Si Chuan Dou Hua – 100 Sichuan Delights, 1 Gastronomic Feast [MEDIA INVITE]

Dessert - Crispy Glutinous Rice Ball with Sesame Red Bean Paste

The popular ‘100 Sichuan Delights, 1 Gastronomic Feast’ promotion, returns for the fourth consecutive year from 8 July to 30 September 2019 at PARKROYAL on Beach Road. This year’s a la carte buffet sees 102 dishes in 26 flavour profiles.

Chilled Sliced Radish in Sweet and Sour Sauce

This year Executive Sichuan Chef Zeng Feng’s wish to showcase the multiple facets of Sichuan cuisine beyond the popular “mala” flavour. Two examples of distinct Sichuan flavours that are slowly disappearing are the nutty Sesame & Pepper Sauce and Sichuan Mince Pepper & Spring Onion Sauce.

Sliced Chicken in Minced Sichuan Pepper Sauce

The nutty Sesame & Pepper Sauce flavour is represented in these dishes: Sliced Fish Maw in Sesame Sauce, Chilled ‘You Mai’ Vegetables in Sesame Sauce and Sichuan Noodles in Sichuan Pepper and Sesame Sauce. Instead of the creamy nutty flavour in regular sesame sauce, in the Sichuan version, you can taste the heat creaming at the end of each bite.

Chilled ‘You Mai’ Vegetables in Sesame Sauce

Sichuan Mince Pepper & Spring Onion Sauce flavour is represented by these dishes: Boiled Sliced Fish in Minced Sichuan Pepper Sauce, Sliced Chicken in Minced Sichuan Pepper Sauce and Fresh Scallops in Sichuan Pepper Sauce. Instead of a fiery red colour, the colour of the sauce is green from the spring onion. The dishes are fragrant and enticing.

Boiled Sliced Fish in Minced Sichuan Pepper Sauce

Pork Knuckle with Fresh Chilli and Marinated Chicken Feet with Preserved Chilli will be a hit with fans of Sichuan cuisine. These dishes use red fresh chilli and green preserved chilli to create the appetising spicy and sour combo. 

Marinated Chicken Feet with Preserved Chilli 

Sweet is not a flavour profile that you will associate with Sichuan cuisine. I was surprised when I see Steamed Pork Belly in Sweet Sauce. The presentation looks like a bouquet of flower, where each sliced pork belly is rolled with red bean paste and steamed on a bed of sugar. If you are looking for a pork dish for dessert, this might be the one.

Steamed Pork Belly in Sweet Sauce

The following are my picks:

Anything with Dou Hua. Renowned for its light and silky texture, the homemade bean curd will elevate any dishes combined with it. One of the dishes is Stir-fried Sliced Beef with Chilli Powder served with “Dou Hua”. The flavour of the beef with the silkiness of the “Dou Hua” is just awesome. 

Stir-fried Sliced Beef with Chilli Powder served with “Dou Hua” 

Braised Bean Curd in Sweet Bean Sauce

The Dumplings. These mini bite-size dumplings are bursting with flavours. Served in broth or Chilli Oil, you can choose the flavours that you like or even both.

Minced Meat Dumpling in Superior Stock

Minced Meat Dumpling in Chilli Oil

Steam Egg in Prawn Paste. One of the less menacing dishes here. The minced pork is marinated with prawn paste and sandwich between egg yolk mix and egg white. This patty might look plain, but it is packed with flavours.

Steam Egg in Prawn Paste

Fresh Prawns in Sichuan Style. Fresh and crunchy prawns, tossed with aromatic Sichuan pepper. It has a medium spiciness level with a touch of numbness.

Fresh Prawns in Sichuan Style

Boiled Fish Slices in Spicy Soup. The sliced fish is swimming inside the spicy soup. Surprisingly the silky and flaky fish does not taste spicy at all. Instead, it absorbs the aroma of the sesame seeds.

Boiled Fish Slices in Spicy Soup

Stir-Fried Sliced Fish in Tomato Sauce. Each of the fish slices is deep-fried till crispy and covered evenly with tomato sauce. The tanginess from the tomato sauce combines with the crunchiness of the fish is just irresistible.

Stir-Fried Sliced Fish in Tomato Sauce

Desserts. Chilled Peach Resin with Sago and Sichuan Glutinous Pancake was the perfect ending for me. The sago ball is mildly sweet and contains health benefit from the peach resin. While the pancake has a crisp texture externally followed with gooey texture.

Chilled Peach Resin with Sago

Sichuan Glutinous Pancake

For this gastronomic feast, HUIMANNONG Sakura Sake is the suggested pairing. This rice wine is originated from Wuhan, it has a lower alcohol content with light and refreshing taste.

HUIMANNONG Sakura Sake

Overall, 100 Sichuan Delights, 1 Gastronomic Feast is a feast not to be missed. This feast showcases different flavours of Sichuan cuisine that I never see before. For Sichuan Cuisine fans this is a must-try event, while for the rest it is an eye-opener in Sichuan Cuisine.

Chilled Chicken in Chinese Rice Wine

100 Sichuan Delights, 1 Gastronomic Feast

When: 8 July to 30 September 2019

Where: Si Chuan Dou Hua at PARKROYAL on Beach Road

Price:

$60 per adult with a complimentary glass of HUIMANNONG Sakura Sake

$30 for children (*age 6 to 12).

Full Menu is available at 

http://www.sichuandouhua.com/promotion/100-sichuan-delights-1-gastronomic-feast

Thank you very much PARKROYAL on Beach Road and Si Chuan Dou Hua for hosting the tasting event.

Food & Drinks: 7.75/10

Value: 7.75/10

Service: N/A (Tasting Event)

Ambiance: 8.5/10

Budget per Person: $51 - $80, $81 and Above

Si Chuan Dou Hua

7500 Beach Road

PARKROYAL on Beach Road

Singapore 199591

T: +65 6505 5722

W: http://www.sichuandouhua.com/

F: https://www.facebook.com/sichuandouhua/

IG: @Sichuandouhua_sg

OH:

Lunch: 11.30 – 14.30

High Tea: 14.30 – 18.00

Dinner: 18.30 – 22.30

Mui Kee Congee – Comforting Hong Kong Congee

Mui Kee Congee

Mui Kee Congee originated from Hong Kong has reached the shore of Singapore. It was brought over by Les Amis Group, owner of multi concepts dining establishment known for its quality.

Mui Kee Congee

Mui Kee Congee is renowned for their silky-smooth congee filled with old school ingenuity. In Singapore, they signature congees are Parrot Fish Belly and Homemade Pork Meatballs. Worried that the fish belly is too fatty, I decided to order Sliced Parrot Fish Congee ($9.80) plus an add-on of Meatballs ($4).

Sliced Parrot Fish Congee plus meatballs

The congee is silky and smooth, with a lingering charred flavour in the fish. At first, I thought it was burnt, however, I later found out that it was due to the high fired used at the beginning to fire up the fish slices. The congee is added afterwards. Each slice of the fish is thick, firm and have a good bite to it. While the homemade pork balls are juicy and succulent. Let’s just say that I have two signatures congee in one bowl.

Sliced Parrot Fish

Meatballs

The congee does not come with you tiao, so you have to order it separately. Crispy Dough Fritters ($2). Definitely, a perfect pairing to give the congee a contrasting crispy texture and also helps soaks up the flavour in the congee.

Crispy Dough Fritters

One of the side dishes that I ordered is Drunken Chicken in Shaoxing Wine ($10). The flesh of the chicken is on the firm side and you can taste the Shaoxing wine absorbs into the inner part of the meat. Very good and appetizing indeed.  

Drunken Chicken in Shaoxing Wine 

For vegetable, we ordered Poached Kai Lan ($8). Though the oyster sauce is solid, the kai lan was overcooked. It was missing the crunchy bite to it. Drinks, Iced Hong Kong Milk Tea ($3.50). The tea has a nice smooth milky texture; however, it can be better if the tea is darker.

Poached Kai Lan

Iced Hong Kong Milk Tea

The décor of the restaurant has a modern Cha Chaan Teng feel to it. Seating is limited, so sharing table just like in Hong Kong is kind of a norm here. Service is efficient and the service staff tried to use Cantonese in taking your order. However, feel free to switch to English or Chinese to your convenient. Expect long queue during lunch and dinner time, the rest of the time should be very normal.

Overall, Mui Kee Congee expansion to Singapore brought with them the culture and taste of Hong Kong dining. Definitely worth a visit if you are craving for Hong Kong Style of Congee.

Food & Drink: 7.5/10

Value: 7/10

Service: 7.5/10

Ambiance: 7.5/10

Budget per Person: $11 - $25

  

Mui Kee Congee

1 Scotts Road

#01-12, Shaw Centre

Singapore 228208

T: +65 6737 2422

W: https://muikee.com.sg/

F: https://www.facebook.com/muikeesg

IG: @Muikeesg

OH: 11.30 – 15.00, 18.00 – 22.00 Daily.

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