Chicken-flavoured riceChoose it over plain rice when the stall offers both.
Rice with a fried egg and choy sumKeep the yolk runny so it breaks over the pork and the rice.
Steamed white riceLay the slices over hot rice and spoon a little of the sweet gravy on top.
Thai red pork rice with gravy (khao mu daeng)Add sliced cucumber and a halved boiled egg, then pour the gravy over everything.
With noodles 3
Dry tossed noodles from Sarawak (kolo mee)Toss the noodles while hot and fan the pork over the top.
RamenFloat a few slices on the hot broth just before the bowl goes out.
Wonton noodlesLay the slices over the noodles and keep the wontons in the broth beside them.
Greens 4
Blanched lettuce with oyster sauceDip the leaves in boiling water just until they wilt, then dress them.
Choy sumBlanch it, lay it beside the pork and trickle a little soy sauce over.
Gai lan with oyster sauceBlanch the stalks until just tender and pour the sauce over at the table.
Sliced cucumberFan a few cold slices beside the rice to cut the sweetness.
Soup and sauces 4
Hot mustardPut a small dab on the side of the plate and touch each slice to it.
Old fire soup (lou fo tong)Serve a small bowl first, clear and hot, before the rice and pork.
Sweet char siu gravySpoon it warm over the rice, not the pork.
Winter melon soupKeep it light and plain, since the pork brings the sweetness.
From the same roast-meat shop 5
Crisp roast pork belly (siu yuk)Order half and half, and eat the two porks from one plate of rice.
Jellyfish saladPile it in the middle of a platter with the sliced meats around it.
Marinated cuttlefishSlice it thin and serve it at room temperature with the pork.
Roast gooseAsk for a leg cut through the bone and share it across the table.
Soy sauce chickenHave it chopped and laid beside the pork, with rice under both.
In buns, rolls and other dishes 6
Baguette sandwich with char siu (bánh mì xá xíu)Add cucumber, pickled carrot and fresh coriander, and eat it at once.
Char siu pastry puffs (cha siu sou)Eat them warm, while the pastry still flakes.
Chopped char siu in sweet and sour sauce (jar jow)Stir-fry it with the vegetables and serve it over rice.
Pineapple bun filled with char siuWarm the bun so the crust stays crisp and the filling is hot.
Rice noodle rolls with char siu (cheung fun)Pour seasoned soy sauce over the rolls just as they are served.
Steamed char siu buns (cha siu bao)Serve them hot from the steamer, in the basket.
Something sweet after 3
Black sesame soupServe it hot in small bowls to finish the meal.
Double-skin milk custardServe it in the bowl it set in, warm or cold.
Mango pomelo sagoServe it well chilled, in small bowls.
Drinks 3
Coffee with milk tea (yuenyeung)Order it iced on a hot day.
Hong Kong-style milk teaOrder it hot or over ice, and add sugar to taste.
Red bean iceStir the beans up from the bottom before you drink.
How it works
What to eat with char siu? Rice or noodles, as a Cantonese roast-meat shop serves it. These 32 ideas add greens, soups and sauces, other roast meats, buns and pastries, three sweets and three drinks without alcohol.
Read the full guide
The roast-meat shop plate
The shops that roast char siu sell soy sauce chicken, roast goose and crisp roast pork too, so a plate is often half and half. In Southeast Asia the rice comes with sliced cucumber. The Thai plate, khao mu daeng, adds a boiled egg and crisp pork, and a plate well known in Hong Kong tops the rice with a fried egg and choy sum.
What to eat char siu with when it is not rice
Char siu also goes inside things: steamed buns, pastry puffs and rice noodle rolls at dim sum, pineapple buns, and a baguette sandwich in Vietnam. In Japan a braised cousin, chāshū, tops ramen. Leftover slices can be chopped small for any of them.
Char siu is sweet, so keep what sits beside it plain: unseasoned rice, greens blanched in water, a clear soup.
Slice the pork thin and lay it on the rice only when the rice is steaming.
Questions and answers
What vegetables go with char siu?
Choy sum is a frequent one, blanched and laid beside the pork. Gai lan with oyster sauce, blanched lettuce and cold sliced cucumber do the same job of cutting the sweetness.
What sauce goes with char siu?
A sweet gravy spooned over the rice, or a drizzle of dark soy sauce, as stalls in Southeast Asia serve it. In Singapore the choice is garlic, chilli and soy sauces. A dab of hot mustard is a sharper pick.
What noodles go with char siu?
Wonton noodles: in Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand the bowl comes with slices of char siu. Kolo mee, the dry tossed noodles of Sarawak, carries it too.
What dessert goes with char siu?
Cantonese restaurants usually offer tong sui, a sweet soup, after the evening meal. Black sesame soup is one, served hot. Mango pomelo sago and double-skin milk, a smooth milk custard, are two other desserts.
What do you drink with char siu?
Without alcohol: Hong Kong-style milk tea, hot or iced; yuenyeung, which is coffee mixed with milk tea; or red bean ice, a drink of sweet beans, syrup and evaporated milk.