House of Dandy (H.O.D). What exactly is new Americas cuisine? Accordingly to what I am told, it supposes to mean Northern and Southern American comfort food with an Asian flair.

Burratina & Heirloom Tomatoes 4/5

Kicking starting our dinner at Raven is the Burratina & Heirloom Tomatoes ($18). This is a classic combination of buffalo mozzarella and tomatoes that will not go wrong. However the classic dish is given a further lift with the addition of gula melaka balsamic, oregano, basil oil and dehydrated olives.

Tuna Tartare 4/5

The Tuna Tartare ($17) is a beautiful dish with the tuna cubes being tossed in yuzu and soy vinaigrette for a pleasant flavour complemented by the avocado wasabi puree. The frozen Nan Shui pear shavings provides the refreshing finishing to the dish.

Roasted Corn Niblets 4/5

Using Malaysian corn known as Candy corn for its sweetest, the Roasted Corn Niblets ($12) with smoked sour cream (chilli, paprika, cayenne) gave the burnt looking corn a tasteful coating that hits the perfect note with each bite of the kernels.

Fried Chorizo Croquettes 4/5

Fried to a nice golden brown is the Chorizo Croquettes ($13) that has been triple fried. Consists of chorizo, bechamel and mozzarella, the golden balls are served in a tangy jalapeno vinaigrette, housemade creme fraiche and pico de gallo. A delightful bite to go with a few drinks.

Seafood Salad 4/5

For a light and healthy eat, the Seafood Salad ($23) has braised octopus, grilled squid and prawns. The lime gives the salad the lift in acidity while the chilli vinaigrette provides the additional kick with the corn chips giving it the extra crunch.

Raven Burger 3.5/5

There was a bit of raving about the Raven Burger ($22) and I touching story behind it. While the 180g beef chuck patty sandwiched with chipotle, avocado, chorizo cream, red onions and corn chips is moist and juicy, it still lacked the oomph factor to excite me.

Handmade Open Beef Ravioli 3.8/5

To be frank I rather called this a lasagna then Handmade Open Beef Ravioli ($24). The melted in the mouth pulled beef is braised in red wine for a good 16 hours, and sandwiched between layers of pasta sheets. The flavours and textures are on the note. However like a foreign song, I moved with the music but did not understand the lyrics.

Crispy Nori Wrapped Salmon 4.5/5

The star dish at Raven has to be the Crispy Nori Wrapped Salmon ($29). The salmon is first wrapped around with nori and fried in low temperature. It is then breaded and double fried at high temperature for the extra exterior crisp. I thought the ponzu sago was very clever as a substitute of the dipping soy sauce, accentuating the enjoyment of the salmon. The fennel salad tossed in a tangy sauce cut through the greasiness of the deep frying.

Green Tea Opera 3.5/5

I personally think the Green Tea Opera ($13) is a beautiful dessert which will be enjoyed by many. However the adzuki bean ice cream was pale in flavour. I was also not sure what is the purpose of the sake gel. A point was brought up that opera is a French cake, raising some discussion what exactly is the so called new Americas cuisine.

Chocolate Overdose 4.5/5

There is one dessert that I adore very much on Raven's menu. The Chocolate Overdoes ($13) consists of a platter of various textures of Belgian chocolate. This is chocolate haven on a plate.

Raven is definitely a new and exciting addition to the F&B scene with great food and drinks. While I did enjoy my experience at Raven, I am still very puzzled what exactly is new Americas cuisine. I leave it to the diners to judge themselves.


Raven Restaurant & Bar
Chijmes
30 Victoria Street
#B1--01/02
Singapore 187996
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: City Hall (EW Line, NS Line), Bras Basah (CC Line)

Opening Hours:
Sun-Tue: 5pm - 1am
Wed-Sat: 5pm - 2am

Direction
1) Alight at City Hall MRT station. Take Exit A. Cut across Raffles City Shopping Centre to Bras Basah Road. At the junction of Bras Basah Road and North Bridge Road, cross the road to Chijmes. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Bras Basah MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk southwards towards Victoria Road. At the junction of Bras Basah Road and Victoria Road, cross the junction to Chijmes. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]