Hong Kong Jin Tian – Lost & Found Popular Roast Meat Stall in Tiong Bahru

A huge fan of Hong Kong roast meats? Before the dawn of the millennial era, anyone could drop by Seng Poh Road in Tiong Bahru to have a taste of authentic Hong Kong roasted meats. Family business, Hong Kong Jin Tian 香港锦田, which was helmed by a husband-and-wife duo, was revered by the folks in Tiong Bahru. Their roasted meats, especially the Wrapped Duck Leg (鸭脚包), were exceedingly popular. Due to the increase in rent, the reputed eatery closed down in mid-2014 but soon reopened in the same year at Zion Road. To the surprise of many loyal customers, the stall closed in 2015 for good, or so we thought. We heard that Hong Kong Jin Tian has just reemerged near Tiong Bahru MRT!

Meet Mr and Mrs Yip, the proud owners of Hong Kong Jin Tian. Despite the never-ending queue, Mr and Mrs Yip never fails to show hospitality to all their customers. Although this was the first time we’ve met, their warm and genuine greeting made it feel as though we had known each other for years. We were filled with a sense of comfort and familiarity as Mrs Yip sat and dined with us. It felt almost like we were a family. “I was born and raised in Kam Tin (錦田), Hong Kong, while my husband was from China. He (Mr. Yip) only came to Hong Kong to learn culinary at 18 years old. In 1986, we finally decided to come to Singapore,” Mrs. Yip recounted.

It wasn’t an easy journey, but both Mr and Mrs Yip never gave up. Mr Yip’s culinary journey started at Hai Tien Lo in Pan Pacific Singapore. After 14 years, he finally opened his first roast meat stall in Tiong Bahru, back in 2001. Fast forward to 2018, the lovely couple has returned with their highly coveted arsenal of roast meats, which includes roast ducks, soy sauce chicken, roast pork belly, and char siew. “At the beginning, we thought of retiring in 2014. Throughout these years, we also wanted to teach our younger son the tricks of the trade to continue our legacy. Coupled with the fact that we grew increasingly bored during the last 3 years, we finally decided to reopen our stall!” Mrs Yip shared cheekily.

A plate of Roasted Duck Rice ($3.50) fetches you several thickly-sliced duck served atop nicely separated white grains. Don’t you just love the glaze on the duck? It sure tasted as good as it looked. The skin, which was surprisingly not as fatty as I expected, came out beautifully crisp and delightful. Every part of the duck was moist and juicy. A light herbal flavour accompanied every bite too.

Sure, you can drizzle the duck with some gravy to add a sweet and savoury edge. However, I think that the combination of just the duck and rice is thoroughly enjoyable. If you fancy noodles over rice, you can have the same delicious roast duck with noodles at the same price.

Having Soya Sauce Chicken Rice ($3.50) will never be the same again. Mrs. Yip gave us the authentic Hong Kong experience by guiding us on how it should be enjoyed. Eaten on its own, you’ll find the chicken is tender and soft. However, like any other good soya sauce chicken, the best part of it for me was the skin! The springy yet supple skin, which had absorbed the sweet and savoury essence of the scrumptious marinate, was just divine.

“Pair the chicken, or anything you want, with this condiment (spring onion, onion and garlic mix). It will make everything delicious” Mrs. Yip taught us. The chicken paired extremely well with the bright, piquant and herbaceous flavours of the condiment. We agree, Mrs.Yip. the condiment really complements everything perfectly. You’ll probably be going for refills.

Pick the Char Siew and Roasted Pork Noodles ($4.50) if you want the best of both worlds. The char siew and roasted pork didn’t fare as well as the roasted duck and soya sauce chicken, though. Although it lacked that characteristic fatty texture, the char siew had a great bite, and wasn’t overly sweet. Mr and Mrs Yip’s homemade chilli paired flawlessly with the char siew.

There were some hits and misses with the roast pork belly. Every piece of pork boasted a crackly skin which I really liked. While the flavour of the pork belly was decent, it was a little on the dry side.

Apart from their roast meats, Hong Kong Jin Tian boasts a number of a la carte dishes that you can choose from. You won’t regret sharing a bowl of Hong Kong Wanton Soup ($3.50) like we did. Each bowl comprises a good number of homemade wantons that are wrapped in-house. Carrying an excellent ratio of shrimp, pork filling and chestnut mix, these wantons were extremely delectable. I especially loved the crunch that came with the burst of sweet and savoury flavours!

Pick the Lotus Soup ($3.50) if you crave a nourishing bowl of soup. What is unique is the manner in which the soup is presented — in a bamboo bowl. “It is an interesting way of serving our dishes! It’s beautiful, right?” Mrs Yip asked. While the presentation was commendable, I found the soup to be slightly bland.

Hong Kong Jin Tian is now accepting orders for their signature Golden Coin Chicken, Suckling Pig, Roasted Chicken’s Liver, Roasted Pig and Pipa Duck, all of which must be ordered in advance (refer to number below). Good food, great folks, what’s not to love? I’ll definitely return to Hong Kong Jin Tian. It’s no wonder their regular customers so eagerly looked forward to their return. I hope the stall stays for good this time.

MissTamChiak.com made an anonymous visit and paid its own meal at the stall featured here.

Let’s build a food community that helps to update the food news in Singapore! Simply comment below if there’s any changes or additional info to Hong Kong Jin Tian 香港锦田. We will verify and update from our side. Thanks in advance!

For more food videos, check out our official YouTube channel! You may wish to check out our article on what are the 10 eateries which you should try at Tiong Bahru Plaza!

Join us on our Telegram channel!