Tao Xiang Kitchen at Sixth Avenue, Bukit Timah

Nestled within the eateries of Bukit Timah, is this almost hidden gem of a Cantonese roast meat stall, found in a typical looking coffeeshop.

Sixth Avenue is known for eateries like Brazil over the years, and other more Western inclined establishments, so it was quite the surprise to find this among the more famous names.

The owner used to work for popular restaurants like Crystal Jade and Imperial Treasure, and thus, you get a slice of restaurant quality fare for coffeeshop prices. A good deal indeed.

They open until 8pm every night, and serve typical Cantonese fare like roasted meats and wanton and shrimp noodles, so at first glance, you might not realise that it is anything special.

Noodles

I was advised to take the noodles instead of the rice, and while it was nothing extraordinary, it was simple and good, with a nice savory sauce for you to toss the noodles in. It comes with your typical Chinese greens and is perfect to go along with the meats.

White Steamed Chicken

Unlike your typical Hainanese chicken rice, the steamed chicken here is not served cold, but rather somewhat warm. I must say that the quality of this steamed chicken is actually better than some of the best Hainanese chicken that I have savored.

It was less seasoned than most steamed chicken, but that was fine by me as I prefer to have a more mild sesame seasoning. The chicken itself was perfectly tender and slippery, and just from the look of it, I knew it was incredibly tasty.

Succulent and moist within, this is perhaps the best non-Hainanese steamed chicken that I have come across. And then some.

Assorted Roast Meats

The meat platter was a mixed bag, however. The char siew lacked a decent glaze and char, and the meat was dry and chewy, so I would give that a miss. The roast duck had a nice crispy and flavorful skin, but was otherwise just above average and par for what you get in most Cantonese restaurants.

The roasted pork, however, was an absolute delight. The skin was beautifully crisp and aromatic, and the meat itself was tender and totally melting in your mouth quality. This pork bested even some of the finest restaurants for its sheer quality and value.

Shrimp Dumplings

We did not get to taste the wanton, but if the shrimp dumplings were anything to go by, the wantons could not have been far off as well.

The dumplings were huge and generous portion, and had a delicious fillings and was  very well seasoned. This was certainly restaurant quality again, and for the price, this was very good value for money.

Personally, I do not rave about much wanton and roasted meat stalls these days, as I find that they are usually only good in one area. Usually they will serve good char siew but mediocre noodles and wanton or vice versa.

Here at Tao Xiang, they managed to provide a very high standard all around, and if nothing else, the steamed chicken, roasted pork and shrimp dumplings certainly warrant a drive there.

Tao Xiang Kitchen

10E Sixth Avenue

#10-01