Don’t let the queues at Ri Ri Hong Ma La Xiang Guo put you off satisfying your ma la cravings, not when our Tastemakers have discovered a worthy competitor sans crazy crowds. Located right in front of Ri Ri Hong’s second stall (facing Chinatown MRT exit C), this kiosk outside of People’s Park Complex offers similar prices ($1 for veggies, $2 for meat, $3 for seafood). Old Chengdu’s signature is their ma la soup, which packs a numbingly spicy punch thanks to the generous amount of fresh and dried chillies with a tinge of sourness. Their rendition may see a heavier hand on oil, but Burpple Tastemaker Wei Zhi Chiang was impressed by how well the ingredients soaked up all the flavours. Pairing their bowl with heaps of conjac, luncheon meat and oyster mushrooms, Burpple Tastemaker Irene Arieputri declared this one of the best ma la soups around!
Avg price: $10
Photo by Burpple Tastemaker Irene Arieputri