[REVIEW] Sichuan-style Poke Bowl anyone? Try the New Chengdu Bowl from Chengdu Restaurant

It sounds strange, but this is a real F&B concept.

Sichuan food lovers, rejoice! Chengdu Bowl, a brand-new concept and the brainchild of Chengdu Restaurant, is now open and serving its own rendition of Sichuan food in individual portion, inspired by the trendy Hawaiian poke bowl. You can pick your own favourite mix of spicy hot Sichuan food with over 10 different curated selections of Chengdu Bowls starting from S$10.60 per serving.

When the Hawaiian poke bowl took the world by storm, it was hailed as an healthier meal alternative featuring raw fish, fresh veggies and fruits, whole grains and a generous dose of sauces. Put together, it present a beautiful, round, colourful bowl of wholesome ingredients.

The Chengdu Bowl is as beautiful as the original poke bowl, with rich colours and a good mix of diverse ingredients. This is just about where the similarity ends. Taste-wise, it is not a east-west fusion concept, but taste quintessentially like Sichuan cuisine, known for its tongue-searing mala flavours. Each bowl comes with a carb-base: choose from chewy rice noodles, pearl rice or whole-grain brown rice. Each bowl is accompanied with 6 sides which are in Sichuan or Western-style.

We tried some of the creations as below:

Chicken with Chilli Mala Bowl 成都辣子鸡

Small $10.60, Regular $12.80, Large $14.90

Using premium chicken thighs, the diced marinated meat is double-fried to keep the tenderness of its meat while retaining its crunchy exterior. The chicken cubes are further stir-fried with a dash of salad oil, dried chilli, and Sichuan peppercorn for that bold, spicy kick.

Fatty Beef Mala Xiang Guo Bowl 肥牛香锅

Small $10.60, Regular $12.80, Large $14.90

A popular dish with an in -house concocted sauce, this main focuses on bringing the tongue searing fiery Sichuan flavour into the beef slices. Ginger, pickled pepper, dried chillies and Sichuan pepper are added with the in-house Special Chilli Sauce and stir-fried.

Chengdu Style Steamed Pork Belly Bowl 梅菜扣肉

Small $10.6, Regular $12.8, Large $14.9

The juicy pork belly goes through 2 rounds of marination to achieve its full flavour. The accompanying preserved vegetables is stir-fried in low heat before plating them with the pork belly for its final step – steaming.

Prawn Paste Noodles with Sour Pickled Soup 泡椒虾滑米线

Small $10.6, Regular $12.8, Large $14.9

Spices such as pickled red chillies, pickled ginger, wild mountain pepper, bird eye chillies, and garlic are blended and fried before simmering. The balled-up handmade tiger prawn paste is then cooked in the sour pickled soup.

Classic Sour Fish Rice Noodle 经典酸菜鱼米线

Small $10.6, Regular $12.8, Large $14.9

This comforting dish with a zesty finish is also known as Suan Cai Yu, a classic Sichuan dish that is commonly served. The marinated sliced dory fishes are cooked under low fire in a soup stock. Chilli and spices are stir-fried and drizzled over the cooked fish slices for a predominantly sour and slightly spicy flavour.

Sichuan Spicy Maocai 四川麻辣冒菜

$13.80

Superior stock and an in-house sauce are brought to boil until fragrant before adding mains – fish, fatty beef, tripe – and sides – fungus, spring sprouts, lotus root, potato, enoki mushroom and luncheon meat. This cooking process which is known as “Maocai” in Sichuan offers a delectable, savoury stew.

Verdict?

The Chengdu Bowls are delicious and satisfying, but they are nothing like the Hawaiian poke bowls in terms of flavours. The only similarity is the appearance. Flavour-wise, the Chengdu Bowls all offer some elements of ‘mala’ to varying degree of spiciness. Spicy food lovers will totally dig this. With prices from just S$10.60 a bowl, it an affordable treat.

The Chengdu Bowls come with an array of sides with two distinct variations: Sichuan style and Western style sides. Under its Sichuan-style sides, customers get to enjoy preserved vegetables, preserved long bean, fried egg, and chilled appetisers such as crinkle-cut potato, enoki mushroom, and mixed vegetables. Its Western-style sides offer classic poke-bowl items like broccoli, corn, edamame, beetroot, shredded cucumber and shredded carrot.

To further accentuate the mala experience, spicy-lovers can opt for a Special Chilli Sauce (秘制烧椒酱) to further tantalise the tastebuds. This hand-made sauce is said to be concocted after six hours of slow and precise cooking. The chilli is first grilled under intense fire and subsequently, its skin is removed and mashed into paste. The paste is further stir-fried under low fire to fully bring out the fragrance and taste of the fiery chilli.

Chengdu Bowls are available for island-wide delivery in Singapore via their official website. It is also available via takeaway at Taikoo Lane Hotpot located at 133 New Bridge Rd, B1-16 CHINATOWN POINT, Singapore 059413.

Look forward to the menu’s regular update as the team at Chengdu Bowls reintroduces old favourites and present new creative renditions to keep customers satiated.

About Chengdu Bowl

Chengdu Bowl is the brainchild of two young ex-bankers Stella and Jie, who quit their high-flying careers in finance to pursue their passion in the F&B scene. They are also the founders of Chengdu Restaurant and Taikoo Lane Hotpot. The newest concept, Chengdu Bowl, serves its own rendition of quintessential Sichuan food in poke-bowl inspired, one-pax portion. Customers can pick their own favourite mix of spicy hot Sichuan food from over 10 different curated selections of Chengdu Bowls.

Operating Hours: 10:00AM – 8:30PM Daily

Follow Alvinology.com on Facebook and Instagram for more lifestyle and interesting news updates!