88 Hong Kong Roast Meat Specialist (Lavender)

88 Hong Kong Roast Meat Specialist (Lavender) is the flagship of a local roast meat brand, at 308 Lavender Street. It serves Cantonese-style char siew, crispy roast pork belly and roast duck over rice or noodles. Prices sit closer to a hawker stall than a restaurant, which makes it a good stop for a filling, simple lunch.

The Lavender shop first opened in 2015. It is run by chef-owner Martin Ong, who trained in Western cooking before he turned to roast meats. The shop drew long queues for years, and the brand has since opened more outlets in the CBD.

What to order

The three roast meats are the reason to come. You can have one, two or all three on a plate of rice, or with noodles.

• Siew yoke (roast pork belly): the item reviewers praise most, for its crackly skin and juicy layers.
• Char siew: thick-cut barbecued pork, sweet and tender.
• Roast duck: a good third choice if you want a mixed plate.
• Roast meat platter: all three meats together, best shared between two or three people.
• 88 Signature Noodles: old-school mee pok with handmade fish and pork balls, added in the 2025 refresh.
• Sides: char siew wanton noodles, fried wanton and nai bai greens round out a meal.

The meats are slow-roasted for more than two hours, and fresh batches come out twice a day. A 2020 review noted that the kitchen here roasted over charcoal, which gave the meat a light char and a smoky edge.

The setting

For years this was a hot, busy coffee shop stall, with tables spilling onto the pavement. In late 2025 the shop was revamped and now has a modern, air-conditioned dining room. It keeps a few old-school touches, such as traditional tiles and rustic chairs. The room itself is fairly small, and more tables run along the street outside, giving about 100 seats in all.

The revamp also brought longer opening hours, so it is easier to come outside the busy lunch hour.

Good to know before you go

• Pork is at the centre of the menu, so this is not the place for anyone who avoids it.
• Ordering is quick and casual. If you are new to this kind of meal, our guide to eating cheaply in Singapore explains the basics.
• The brand also has outlets in the CBD, which are handy if you are staying in the city centre.
• The nearest MRT station is Bendemeer, about a 10-minute walk away.

Nearby

This part of town has plenty of good casual food. For dim sum, try Sum Dim Sum (Jalan Besar). For coffee, head to Chye Seng Huat Hardware. You can also browse more hawker favourites, other Chinese restaurants, or all restaurants in Little India and Jalan Besar.