Our current food craze is mala grilled fish, so we were really happy to chance upon Sichuan Kungfu Fish at Suntec City. It seems that grilled fish is getting quite popular in Singapore nowadays; we recently indulged in the same dish at Tan Yu (探鱼) as well. We were persuaded to go in by the friendly waitress standing in front of the restaurant. Initially, we were a little worried that the food would be a disappointment because we had never heard of Sichuan Kungfu Fish before. However, it turned out that our concerns were unfounded. The grilled fish was delicious and service was excellent too!
Sichuan Kungfu Fish – Grilled Fish Restaurant from China!
Sichuan Kungfu Fish is a Chinese restaurant that serves a variety of Sichuan-style grilled fish dishes. It also offers seafood dishes, side dishes, and an interesting selection of beers. The restaurant originated from China and has expanded to USA, Canada, and now Singapore. The Suntec branch is the restaurant’s first in Singapore. Sichuan Kungfu Fish was founded by Mr. Qi Chunhua, who was inspired to open the restaurant after experiencing the competitive and innovative environment of MIT during his younger days. In fact, the restaurant chain was originally called MIT Catering!
Great Atmosphere with Excellent Service
We liked the vibe of Sichuan Kungfu Fish. It has somewhat of an eclectic theme, with marble-top tables, golf clubs, porcelain dolls, champagne bottles, scented candles and many other ornaments displayed in an organized sprawl around the restaurant. We also spotted a few red oriental lanterns. The restaurant definitely has an interesting interior design.
We were most impressed by the wonderful service. Other than the friendly waitress who stood at the front of the restaurant, the staff taking our orders was very polite too, and answered our questions about the menu items very patiently. Our order came quite fast, despite the fact that it takes some time to grill the fish. Which was great because we were really eager to check out the mala grilled fish!
Special Cod by Our Principal
We ordered the Special Cod by Our Principal ($66.90), which is the restaurant’s signature dish. For the flavour, we went with the chef-recommended Mala, though we requested for the “mild spicy” (微辣) level. This is because we were pretty sure our stomachs would not be able to withstand the maximum spicy level. We had also been warned by the waiter that the mala sauce is still quite spicy even if we request for “mild spicy”. For side dishes, we ordered potato ($2.90) and enoki mushrooms ($2.90).
After about 15 minutes, our much-anticipated grilled fish dish arrived! It was served in Sichuan Kungfu Fish’s signature elongated fish-shaped pan. There is a constant fire burning under the pan so the dish is kept warm throughout the meal.
There were four chunky pieces of cod fish steaks doused with mala sauce in the pan, and we couldn’t wait to start eating them! First impression of the dish? SHIOK. The cod fish was lean and flaky with a silky smooth texture, and had a delicately sweet flavour. The mala sauce was indeed still quite spicy even though we had ordered “mild spicy”. But it’s not that I’m complaining! Raevian and I LOVE spicy food, and this mala sauce was definitely on point. It had a feisty and savoury flavour distinctive of Szechuan cuisine, and went perfectly with the cod fish. This was truly an enjoyable dish.
I realized that I had been enjoying the cod fish so much that I had been neglecting my side dishes, so I decided to be impartial and put a chunk of enoki mushrooms in my mouth. The juicy mushrooms had absorbed the spicy goodness of the mala sauce and tasted great. As for the potatoes, they tasted decent but I would have preferred it to be less chunky. Personally, I feel that thin slices of potatoes are more palatable, especially when cooked with mala sauce.
Free Ice Cream!
Sichuan Kungfu Fish generously offers a variety of complimentary ice cream, which is another example of their great service. We were constantly encouraged by the friendly waitress to take the ice cream. Not wanting to disappoint her, we treated ourselves to the popsicles after our feisty meal. It felt a bit like the ice cream was dousing the fire in our tummies.
Menu (Click to Enlarge)
As you can tell, the menu is cheekily designed in the format of an exam paper.
Conclusion
On the whole, we had a fantastic dining experience at Sichuan Kungfu Fish. Service was excellent, and the food was awesome. Even though I started perspiring shortly into the meal, I persevered on, deriving my strength from the delicious flavours of the grilled mala fish. Unfortunately, I forgot to order one of the interesting beers the restaurant had to offer. Well, I guess that serves as further impetus for me to visit the restaurant again! I will definitely be going back soon to check out the other grilled fish dishes.
Sichuan Kungfu Fish
Address: Suntec City, 3 Temasek Boulevard B1-132/171, Singapore038983
Phone: +65 6333 9519
Opening Hours: Daily 11.30am to 10pm
Facebook: www.facebook.com/sichuankungfufishsg