Tar Pau Nation - What to order in

Covid-19 stay-home guide: Juicy char siew comes with free herbal soup

In this daily series, Senior Food Correspondent Wong Ah Yoke digs into delivery options and rates them for you

Kam’s Roast now delivers islandwide using the Oddle system and its food arrives packed neatly in plastic containers. ST PHOTO: WONG AH YOKE

Cantonese roast meats are usually served at room temperature, which makes them ideal for home delivery.

I have been hankering after the roast duck and fatty char siew by Kam's Roast, so I was delighted to find that it now delivers island-wide using the Oddle system. I don't live close enough to the casual eatery's outlets in Pacific Plaza and Jewel Changi Airport to make use of other delivery companies.

With Oddle, you also get a free serving of Immune Boosting Herbal Soup and 20 per cent off the bill.

Ordering online was a breeze and the order - packed neatly in plastic containers - came 10 minutes ahead of the time bracket of 6 to 6.30pm.

The Roast Duck ($32.47 for half) was almost as good as what I have had at the restaurant. It was just that the breast meat was dry, which was inevitable because the bird was chopped up some time ago.

Fattier cuts such as the thigh and drumstick were good though.

The order came with a bottle of duck sauce, which you could pour over the bird or use as a dip. It helped to moisten the meat a little, but did not penetrate it. There were also chilli and plum sauces.

The "Toro" Char Siew ($26.22) was, for me, the best barbecued pork I have eaten in a long time.

It looked fatty, but I found the proportion of fat to meat to be just right. And that burst of oil when I bit into each piece added to its juiciness and flavour. It was also not too sweet despite being covered in maltose.

If you prefer lean meat, there are also Iberico Pork Char Siew ($33.12) and BBQ Pork ($17.02).

  • HOW TO ORDER


    Go to kamsroast.oddle.me/en_SG/. Use the promo code NEWFEAST to get 20 per cent off

  • DELIVERY CHARGE


    $5 islandwide with minimum spending of $50

  • RATING


    4/5 stars

For some balance, I ordered Marinated Chinese Mushrooms ($6.67). These were plump and tender, dressed with a blend of savoury sauces.

The Poached Hong Kong Kai Lan ($10.12) was tempting, but it was too expensive for something I could whip up myself in two minutes.

And unless you have zero cooking skills, I would suggest you prepare your own rice instead of paying $2 for it.

The complimentary soup was much appreciated, though. Brewed with duck bones and carrots, it arrived warm and boasted the full body of a well-simmered Cantonese broth.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on April 09, 2020, with the headline Tar Pau Nation: Juicy char siew comes with free herbal soup. Subscribe