Ba Ge Chuan Chuan

Chanced upon this fairly new Chinese skewers establishment along South Bridge Road some time back — wanted to drop in for a meal during that time but was told that it would be best to make a reservation as they were fully booked back then. Made a mental note to return and managed to visit them on a weekend which they were less busy; whilst I am one who is not often drawn to Chinese cuisine, Ba Ge Chuan Chuan might have actually stood out for me considering how the facade is pretty eye-catching — liked how they have included splashes of orange amidst all the black and grey going on in here, and this rather hip and modern look is being maintained throughout the interior as well. The main focus at Ba Ge Chuan Chuan would be their various skewers served either fried, or in Malatang — they also do serve up bar snacks / appetisers, mains, as well as fresh oysters too; the beverages available here are largely limited to alcoholic options, which includes craft beer from Beijing’s Jing-A Brewing Co. amongst others.

We hadn’t really been to many Chinese food establishments around, so the Tofu with Century Egg does probably stand out to me apart from the various skewers that we went for considering how it does differ from the local rendition that we are used to having. Served chilled, the slab of tofu is sliced into squares; the tofu being silken and smooth whilst it does come with that usual soy sauce that provides the tofu most of its flavour — that same soy sauce is actually spiked with Sichuan peppers that makes it carry a mild level of numbness and that slight hint of spiciness similar to that of having Mala Tang (i.e. 麻辣烫); pretty appetising, but probably also a good life-saver against the more numbing and spicy fried skewers considering how the soy sauce and tofu does help with that. Admittedly the dish is even more delicious when had with the bits of century egg that provides a umami note, as well as the coriander above that cuts through all the savoury flavours considering how it is a little heavy-handed on sodium; probably best paired with alcohol as with all items usually served in such establishments. Still, it is pretty appetising considering the infusion of mala elements into century egg tofu which is rather new to us.

Can’t really comment whether the food is good or not on our own — we were clearly contented with what we have had, but a dining partner who shared the meal with us who had eaten at more Chinese establishments did mention that the food at Ba Ge Chuan Chuan does seem to be above average — prices are a little bit on the higher side for some dishes, though one can argue that the environment is also a little more upscale here. Probably this explains somewhat on their popularity, despite probably also being one of the very few Chinese skewer establishments being situated at this end of South Bridge Road that is closer towards Circular Road and Clarke Quay — the establishment was actually pretty near maximum capacity during our time there on a weekend evening. A spot that those who are interested in Chinese cuisine should probably make a visit to see what they have to offer.