Northeastern Chinese, also known as dongbei (东北) cuisine is all the rage in Singapore. Common ingredients include lamb or mutton, beef and pork, and fish that are liberally spiced with herbs, cumin, Sichuan peppers and plenty of hot chillis. Yum!
Good Come Again 好再来
Photo by Burppler Jayne Tan
Good Come Again is popular eatery in Kallang (they also have another outlet in Jalan Besar) that baffles many with their wackily-translated dish names. The food here is value for money and boasts perfect vibes for a night of drinks and bites. Nurse a cold Lao Te beer while munching on crisp Deep Fried Pork Intestines ($16) that are strongly seasoned with a good kick of spice. Take your pick from their variety of perfectly seasoned barbecued skewers - Burppler Wei Zhi Chiang loves the Bacon Volume Enoki Mushroom ($3). Keep room for the Tomato ($1.50), which is in fact an eggplant grilled to a silky texture and peppered with chilli powder. Consider the Wonton ($10), essentially a large bowl of chef-chosen ingredients like sausages, cabbage and beancurd skin, stir-fried ma la style.
Oriental Chinese Restaurant
Photo by Burppler Julius Lim
Oriental Chinese Restaurant is a popular spot that takes up four shopfronts in Chinatown with never-ending long lines during peak hours - but don't worry, table turnover is fast. There's a dizzying menu of dishes that you can wash down with a bottle of Tsingtao beer, but the Burpple community loves favourites like the Fried Egg & Tomatoes ($6.30), Beer Eggplant ($8.30) and Beef with Chilli ($13.10). Don't miss out on their BBQ skewers that range from meats to vegetables topped with a salty spice mix. Else, their menu consists of a dizzying array of dishes that you can wash down with a glass of cool Tsingtao beer.
Dong Bei Ren Jia 东北人家
Photo by Burppler aggs & xi :D
Also in Chinatown is the less-famous but equally good Dong Bei Ren Jia, offering up crowd-favourites such as Sichuan Boiled Fish Slices ($22) and the must-order La Zi Ji ($14), featuring deep-fried pieces of chicken with dried Sichuan chilli peppers, spicy bean paste, Sichuan peppers, garlic, and ginger. Burppler Jacqueline Lee also ordered the Candied Floss Sweet Potato ($10), a unique Dong Bei dish that's rarely found here, and said "it was heavenly and so addictive. the sweet potato was glazed with caramelised sugar and look at that pull…!"
Reunion BBQ 东北人烤肉坊
Photo by Burppler Gerald Chai
Reunion BBQ has great barbecued dishes, but that's not all they serve here. Fly to Dong Bei with their bright red interior and flower-patterns chairs, featuring everything from grilled lamb chops to Iron Pot Stews that feed up to 6 people, with ingredients of your choice - we recommend tofu and vermicelli to soak up the flavourful stew. Burppler Gerald Chai also recommends the Sautéed Shredded Potato, a must have when eating Northeastern Chinese food "that's always easy to eat and is quite good here." As for Burppler Diana Su, she loves the Grilled Lamb Ribs that's "actually very very good. Crispy crackling skin with tender meat!"
Dong Bei Xiao Chu 东北小厨
Photo by Burppler Wei Zhi Chiang
If the lines for the other popular restaurants in Chinatown are too long, turn the corner onto Upper Cross Street and look for this place for smaller crowds but equally on-point Northeastern Dishes. Their beautifully-charred lamb skewers are a favourite here with good balance between lean meat and fat, as are their Spicy Lala ($14) dish. For something a little special, dig into the Sichuan Green Bean Noodle Salad ($8) for chewy noods that soak up the delicious spicy chilli oil. Burpple Wei Zhi Chiang describes it as "strongly seasoned, very appetising and I really liked the contrasting crunch from the cucumbers and black fungus."
Taan Asian Grill Bar
Photo by Burppler Jason Ng
Located along buzzy Liang Seah Street, this skewer house offers over 50 types of skewers marinated Asian-inflected flavours, including many Northeast Chinese-inspired sticks. Must-haves include the fiery, chilli-dusted Mid Wings ($2.50), tender Beef ($1.90), Pork Belly ($1.90) and the smoky Mini Buns ($1.60). Use Burpple Beyond for your TGIF celebrations and order a variety of skewers including pork, beef and mushrooms. "The pork belly skewers were so darn juicy and the beef skewers were very tender. Both were flavoured well with Chinese 5-spice! The mushroom skewers were so good as well, as they were grilled till they have a crispy crust!"
