You won’t miss the restaurant, with its striking red and yellow decor. Located in The Star Vista, Chen’s Mapo Tofu is immensely accessible via a two-minute walk from Buona Vista MRT Station. On the other hand, I wouldn’t recommend the dumplings, as they tasted like the frozen variety. Still, these crispy morsels made for addictive bites alongside the main dishes. I found the popcorn chicken a tad salty, without much flavour from Sichuanese spices. Along the spectrum of spice, the mapo tofu tended towards a ‘xiao la’, providing a slight kick without overpowering the other flavours.Īpart from mains, the menu at Chen’s Mapo Tofu includes a selection of sides, such as the Szechwan Popcorn Chicken ($5.80+) and Spicy Szechwan Dumplings ($5+). Surprisingly, the gravy was more flavourful than piquant, with distinct notes of peppercorn. I was slightly daunted by its dark red colour, and expected the dish to taste fiery. The mapo tofu gravy sported an uneven, gritty consistency, with sediments of peppercorn and chilli paste. We had to start with their Signature Combo ($14+), which came with a half portion of their award-winning Mapo Tofu over rice, and a half portion of their Dan Dan Mien. However, the second dish wasn’t available during our visit. This outlet sees new additions to their menu -the Kurozu Buta Don and Shishito Pepper Fish Soup, alongside existing signatures. We paid a visit to their newly-opened second outlet at The Star Vista, eager to see if this restaurant lived up to its hype. This includes their mapo tofu, which was awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2019. His mapo tofu venture is much more casual, providing Sichuan-inspired donburi, noodles, and sides at affordable prices. Chen’s Mapo Tofu arrived on our shores in 2017, helmed by Michelin-starred chef Chen Kentaro, better known for his Japanese restaurant in Mandarin Orchard-Shisen Hanten.
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