Brian Kennett
Amateur Chef and Foodie Extraordinaire
Best Roast Pork Belly on East Coast
So we have been eating at LTN Foodcourt, 936 East Coast Road, Siglap for about 3 years since moving to here. We have had our favourites here at the hawker, many favourites in fact – I’ll share some of those links below in a second. But over the last couple of weeks/months things have been changing; a few new stalls and a few new recipes – more to come of those in later blogs. Today though I concentrate at the amazing change of one such stall here at LTN Foodcourt – a no-name for me as it is all in Mandarin, but it is the roast meats stall now a stall I will badge the Best Roast Pork Belly on East Coast.
I have eaten lots and lots of this here. But I always compare it to what was my original favourite over at Parkway Parade Hawker Centre. That was always the standing heads and shoulders above all others for me. But then something happened. Our stall here changed its recipe. It changed its cooking technique. It changed dramatically. It went from 1st Division to Top of The Premier League in my reckoning – and now from yours truly the roast pork belly here gets the prestigious title of Best Roast Pork Belly on East Coast, from The Semi-Naked Chef. It is so so different from before.
Previous/Current favourites @ LTN would include;
Beef Kway Teow from Mr David Lim AKA Empress Place
Deen Muslim Food (I believe now closed, sadly)
They will openly admit that they are doing things differently now, they now take more time and give more attention – cooking the pork for much longer to make it tender and more flavoursome, massaging the spice mix in for longer to have the same effect and outcome. Now you get intense flavour, more on the salty side which is just beautiful to eat, the crackling is sublime, with a crunch like you would not believe, and again incredible salty overtones. I chatted to the owner after having the new version and he explained the above, and that now with feedback they were getting they would never go back to the old ways of quick cooking, but would rather get up a few hours earlier to make the perfect (and that is my terminology) roast pork belly. I tell you, I have lived here 9 years and traveled all over Singapore – this is THE BEST, so perhaps Best Roast Pork Belly on East Coast, is incorrect and it should be in Singapore…
You want it they got it. Roasted pork belly (Mary, Amy and my favourite now), roasted char siew, roasted chicken, steamed chicken (Jude’s favourite), roasted duck, chicken livers (to die for by the way). The special sauce is unctuous, a sticky sweet gloopy sauce made from all the dripping meat juices, oh my!!!
So my friends, if you happen to be down East Coast, near Siglap (or even if not, its not that far for a special trip), I would absolutely, equivocally suggest and recommend, neigh DEMAND that you come visit. Say Hi. Peruse the stall. And sample some of the choice fair on display, but please do NOT by pass the roasted pork belly as you truly would be missing out on the Best Roast Pork Belly on East Coast, if not in Singapore. It really is a Did Die Must Try, The Angmo Semi-Naked Chef says “SO SHIOK LAH!!!” And double bonus is I don’t have to go all the way to Parkway Parade to get the best any more, Woo Hoo!!! – ENJOY!!!
