Author: Alexius Chua
If you love your Chinese dish to be more than just tongue-searing spicy, then Chengdu Restaurant could be your favourite EAT destination. This Chinese restaurant pays homage to the capital of Sichuan province by doling out authentic Sichuan cuisine of the fire-breathing variety since its opening – mala hotpot, mapo tofu and kungpao chicken. A wise choice, as its Asia’s first city to be designated a ‘City of Gastronomy’ by UNESCO in 2010.
The new menu showcases a myriad of taste profiles the complex Sichuan cuisine has to offer. Kicking in is the savoury appetizer of Roasted Foie Gras ($42.80). When presented, a cloud of white smoke billows, spelling an ultra-luxe ensemble of pan-seared foie gras with king oyster mushrooms, spring onions and red pepper flakes. It is dramatic, different (ain’t foie gras a French cuisine?), and nevertheless surprisingly quite refreshing considering the rich, fatty meat.
It is common belief that chicken feet is full of collagen, if it’s true this Chicken Feet with Pickled Peppers ($13.80) is a snack for beauty. Cooling and refreshing, the sourly sweet and slightly spicy cold chicken feet tastes different from the braised ones you would expect from the dim sum places. Preparation wise it is also much more tedious and testing on the culinary skills of the chefs.
I enjoy biting into the jello-like beef tendon in the Braised Tendon with French Bean ($26.80). Slow-braising for 40 minutes gives the meat a fork-tender texture. Along with quail eggs and green chili mixed with a flavourful piquant sauce, this pot may look innocent, but is deceptively quite spicy.
My own personal favourite, the Salt and Pepper Pork Ribs ($22.80) is finger-licking delicious. The premium pork ribs are simmered for 45 minutes with ginger, peppercorn and 5 other special spices, before being fried and tossed with other spices to give that mouth-watering flavour reminiscent of Sichuan streetside shaokao (barbeque).
For the soup base we have the Sichuan Style Spicy Pot and Fish Fillet Sour Soup. The Sichuan Spicy Pot ($28.80) screams in-your-face hot, with a medley of black tripe, luncheon meat, quail eggs, starch noodles, prawns, squid and others that can usually be found in mala hotpot joints. Be sure to order the Sour Plum Drink before tackling this bowl of burning lava.
A milder, less aggressive and slurp-able version is the Fish Fillet in Sour Soup ($22.80). A spicy and sour soup of boneless sole fish fillet in a majestic yellow broth, I find the soup appealing to me in such a way that it tinkles the senses while making it irresistibly wholesome. It would be my favourite amongst the dishes if only I am not such a big carnivore.
Chengdu Restaurant
74 Amoy Street Singapore 069893
Opening Hours: Mon – Sat, 11am – 3pm, 5pm – 10.30pm. Closed on Sunday
Tel: 85339928
Facebook: www.facebook.com/chengdusg
Instagram: @chengdusg
Hashtag: #chengdusg