Some years ago, my work used to take me to a few cities in China rather regularly, and I would explore their local version of “chap chye png” (plain rice topped with dishes of your choice) which I subsequently, developed a big love for. Because the stall-holders and cooks there tended to be heavy-handed with the seasoning and oil, the food was considerably more flavourful (but less healthy) than what we have in Singapore. The taste profiles of those dishes were exciting as well as they reflected the various regions in China. I recall a huge pot of soup would usually be present, and customers could help themselves to however much as they wanted.
Anyway, after walking past “蜀香 Shu Xiang” in the basement of Far East Plaza (unit #01-22) several times, I finally tried their food last week. And I must say, their China-style #chapchyepng dishes exceeded my expectations.
Although they’ve been tweaked to suit most Singaporeans’ palates (read: less oily and salty), the dishes I tried proved very fragrant and tasty. My favourites were the pigs’ ears and pigs’ stomach (both stirfried with garlic, fresh herbs and some spices), the egg with tomato, and the sliced pork fried with big green chillies. Pricing is a little more than what you’d pay at a hawker centre (our two plates of rice with 4 items each cost a total of $12) but I think it’s fair considering Shu Xiang is in a shopping mall and has ample comfortable seating. Will definitely return to have their food again when I am in the area.