Lau Phua Chay Authentic Roasted Delicacies : So Black I Can't See my Meat

Ever see a plate of roasted meat drenched in such a dark caramelized gravy that you can't identify your char siew and siew yoke? This is exactly what you get when you order the meat at Lau Phua Chay, a popular stall the sell roasted duck, char siew and roasted pork--typically all drenched in the almost black char-like marinade which are a result of caramelizing bean paste and malt sugar. 

The roasted duck was tender but I prefer the char siew and crispy roasted pork. The char siew had a good ratio of lean to fats and boasted chewy texture due to its thickness. However, I feel that most of the work here is done by the sauce, without which the meat will be rather dry and flat.

I still prefer the char siew from Keong Saik and the roasted meat from Hong Kong 88  (Even though I can count the no. of roasted meat stalls I've visited in Singapore with less than ten fingers, meaning you should take my judgement with a pinch of salt) For my parents who are avid fans of roasted meat, they expressed that the roasted meat from the wet market stall near our house is way better than this stall which they find very ordinary. 

That said, I LOVE the sauce. It has been said that the same glaze or sauce which is poured over the rice is prepared in a Teochew-style and hence sweeter than usual because Teochews have a sweet tooth. While this general statement may be half true and half false, not every Teochew nang likes it this way.  

My little sister and I love the uniquely sweet marinade which goes exceptionally well with especially rice; to the extent that I was scraping all the lumpy gravy from the plate of meats onto my rice. However, my Teochew Ah Pa and Hakka Ah Ma didn't fancy the sauce. My grandma found it so-so. You can imagine my family always end up in huge debates after every meal. 

Well, it seems like all I can remember after this meal was the sauce. Maybe it'll be good to dabao a pack of rice with the sauce next time. Peace. 

Lau Phua Chay
Blk 120 Bukit Merah Lane 1, #01-20 Alexandra Village Food Centre
11am-8pm (Closed Saturdays).