Toast & Roast @ SS2

Every so often (or too often), I find myself craving for char siew . I’m weak that way. The idea of barbecued chunks of swine meat send me into a delirium as surely as the consumption of the same sends me deeper into fat-man’s land. There’s something about that sweet, smoky flavor that beguiles me into forgetting my disdain for my growing waistline.

This little piggy went wee-wee-wee all the way to my waistline

I’m typically a lean-meat kinda guy, but done just right, I could make exceptions for fatty meats. The char siew at Toast & Roast in SS2 is one of those exceptions. Located in the further reaches of SS2 (same road as New Paris Restaurant and Ken 3 condominium, but at the furthest end, just behind Damansara Intan/Casa Tropicana), this hidden gem was hard to find, even when I heard about it from Sue Lynn (her review here ).

The fat is charred to smoky, sweet, silken perfection, with a slight crisp that dissolves almost as soon as I’m overcome with gastro-arousal. The pockets of lean meat on the inside are so tender an juicy, that they offer almost no resistance the bite. The overall texture is like the perfect balance between taffy and butter, with a little bite in the center. My cholesterol just went up two notches just by thinking about it.

Hakka mee, plain and simple

The hakka noodles make the perfect canvas for the colorful flavors of the char siew . Plain and tossed in light oil, with minced pork and little sprinkles of fish flakes for aroma, the hakka noodles resemble linguini aglio olio in terms of texture and preparation style. While intentionally lacking a strong flavor to complement the intense flavors of the char siew , the hakka noodles could also be eaten by mixing in the fresh home-made chili sauce, if you prefer a slight zing and stronger punch to your noodles. The chili sauce is fibrous with only just enough vinegar for zing, without being too acidic on the taste buds or too diluted in chili flavor.

My usual bowl of noodles (RM4.50) and single serving of char siew (RM6)

The regular-sized bowl of hakka noodles is usually enough for most people (including myself), but usually by the time I’m at the shop, I’m very hungry and greedily order a large bowl for an extra ringgit, which usually proves to be too big. Perhaps a better idea would to share it with a lighter eater. The sour plum with lime juice is sweetened only with the sour plum’s natural sweetness (no added sugar), which I find tastes a lot fresher and natural compared to regular coffee shops. I find it the perfect quencher to my porcine lunches. I’d advise against ordering the lean meat; I think it tastes like old erasers . This coming from someone who mostly favors lean meat, it would be probably a better idea to drop the calorie-counting for one afternoon and indulge in diet-breaking ecstasy. Somehow using the same preparation methods, the fattier portions seem to react differently from the pure lean portions. Do note that they tend to run out of the good stuff, so come early in the afternoon (before 1pm) to avoid disappointment.

The great char siew and hakka noodles keep me coming back, but the great personal service keeps me feeling good about myself despite the sins against my body.

Yes, it’s worth it.