Hive- Something’s Cookin’ and It Ain’t Honey

Let’s be honest… The bar isn’t the place I’d hit for Char Siew Wonton Noodles… So when my Friday night comrades ordered Char Siew (BBQ pork) and Siew Yuk (roast pork) noodles at Hive last weekend, my jaw did drop. So here we are, amidst live music and Vodka tonics, and a table full of bar eats, amongst them, never thought I’d say, one of the better Char Siew noodles I’ve had in a while! Hard to believe when there are hundreds of hawkers specializing in this simple dish. And sad to say not many do a good job despite its simplicity. Hive’s roast meats are prepared in-house daily. And they’re sure doing a good job! The char siew is lean, tender, flavorful and nicely charred with bits of burnt ends. The well seasoned siew yuk is soft and savory with a reasonably good crackling. Thin springy yellow noodles are blanched al dente and tossed in a fragrant oil dressing that’s just the balanced amount of sweet and savory. This sauce that lubricates the noodles is such a vital component and it is, very often, the culprit that also destroys the dish, not to mention the chef! But a chef that does not take the sauce seriously? Seriously!? Anyway, Hive’s nailed it with their sauce, and that’s half the battle won. We didn’t get lumpy noodles…yeah, double winner! And if you keep up that magic roasting you got going on in your kitchen… You might just become the go-to place for this humble dish. Ok, the price tag isn’t so humble compared to the three-fifty version out there. But factor in the live music, great service, cleanliness, air conditioning plus happy hour, and it’ll be easier to part with eight bucks!