Chef China

And now for the pièce de résistance of any meal at @chefchina.sg, the Grilled Fish. For thirty two dollars and eighty cents before additional taxes, you get a whole grilled fish in one of four different broth bases. We chose the Pickled Vegetable broth base, and we couldn’t have been more pleased with our selection.

A whole fish of indeterminate species is grilled till cooked through before being laid to rest in the pan. Peanuts as well as slices of cabbage, onions and tomatoes join a heaping helping of both green & red Sichuan peppers as the accoutrements of the fish. To seal the deal, everything is then bathed in pickled vegetable broth before being sent to your table, and that’s where the show gets lit. Literally. As the fire burns beneath the fish and gets the broth gently bubbling, dig in to that gargantuan grilled fish.

The fish on my dish has clearly been well fed, as there was an astonishing amount of flesh on the bones. As with all whole fish, there are some bones to pick, but the abundance of fresh, firm white fish flesh vastly exceeded the annoyance of picking out fish bones. The piquant pickled veg broth, however, is what really makes the Grilled Fish go down swimmingly well.

It’s tantalisingly tangy, with a decent sourness that helps to open up your palate and get your salivary glands going without forcing you to scrunch up your face. Complementing that sourness is a superb saltiness from the pickled vegetables that have imparted their qualities to the broth during boiling. That savouriness is sufficient to flavour the broth as well as the fish, and it flavours everything it comes into contact with flawlessly.

Once again, thank you for inviting us to sample your cuisine, @chefchina.sg!

Sweet & sour pork has been my favourite dish since I’ve been a kid, and I’m something of an expert on this timeless classic. However, I don’t go to Sichuan or China restaurants that much, and I’ve never had sweet & sour pork done in the way that @chefchina.sg does it.⠀
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At sixteen dollars & eighty cents before GST & service charge, this towering stack of deep fried pork fillets doused in a thick, syrupy sweet & sour sauce is a beauty to behold. There’s more batter on the pork here compared to the more common Singapore or Hong Kong Style sweet & sour pork, but the batter is mystifyingly airy & light on the grease, akin to a denser tempura. The moderate crispness of the outer layer easily gives way, revealing a slightly chewy layer of batter right on the surface of the pork. The pork itself is commendably tender, and it just gets better thanks to the crisp of the batter.⠀
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As for the sauce itself, it’s more sweet than sour, but it’s still plenty tangy to stimulate your senses. I’m not sure if Chef China uses ketchup in their sauce as it doesn’t taste like it, but the sauce is quite sublime. Salty, sweet & sour in all the perfect ratios, this is a stellar sauce worthy of accompanying any meat. Sweet & sour pork is a test of the quality of the ingredients and the chef, and Chef China has most certainly aced both.⠀
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多谢多谢, @chefchina.sg!

口水鸡 has an unfortunate literal translation of ‘saliva chicken’. Sure, anyone who’s had a decent rendition will know that the chicken is so tasty it gets your waterworks going, but most won’t. Fortunately, @chefchina.sg has decided to call it Steamed Chicken with Chili Sauce ($11.80++) instead, and it definitely sounds and looks better than the original.⠀
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The steamed kampong chicken is buried under a landslide of Chef China’s special chili sauce, but the spice is surprisingly restrained despite initial appearances. The yellow skin of the chicken is a giveaway that this chicken is antibiotic & hormone free, and the free range bird has firmer flesh than its cage raised relatives.⠀
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Despite a meatier chew, the chicken is still quite tender & juicy. The firmer flesh holds up well to the spicy onslaught of the numbing Sichuan chili sauce, which is really more of a paste. Oddly enough, the chili sauce reminds me of an extra chunky satay sauce, and I quite enjoyed it.⠀
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Thanks for having us, @chefchina.sg!

If you’re looking to shell out slightly more for a stellar starter, look no further than the sublime Scallop With Garlic ($8.80 for a pair). Two large scallops are grilled with vermicelli and buried under a heap of garlic and some chilies for a spicy kick, and they’re ready to send your tastebuds into another universe. The sweet juices from the fresh scallops flavour the vermicelli fantastically, while the minced garlic and chilies launch the deliciousness of the scallops into the stratosphere. I was sorely tempted to order a second helping in all honesty, and I probably should have now that I think about it.

Thanks for hosting us, @chefchina.sg!

Start your culinary journey across the cosmos right with @chefchina.sg dizzying array of starters, including grilled dishes & skewers. We lifted off with a portion of their roast pig trotter ($3.60++). The spicy rub on the pig trotters was absolutely addictive with its blend of slightly numbing & smoky spicy saltiness, but the trotters themselves were mostly skin, fat & collagen. Sure, it’s a great bite with satisfying amounts of chew to warm up your jaw with for sure, but it won’t do more than that.

Thanks for hosting us, @chefchina.sg!

Unique Space Theme Restaurant in Singapore serving authentic Sichuan Cuisine. Chef China @chefchina.sg, located at Beach Road, Bugis, offers a wide array of BBQ skewers, snacks, classic hot dishes, traditional cold dishes and more!

What I ordered includes:
▪️Pumpkin Pancake and Cabbage with Red Oil Dumplings to Snack
▪️Their Speciality Spicy Grilled Fish with 3 spice level (less spicy / spicy / extra spicy)
▪️BBQ Series such as Grilled Large Intestine, Grilled Prawns, Grilled Sausage, Beef Tendon, Grilled Steam Buns, etc
▪️Tossed Mung Clear Noodle in Sauce from the Cold Dish Series

They are open from 12 noon to 4am daily, now you know where to drop by if you are looking for a late night supper place too.

Location: Chef China 华厨, 101 Beach Rd, #01-01, Singapore 189703