Tak Lung Siu Mei 得龙烧味 @ Raffles Changning

Hong Kong-style roasted meat — locally known as siu mei (燒味) — is a must-try for visitors to the city. But when you are stuck in Shanghai, here’s a good alternative.

FCC Group (Sense 8, The Peacock Room) has just opened Tak Lung Siu Mei, a fast casual Cantonese restaurant that specialises in roasts and barbecue in the Raffles Changning mall.

Siu mei shops are instantly recognizable by their window displays, which feature large slices of meat as well as whole chickens and ducks hanging from wires. Typically, the chef can be seen in the open kitchen, wielding a large butcher’s knife and chopping the meat to order. To ensure the authenticity of their Cantonese barbecue, they’ve employed a master chef with 20 years of roasting experience in Hong Kong. The result is fabulous.

得龙蜜汁叉烧 char siu

This is by far the most popular type of siu mei. Char siu consists of strips of boneless pork shoulder roasted over a spit. In the process, the strips of meat are coated in a sweet sauce consisting of soy sauce, fermented soybeans, garlic, hoisin sauce, and wine.

Good char siu tends to be incredibly tender, juicy, and fragrant. The sauce gives the meat its red hue, as well as its richly sweet and umami-laden flavor.

玫瑰豉油鸡 rose wine soy chicken

The chickens are steamed, not roasted, but are often still classified with siu mei because they tend to be sold alongside the other meats listed here. Soy sauce chicken is marinated in soy sauce beforehand and is typically served with a minced garlic and scallion sauce to bring a fresh edge to the meat.

明炉靓烧鸭 roast duck

When preparing roasted goose or duck, the whole bird is stuffed (the mixture typically includes ginger, star anise, and five-spice powder) and then roasted inside a charcoal-fired stove. The resulting dish usually has a crispy skin with a bright sheen and juicy meat, and is served with plum sauce or a sweet and sour sauce. Duck is usually used as a cheaper substitute for goose or when the bigger bird is not available or of poor quality.

流油咸蛋 salted duck eggs

And the best accompaniment with the siu mei lunch is the salted duck eggs. The oily yolk is very satisfying with every mouthful of steamed rice.

And all good siu mei shops would also feature double-boiled soup. Tak Lung is no different.

生熟地炖龙骨冬瓜汤 winter melon pork rib with rehmannia glutinosa

Rehmannia glutinosa is one of the 50 fundamental herbs used in traditional Chinese medicine and has cooling property. The soup uses this herb as well winter melon for that double cooling properties.

超美味滋补炖猪心汤 pig’s heart with Chinese herbal soup

My mom used to cook this soup for me. They were quite generous with half a pig’s heart in one bowl of soup, so I can taste that familiar herbal soup that I grew up with.

冰爽咸柠七 7-up with salted lime

This is a classic drink from the HK-style cafe called Chaachantang 茶餐厅. Just 7-up with a salted lime to provide that savoury, sour satisfaction from the sweet 7-up.

Of course, be prepared to pay extra for having this authentic siu mei meal in Shanghai. But if you work in Raffles Changning (and can produce an access card), you will be given a discount for lunch.

Tak Lung Siu Mei 得龙烧腊
422-423, 4/F, East Block, Raffles City Changning, 1195 Changning Lu, near Kaixuan Lu 长宁路1195号, 长宁来福寺广场4楼东区422-423, 近凯旋路
Tel: 021-63159555

Date Visited : Dec 2019