Mad Charcoal Review: Charcoal-Grilled Western Hawker Food At Yio Chu Kang

Most of them are prepared rather hastily, and the chefs tend to neglect the freshness of the elements while throwing actual Western-style cookery methods out of the window in favour of lazier methods such as deep-frying. Kelvin Low, the jovial head chef and owner, has a rich culinary background with more than 10 years of cookery experience.

With a no-nonsense attitude in the kitchen, he ensures that his food is prepared to the highest of standards, all while keeping his prices modest. Being a huge meat lover, Kelvin is obsessed with the many processes for cookery meat, such as smoking, curing and grilling.

Kelvin is only interested in preparing honest Western grub for the masses, and he points to it through keen attention to detail in his cooking methods and components. Food at Mad Charcoal We opted for something simple to start, and their Grilled Chicken ($6.90) with a side of Tomato Pasta sounded fantastic.

All the dishes on their lunch menu come with an onsen egg, house salad, and a choice of pasta or Japanese rice. Upon fixing my eyes on the chicken and pasta dish, I was amazed by the sheer size of it.

Scarred by the taste of dry meat from the chicken breast diets of my youth, I was happy to hear that Kelvin uses chicken thigh instead. The wheaty taste of the spaghetti paired beautifully with the rich flavour of the sauce and minced meat.

This ensures that the sauce nicely seeps into the pasta, giving it a deeper savour. I love smoky barbecue meats, so after I spotted the 24 Hours Beef Brisket ($8.90) on the menu, I knew I had to get it.

The beautiful hunk of meat is then cooked sous-vide for a good 24 hours, then served with either pasta or Japanese rice. The brisket was evenly charred on all sides, and each bite tasted smoky and buttery at the same time.

Its luscious runny yolk was smooth and creamy, and it further deepened the taste profile of the dish. The slightly sweet Japanese rice gave the dish a refreshing starchy taste, as the smokiness of the beef was rather intense at times. The Grilled Pork With Spaghetti Aglio E Olio ($7.90) was presented impeccably, but was disappointing in the taste department.

Ambience at Mad Charcoal The stall is an eight-minute walk from Yio Chu Kang MRT Station, and is accessible via public buses, with a bus stop right outside Orange Point Kopitiam. Despite being a relatively young stall that opened in June 2019, Mad Charcoal is a cut above the rest of the regular Western food stalls.

Being a bold chef that’s willing to try his hand at new dishes, Kelvin has in recent weeks released a dinner menu that consists of meat-centric dishes such as beef short ribs, barbecue pork ribs, and duck leg confit. For more elusive new finds in the West side, do try these 10 Ang Mo Kio food gems . 10 Ang Mo Kio Food Gems Including A Chocolate Cafe And $1.30 Dim Sum Address: 3 Ang Mo Kio Street 62, #01-38, Orange Point Kopitiam, Singapore 569139 Opening hours: Mon-Sat 12pm to 11pm Tel: 6250 2238 Website Mad Charcoal is not a halal-certified eatery.