Singaporeans love their Ma La dishes and steamboat. So much so that many restaurants specialising in Si Chuan or Chong Qing cuisine have set up shop in our sunny little island. Riverside Grilled Fish 江边城外 is one of the latest restaurants to take the bait and join the fray. It specialises in Chong Qing style grilled whole fish.
Discover SG has got the scoop on it and we are here to share more.
Riverside Grilled Fish’s History
Riverside Grilled Fish was founded by two friends who happened to try grilled fish topped with Ma La sauce while travelling in Wushan Town, Chong Qing.
Needless to say, both of them were so taken with the robust flavours of the grilled fish that they set up their first restaurant in Beijing in 2005. Their restaurants all over China see long queues every day, much like what we experience at Hai Di Lao here in Singapore.
The rest as they say, is history.
Have your fish and eat it
Diners can choose from 4 types of locally sourced saltwater fishes priced between $35 and $42.
These include red tilapia, sea bass, black promfret and garoupa. The chef will cook the fish in the sauce of your choice.
Riverside Grilled Fish offers 8 sauces for you to choose from.
According to the team at Riverside Grilled Fish, their Signature Fragrant Spicy Sauce (spicy and sweet) is a must try!
For those who die die must eat something spicy for every meal, the Ma La sauce is specially concocted for you!
However, if you can’t take spicy food at all, opt for the black bean sauce. It is the only non-spicy sauce in the menu.
Once you have decided the fish and sauce of your choice, you can choose the ingredients to go with your fish.
Riverside Grilled Fish offers 18 items priced from $2.50 to $4.50 per dish. These include sausages, pork belly, tofu sheets and flat vermicelli.
Side dishes
The Si Chuan Crispy Duck ($12.80) is a must try, because it looks oh-so-tender on the inside, yet so crispy on the outside!
According to the Riverside Grilled Fish team, the duck is first marinated in Juniper spice, then steamed. Lastly, it is deep fried for that crispy taste and golden brown exterior.
Another item you’ll love is Si Chuan flat noodles ($4.80).
The translucent looking flat noodles is made with quality soya beans directly sourced from Si Chuan. This explains its chewy texture. The red sauce of the flat noodles is spicy yet sour, which is refreshing to the palate!
Finally, end your meal with the popular pan-fried rice cake with soya powder ($6.80).
The rice cake is first pan fried with eggs then sprinkled with soya powder.
You can also choose to dip your rice cakes in white sugar to sweeten it.
Big fish in a little red dot at Raffles City
Since opening its first outlet in Beijing, Riverside Grilled Fish has expanded to 54 outlets in 12 cities in China.
Its Raffles City outlet in Singapore marks its first foray overseas.
Occupying a sprawling 5000 sq ft at the basement, Riverside Grilled Fish seats 150 pax.
Its interior is tastefully furnished to resemble a traditional fishing village so you see fishing nets, lanterns and wooden doors all around.
Tantalising Lunch Deal
Fish and spicy food lovers can now look forward to a tantalising lunch deal at Riverside Grilled Fish.
The restaurant is offering a weekday set lunch for two at $25++.
This includes a Japanese saba fish, white rice, and two drinks (soya or barley).
This deal will run till 31 December 2016, so bring your friends, family, colleagues for a meal before it ends!
Do make a reservation in advance as the restaurant can be packed during peak hours.
Our ambassador, Stephanie, visited Riverside Grilled Fish. Here’s her experience:
Now that you have our cheat sheet of mouth-watering dishes to try, what are you waiting for?
It’s time to make a reservation and start indulging in the spicy delights that Riverside Grilled Fish has to offer!
One last thing, don’t forget to bring packets of tissue. These will come in useful when you tear or sweat after eating the spicy dishes.
Riverside Grilled Fish
Address: Raffles City Shopping Centre, #B1-06/07, 252 North Bridge Road
Opening Hours: 11am – 10pm daily
Tel: +65 6352 2035
Website
All images are courtesy of Riverside Grilled Fish unless otherwise stated.
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