Sichuan Alley @ Capitol Singapore - Dive into Contemporary Sichuanese Cuisine at Sichuan Alley’s Second Outlet in Singapore

New in Capitol Singapore is Sichuan Alley, whose flagship branch is situated at Telok Ayer. It's most known for its signature Mian Yang Rice Noodle offerings, which has yet to be found at any other local restaurants.

Here, diners can explore authentic and contemporary Sichuanese items alongside a range of unique Sichuan-inspired beverages. Flavours are rich, bold and authentic. Their interior was lovely, exuding warm and cosy vibes, perfect for big and small gatherings.

Sichuan-inspired Beverages

We took some time to look through their fun and fresh beverage list before deciding on the Cold Brew Yuzu Chrysanthemum Tea ($5.90), the Bamboo Breeze ($16) cocktail made from gin, bamboo green tea, pineapple, peach and jasmine, and the Osmanthus Rice Wine ($16).

Osmanthus Rice Wine

Our favourite among the three was the fragrant and mellowly sweet Osmanthus Rice Wine.

Mini Hotpot 4.2/5

We delved into the world of Sichuan flavours with their Mini Hotpot 成都冒菜 ($14). While it leaned on the oily side, we loved how all the ingredients nicely soaked up the spices and tingling numbness.

This was especially so for the crunchy slices of potato and celtuce, alongside prawns, black fungus, bean sprouts and cauliflower.

Yu Xiang Shredded Pork 4/5

The Yu Xiang Shredded Pork 鱼香肉丝 ($7.90) is made up of strips of tender pork, strips of celtuce and carrot, and black fungus. It's pretty appetising but a little sweeter than I'd prefer. A vegetarian version of this dish is also available.

Fried Chicken 4.5/5

I liked how Sichuan Alley's Fried Chicken 辣子鸡 ($16) is boneless, making it much more convenient to enjoy. They use chicken thighs fried to a crunch, mixed with cashew nuts, leek and addictive bits of fried garlic.

Sichuan Sour Vegetable Fish 4.5/5

By default, the Sichuan Sour Vegetable Fish 老坛酸菜鱼 ($19) comes with a number of ingredients, including sweet potato noodles, black fungus and my favourite crunchy celtuce. Though a touch oily, the sourness and spiciness were well-balanced, and the fish slices were tender.

Braised Pig Intestines with Tofu 4.8/5

If you're a fan of both mala flavours and pork intestines, the Braised Pig Intestines with Tofu 鲜豆花烧肥肠 ($17.30) will be up your alley. The fattier intestines are cleaned well, thoroughly soaking up all that lip-smacking spice. We liked how the flavour of the intestines permeates in the gravy and the soft beancurd as well. Get a bowl of white rice to accompany it, and you're good to go!

King Prawns with Vine Pepper Rice Noodle 4.2/5

Sichuan Alley's signature Mian Yang rice noodles are featured in their range of mains. We opted for the King Prawns with Vine Pepper Rice Noodle 藤椒大虾米粉 ($15.50), which is by default spicy, but there are several others, such as Braised Beef Rice Noodle and Braised Pork Ribs Rice Noodle which you can opt for in your preferred level of spice. You can imagine the rice noodles to be like mee sua, but just a bit thicker with a slight more chew. The deceptively clear vine pepper broth was tangy and comforting with its accompanying heat.

Speciality Ice Jelly 4.2/5

Our first dessert was the classic Speciality Ice Jelly 雪山红糖冰粉 ($5.50), featuring red beans, hawthorn, peanuts, rice balls, almond flakes and raisins on ice jelly with brown sugar. It had lots of texture and was refreshing.

Sweet Fermented Rice 4.2/5

I preferred the Sweet Fermented Rice 巷子桂花粉子醪糟 ($4.50) between both desserts even though it looks simpler. The bits of Osmanthus brought a lovely mild fragrance to the fermented rice, with soft glutinous rice balls.

Photos and words by Jo. A girl who loves her Mala (麻辣) at Da La (大辣), discovering hidden food gems and a good cup of matcha latte. Note: This is an invited tasting.


Sichuan Alley
13 Stamford Road
#B1-29/30
Singapore 178905
Tel: +65 9155 5244
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Nearest MRT: City Hall (EW, NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 1030am - 930pm

Direction:
1) Alight at City Hall MRT station. Take Exit D, Walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]

Chuan Hung @ Telok Ayer Street - History And Flavour In A Bowl

Chuan Hung which means Sichuan Alley is a new noodle bar in Telok Ayer offering Mian Yang rice noodles with a choice of different broths, and a variety of toppings such as braised beef and pig intestines. The thin slippery noodles here is specially sourced from a particular artisan who lives in a village deep in Sichuan. It took close to a year and dozen of personal trips to convince the artisan to supply the noodles. Fast forward, the noodles now served in Chuan Hung are found nowhere else in Singapore or South East Asia.

Braised Eggplant 4/5

Before moving to the noodles, they are some appetising small plates to complement the mains or making it a complete meal. The Braised Eggplant ($4.50) may look dangerously spicy but it is quite mild and delicious. The peeled steamed eggplant is topped with a blend of burnt and peeled bell pepper and green chillis, giving it a smoky and spicy finishing.

Liang Fen - Cold Bean Jelly 4/5

The Liang Fen ($3.50) itself is tasteless but this is packed with depth and flavours from the housemade sauce. The housemade sauce is made from two different types of sauces that is finely chopped and mixed together. The first is made from frying Dou Ban Jang and fermented black beans while the second is made from Dao Kou Jian and Sichuan peppers fried till fragrant.

Fried Crispy Pig Intestines 3.5/5

The Fried Crispy Pig Intestines ($5.50) is crispy on the outside and soft inside. It is even stuffed with Japanese leek in the middle for that extra crunch. While the pig intestines have been braised in a braising liquid that consists of soy sauce, star anise, Sichuan peppers, peppercorns, cinnamon, nutmeg and more for 4 hours, I felt that it still has a slight gamy taste.

Braised Beef in Red Broth 4.5/5

Moving to the signature noodles, I have the Braised Beef in Red Broth ($13.50) with the Mian Yang Rice Noodles. The specially sourced noodle made from rice, is smooth and silky, almost like mee sua. Perfect to soak up the delicious broth. The red broth which complements the rice noodle excellently which consists of a housemade spice blend that includes Sichuan peppers, pickled chillies, and dried chillies amongst other herbs and spices that are fried until fragrant.

King Prawns with Vine Pepper  4.5/5

The other noodle dish we tried is the King Prawns with Vine Pepper ($15.50). The broth made from combination of chicken bones, Sichuan vine peppers and chilli padi, has the right balance of souriness and spiciness which not only whetted up the appetite but complemented the noodles excellently.

I really enjoyed the rice noodle specially sourced form Sichuan, Mian Yang for its texture. Much effort is also put into the different broths to ensure it complement the rice noodle. Not only that, the bowl of noodle is also reasonable priced.

Note: This is an invited tasting.


Chuan Hung
51 Telok Ayer Street
#01-01
Singapore
Tel: +65 97551058
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Nearest MRT: Telok Ayer (DT Line). Raffles Place (EW Line, NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri: 10am - 3pm, 5pm - 9pm
Sat-Sun: 10am - 9pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Telok Ayer MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Raffles Place MRT station. Take Exit F. Walk to traffic light junction at Cecil Street. Cross the street to Prudential Tower. Cut through the building and walk to Telok Ayer street. Walk to destination. Journey time about 6 minutes. [Map]