Paradise Group (LeNu Chef Wai’s Noodle Bar)

Paradise Group (LeNu Chef Wai’s Noodle Bar)
1 Harbourfront Walk
#02-91 VivoCity

200 Victoria Street
#B1-22 Bugis Junction

33 Sengkang West Avenue
#03-10 The Seletar Mall

26 Sentosa Gateway
#B1-201 Resorts World Sentosa

930 Yishun Avenue 2
#B1-101 Northpoint City

50 Jurong Gateway Road
#B1-11 Jem

1 Sengkang Square
#03-05 Compass One

311 New Upper Changi Road
#B2-10 Bedok Mall

78 Airport Boulevard
#04-244 Jewel Changi Airport

109 North Bridge Road
#B1-23 Funan

https://www.paradisegp.com/brand-lenu-chef-wais-noodle-bar/

Spicy Fragrant Pork Chop With Preserved Vegetables La Mian Noodles (SGD $11.80)

The Secret Is In The Soup

(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 7
Ambience & Setting: 7
Food & Beverage: 7
Service: 6
Value for Money: 7
Spent about SGD $18 per person.

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Established in November 2013 and operated by the Paradise Group, LeNu Chef Wai’s Noodle Bar is their quick casual dining concept, focused on offering Chinese Taiwanese noodles. With a name that is a humorous French Chinese translation of "The Cow", LeNu Chef Wai’s Noodle Bar may not be really authentic, but still manages to hit the spot on taste in its own unique way.

Ambience at LeNu Chef Wai’s Noodle Bar is modern, casual, and functional, as befits their concept. The warmly lit area is spacious, but the light wooden furniture is closely packed, with inches of walking space. Being open, the atmosphere is bustling and noisy during peak periods, akin to the street side stalls of Taiwan. The kitchen is partially enclosed, in theory offering a view of the action, but because the counter seats are much lower in reality, you cannot actually see much.

Service at LeNu Chef Wai’s Noodle Bar is polite, a holdover from the professional training of the Paradise Group. Staff are attentive and quick to react, be it seating guests, taking orders, or cleaning up when diners leave. It's still partially self-service though, with payment over the counter. Don't expect much conversation, although staff are knowledgeable enough to guide diners and recommend dishes. Orders are fulfilled lightning fast, as most items are already pre-prepared in advance.

Food at LeNu Chef Wai’s Noodle Bar is modern Chinese Taiwanese, with some elements of Japanese cuisine. You're assured of a consistent quality, with dishes being at least passably tasty with pronounced flavours. While not completely authentic, LeNu Chef Wai’s Noodle Bar still makes the cut for taste. Portions are medium to large for individuals, and prices reflect their concept. Budget about SGD $18 per person for a meal here.

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LeNu Exterior

LeNu Interior

It's Taiwanese cuisine, so they offer Canned Taiwanese Soya Bean Milk (SGD $2.20). This is decently earthy sweet, with a smooth, milky texture.

Canned Taiwanese Soya Bean Milk (SGD $2.20)

Served as a set, the Canned Apple Black Tea (SGD $3.20 Set) and Chilled Silken Tofu With Century Egg (SGD $3.20 Set) come together. The apple black tea is refreshing when chilled, with a delicate fruity sweet earthy flavour. The chilled silken tofu beancurd was nicely wobbly soft with a delicate soy bean flavour, but the firm bouncy century egg on top was much too gelatinous and pungent for my liking. However, I like how this paired with the garnish of wispy savoury katsuobushi / bonito fish flakes.

Canned Apple Black Tea (SGD $3.20 Set)

Chilled Silken Tofu With Century Egg (SGD $3.20 Set)

Chilled Silken Tofu With Century Egg

Chilled Silken Tofu With Century Egg

The Pork Wanton Dumplings In Chili Vinaigrette (SGD $5.90) or 红油抄手 features large, meaty, juicy tender pork wanton dumplings, which burst with slippery savoury sweet flavour. Served in a tangy spicy salty sour vinaigrette of black vinegar, light soy sauce, chili oil, and spring onions. Delicious. Highly recommended!

Pork Wanton Dumplings In Chili Vinaigrette (SGD $5.90)

Pork Wanton Dumplings In Chili Vinaigrette

Pork Wanton Dumplings In Chili Vinaigrette

The Braised Beef Tendon And Shank Rice Noodles (SGD $13.50) features a thin and hearty fortified beef bone broth, made from fresh beef bone stock, bone marrow, Chinese 5-spice powder, and other secret ingredients, stewed for over 18 hours. The result is a rich, meaty savoury sweet herbal spice flavour to the soup / broth, layered and complex, yet soulful and comforting. I chose the thin flat rice noodles to accompany, but the portion was overly generous and I couldn't finish it. I loved the savoury spice herbal meaty flavour of the chewy braised marinated beef shank, the gelatinous savoury sweet flavour of the slippery braised beef tendon, and the light salty sour flavour of the crunchy suan cai / pickled mustard greens / 酸菜. A satisfying bowl of noodles. Good!

Braised Beef Tendon And Shank Rice Noodles (SGD $13.50)

Braised Beef Tendon And Shank Rice Noodles

The Spicy Braised Wagyu Beef Thick Vermicelli Noodles (SGD $14.90) features a thin and hearty fortified beef bone broth, made from fresh beef bone stock, bone marrow, Chinese 5-spice powder, and other secret ingredients, stewed for over 18 hours. Enhanced with chili oil and Sichuan / Szechuan mala peppercorn, the result is a rich, meaty savoury salty spicy flavour to the soup / broth, with a slight lingering numbing burn. I chose the round long thick vermicelli rice noodles to accompany, and the portion was slightly more than I needed. I loved the deep meaty fatty savoury flavour of the soft tender braised wagyu beef cubes, and the light salty sour flavour of the crunchy suan cai / pickled mustard greens / 酸菜. I wish they'd slice the wagyu thinner, and gave more of it, for a well-rounded meal. Worth ordering!

Spicy Braised Wagyu Beef Thick Vermicelli Noodles (SGD $14.90)

Spicy Braised Wagyu Beef Thick Vermicelli Noodles

Spicy Braised Wagyu Beef Thick Vermicelli Noodles

The Garoupa Fish With Preserved Vegetables La Mian Noodles (SGD $12.90) features a thick and creamy rich pork bone broth, made from fresh pork bone stock, pork fat, salt, and other secret ingredients, stewed for over 12 hours. The result is a rich, meaty sweet savoury milky flavour to the soup / broth, calming and pleasing. I chose the chewy cylindrical hand-pulled la mian all-purpose flour noodles to accompany, but the portion was overly generous and I couldn't finish it. I loved the delicate sweet savoury flavour of the bouncy flaky garoupa fish fillets, and the light sweet salty flavour of the crunchy mei cai / preserved mustard greens / 梅菜. A fulfilling bowl of noodles. Good!

Garoupa Fish With Preserved Vegetables La Mian Noodles (SGD $12.90)

Garoupa Fish With Preserved Vegetables La Mian Noodles

Garoupa Fish With Preserved Vegetables La Mian Noodles

The Spicy Fragrant Pork Chop With Preserved Vegetables La Mian Noodles (SGD $11.80) features a thick and creamy rich pork bone broth, made from fresh pork bone stock, pork fat, salt, and other secret ingredients, stewed for over 12 hours. Enhanced with chili oil and Sichuan / Szechuan mala peppercorn, the result is a rich, meaty sweet savoury salty spicy flavour to the soup / broth, with a slight lingering numbing burn. I chose the chewy cylindrical hand-pulled la mian all-purpose flour noodles to accompany, and the portion was slightly more than I needed. I loved the garlicky savoury salty flavour of the meaty chewy juicy breaded pork chop, and the light sweet salty flavour of the crunchy mei cai / preserved mustard greens / 梅菜. Completed with a bouncy soft, longjing / dragon well tea braised lava egg with a semi-runny yolk, which has a bold earthy eggy sweet flavour. A tasty bowl of noodles. Worth ordering!

Spicy Fragrant Pork Chop With Preserved Vegetables La Mian Noodles (SGD $11.80)

Longjing / Dragon Well Tea Braised Lava Egg

Fragrant Pork Chop

Spicy Preserved Vegetables La Mian Noodles

Spicy Fragrant Pork Chop With Preserved Vegetables La Mian Noodles

The Special Dry La Mian Noodles With Anchovies (SGD $7.90) features a thin yet rich gravy, made from a house secret recipe. It has a bold salty sweet savoury flavour that is delicious and addictive. I chose the chewy cylindrical hand-pulled la mian all-purpose flour noodles to accompany, and the portion was slightly more than I needed. I loved the contrast of flavours and textures from the ingredients; the soft crunch of the vegetal sweet young bean sprouts; the firm crunch of the sweet savoury fishy nutty candied anchovies and roasted peanuts in white sesame marinade; the light salty sour flavour of the crunchy suan cai / pickled mustard greens / 酸菜; the light wispy shreds of savoury salty fishy katsuobushi / bonito fish flakes; and the fresh crisp texture of the vegetal herbal sweet spring onions. An unstoppable bowl of noodles.
Because it's light, I also got the Vegetable Pork Wanton In Pork Bone Soup (SGD $7.90) to accompany. This features 5 large minced pork and chives wanton dumplings, with a soft bouncy texture, in their signature rich pork bone broth. Deeply savoury sweet salty, nicely soulful.