Si Chuan Dou Hua 100 Dishes a la carte Buffet
It is easy to be overwhelmed by the trademark ‘ma la’ (麻辣 i.e. spicy and tongue-numbing) aspect of Sichuan cuisine, especially made popular by Chinese hotpot chains (yes HDL I love you).. BUT BUT BUT.. Did you know there are more than 20 different unique flavors in Sichuan cuisine? Well.. Si Chuan Dou Hua Restaurant – the pioneer of Sichuan cuisine in Singapore - intends to educate you on all of that with their à la carte buffet showcasing 100 authentic Sichuan dishes.
Fear not, while the core ingredients of a Sichuan dish may comprise chili and peppercorn, the differing proportions of the spices or the cooking techniques will differentiate one dish from another. We were dazzled by the immense breadth of flavors (they split it into 26 flavors and dishes are listed under the flavors)- Chili Oil; Garlic & Chili; Tomato; Sweet Sour; Sesame; Sichuan Minced Pepper; Sichuan Pepper and Minced Spring Onion; Strange-flavored; Spicy Sour; Ma La; Vinegar; Sweet Bean; Chinese Rice Wine; Homemade Spicy Sichuan Bean paste; Regular Bean Paste; Sweet Salty; Mustard; Lychee; Garlic Chili with Fish sauce; Sichuan Pepper; Plum; 5 Spices; Salty; Onion Oil; Ginger; and Sweet.
Thankfully, the dishes are all of tasting portions, suitable for sharing between 3-4pax. Before you go crazy on your orders, i'd say that 20-25 dishes will be good for your party of 4. That means at least 3-4 visits before you can complete all the dishes! Well.. we tried 55 in 1 seating (there were about 14 of us). Having tried all the flavors and half the dishes, here are some of our favorites!
We simply had to start with the Ma La! This Boiled Sliced Beef in Sichuan Pepper Sauce was yums. The garlic can ward off any vampire (or human) but oh that tender meat.. Also make sure you order that Chilled Chicken in Spicy Bean Paste sauce under this category. It's tongue numbing good! If you love more garlic, then go with the Sliced Pork in Garlic and Chili Sauce. The thinly sliced cold meat is numbing no doubt but the cold kind of helped with the spice? I couldn't help but eat more of this. Hot favorites like the Diced Chicken with Dried Chili and Cashew Nuts and Fresh Prawns with Dried Chili under the Sichuan Pepper section are also must orders!
Balance the spice with some refreshing Sichuan Pepper and Minced Spring Onion Flavour, seen in a simple dish of Fresh Scallops coated with a delicious sauce of ginger and peppercorn powder, given a refreshing green tinge with minced spring onion. It reminded me of yuzu pepper actually! Or a Sweet and Sour Chilled Sliced Radish, an intricate dish of finely julienned carrots wrapped with a thin layer of radish. I also loved the Sliced Fish Maw in a nutty Sesame Sauce which provided a nice crunchy texture.
For less spicy stuff, the Stir fried fish fillet in Sweet Sour Sauce (Lovely chunks of meat); Steamed Pork Belly with Sichuan Preserved Vegetables in sweet sauce; Stir fried Bitter Gourd with Sweet Bean Sauce; Diced Crispy Chicken with Plum Sauce and Sichuan Pepper; Fresh Prawns in Sichuan Sauce..
Missing some vegetables? Well our favorites were the Salty flavored Stir fried French Bean with Minced Meat (so crunchy); and Eggplant and Minced meat in Garlic Chili. For some crunchy texture, we popped a couple of Pan-fried Pancake with Onion. They are like mini pratas.. So fragrant. There's also the golden morsels of Sichuan Minced Pepper (salt pepper) bites like Deep fried Beancurd, and Crispy Soft Shell Crab.
Pork Belly lovers rejoice! You'll need a couple of bowls of rice to go with that Marinated Sliced Pork Belly in Chinese Rice Wine. Love the sweet savory and slightly tangy fermented rice grain sauce and that meat was so well braised!
The Braised Pork Belly with Honey Sauce was another great non-spicy dish.
Now how about a Pork Belly dessert? The Steamed Pork Belly with Glutinous Rice and Red Bean Paste in Sweet Sauce is a unique dish where sliced pork belly is steamed with a thick spread of red bean paste and glutinous rice, then sprinkled with sugar before it is served. That is if you really love pork.
The Glutinous Rice Ball with Chinese Rice Wine is a perfect ending to the meal! Make sure you have a bowl of this.
The à la carte buffet is available exclusively at Si Chuan Dou Hua Restaurant, PARKROYAL on Beach Road, at $48 per person (lunch only) or $58 with free flow of Bavaria Premium beer (lunch and dinner). The promotion will run till 15 October 2016, with UOB cardholders enjoying 20% savings.
Till October 2016, Tian Fu Tea Room will also offer a Sichuan Delights sampler platter with the Imperial High Tea, available at $32 per diner from 2.30 to 6pm daily. Each guest will walk away with a Sichuan face mask tassel as a souvenir.
Till October 2016, Tian Fu Tea Room will also offer a Sichuan Delights sampler platter with the Imperial High Tea, available at $32 per diner from 2.30 to 6pm daily. Each guest will walk away with a Sichuan face mask tassel as a souvenir.
PARKROYAL on Beach Road
7500 Beach Road, The Plaza, Singapore 199590
Tel: +65 6505 5722
Daily: 11.30am - 2.30pm, 2.30 - 6.00pm (high tea), 6.30 - 10.30pm
Tel: +65 6505 5722
Daily: 11.30am - 2.30pm, 2.30 - 6.00pm (high tea), 6.30 - 10.30pm
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