Li Ji Chuan Chuan Xiang (李记串串香) Tasting Session

Li Ji Chuan Chuan Xiang (李记串串香) Tasting Session
295 South Bridge Road

206 Jalan Besar Road

Opening Hours:
Daily: 12pm - 12am


https://lijichuanchuan.sg/

This was an invited media review. I did not pay for the meal during the free hosted tasting session, but I did pay the standard price during subsequent visits.
Attended with representatives from Jennifer Yeo Lifestyle, and Darren Bloggie.

Meal Flat Lay

Tantalising Skewers, Delicious Hotpot

(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 7
Ambience & Setting: 8
Food & Beverage: 8
Service: 7
Value for Money: 7
Budget about SGD $65++ per person.


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Hailing from Chongqing, China, Li Ji Chuan Chuan Xiang (李记串串香) was established sometime before September 2016, and expanded rapidly. Known for their signature skewers cooked in hotpot, Li Ji Chuan Chuan Xiang (李记串串香) arrived in Singapore in March 2017, quickly drawing queues. Their latest outlet in Singapore opened in August 2021, offering signature private dining dishes prepared by acclaimed Chef Ng Sen Tio (黄胜潮).

Li Ji Chuan Chuan Xiang Exterior

Li Ji Chuan Chuan Xiang Interior

Ambience at Li Ji Chuan Chuan Xiang is clean, bright, and modern. The bright overhead lights and minimalist Oriental decor is complemented by comfortable and sturdy furnishings, neatly lined in the spacious dining area. The large comfortable booths and tables are great for placing many plates (befitting a hotpot restaurant), and the ventilation is decently powerful such that you don't have lingering odours. When crowded, ambient noise levels can be fairly loud; escape to the private rooms which are an oasis of calm.

Decorated Cabinet With Decanter

Private Room

Service at Li Ji Chuan Chuan Xiang is efficient, polite, and professional. Staff are quick to take, prepare, and serve orders, particularly skewers, which are all ready prepared and chilled. They introduce each dish as they serve, demonstrating competent product knowledge, although they converse mostly in Chinese Mandarin. When dining in the private room, dishes are proactively cleared, and staff also proactively offer to take orders for more food or drinks. There's even a kungfu tea ceremony. Staff quickly clean up when diners leave.

Seating

Seating

Food at Li Ji Chuan Chuan Xiang is fresh, premium, and yummy. The variety of hotpot soup bases are delicious, and the skewers are made with market fresh ingredients. Chef Ng Sen Tio (黄胜潮) heads up the kitchen, bringing exquisite fine private dining dishes to the ala-carte menu, setting Li Ji Chuan Chuan Xiang apart from all other hotpot restaurants. Portions are sized for communal group dining; and more worthwhile for groups of 4 or more. Prices are comparable to other premium Chinese restaurants, budget about SGD $65++ per person.

Cooking

Meal Flat Lay

The Hotpot Steamboat 4 Flavours (SGD $20) allows for a variety of 4 types of hotpot soup bases. Great if you have a diverse group of diners with different preferences. The Soup Base Chili Mala is by default, only mildly spicy salty in flavour, but diners can request for the China style version which is full-on punchy with fiery spicy salty oily flavour.

Hotpot Steamboat 4 Flavours (SGD $20)

Hotpot Steamboat 4 Flavours

Hotpot Steamboat 4 Flavours

Made with fresh chicken stock, red dates, leeks, and wolfberries / goji berries, their Soup Base Chicken was my personal favourite. Has mild sweet savoury herbal flavour that becomes more robust through the meal.

Soup Base Chicken

Soup Base Chicken

Made with fresh tomatoes and lemongrass, their Soup Base Tomato has a more pronounced vegetal sweet savoury flavour with a hint of sour herbal aftertaste, compared to elsewhere. Those who like tomato will love this.

Soup Base Tomato

Soup Base Tomato

Made with fresh mushroom stock, red dates, king oyster mushroom, shiitake mushroom, and wolfberries / goji berries, their Soup Base Mushroom has a medley of earthy sweet savoury flavour. Mellow and calming.

Soup Base Mushroom

Soup Base Mushroom

Made with dried red chili, lemongrass, Sichuan / Szechuan mala peppercorns, and chili oil, their Soup Base Chili Mala is only mildly spicy salty in flavour, to cater to the average Singaporean palate. You can certainly request for the more fiery China Chinese version though.

Soup Base Chili Mala

Soup Base Chili Mala

The unique Soup Base Green Pepper Chili Mala reminds me of the taste of pickled mustard greens, with a sharp tangy sour salty spicy flavour. Loved it. A house signature creation, the painstaking effort to hand-prepare this soup base results in a slightly higher, premium price.

Soup Base Green Pepper Chili Mala

It's chuan chuan xiang (串串香) when you have skewers to cook in the hotpot. There's over 30 varieties of ingredients to choose from, in both skewer or plated serving style. The skewers style make it easier to cook and eat, while the traditional plated style is great for sharing.

Skewers

Skewers

The Special Recipe Beef Skewers (SGD $0.50 per skewer) and Signature Beef Slices (SGD $8 per serving) essentially feature the same house signature marinated beef, just in skewer and plated serving styles. The marinated beef is rubbed with a house spice mix (chili, Sichuan peppercorn, cumin), and has a tender juicy chewy texture, with bold meaty spice savoury flavour. Excellent, loved how yummy it is. Highly recommended!

Special Recipe Beef Skewers (SGD $0.50 per skewer)

Special Recipe Beef Skewers

Special Recipe Beef Skewers

Signature Beef Slices (SGD $8 per serving)

Signature Beef Slices

The Xiang Cai (Coriander) Beef (SGD $0.50 per skewer) has the addition of a leaf of coriander to the signature marinated beef, which lends a lovely depth of herbal vegetal note to flavour. Worth ordering!

Xiang Cai (Coriander) Beef (SGD $0.50 per skewer)

The Special Recipe Chicken Skewers (SGD $0.50 per skewer) features chunks of boneless chicken, marinated in the house spice mix (chili, Sichuan peppercorn, cumin). This has a tender moist texture, with bold spice sweet savoury flavour. Good!

Special Recipe Chicken Skewers (SGD $0.50 per skewer)

Special Recipe Chicken Skewers

The Pork Bacon With Golden Mushroom Skewers (SGD $0.50 per skewer) are a popular hotpot favourite, with crunchy golden mushrooms wrapped in chewy thin pork bacon. Has a meaty salty savoury vegetal earthy sweet flavour. Good!

Pork Bacon With Golden Mushroom Skewers (SGD $0.50 per skewer)

Pork Bacon With Golden Mushroom Skewers

The Taiwan Pork Sausage (SGD $0.50 per skewer) is addictive, with its snappy juicy chew that releases a burst of savoury sweet flavour. Good!

Taiwan Pork Sausage (SGD $0.50 per skewer)

The Smoked Duck (SGD $0.50 per skewer) seems to be fairly popular, but it didn't quite appeal to me. Has a nice tender texture though, with deep salty savoury meaty flavour.

Smoked Duck (SGD $0.50 per skewer)

The Beech Mushroom (SGD $0.50 per skewer) stood out for its medium juicy bouncy chew to texture, with mild earthy vegetal sweet flavour. Good!

Beech Mushroom (SGD $0.50 per skewer)

The Shiitake Mushroom (SGD $0.50 per skewer) actually rehydrates and absorbs the soup / broth pretty well, complementing its natural mild earthy vegetal sweet flavour. It also picks up dipping sauces beautifully. Highly recommended!

Shiitake Mushroom (SGD $0.50 per skewer)

Loved the Mountain Yam / Taro (SGD $0.50 per skewer), as after a few seconds of stewing, it gets soft and tender.... remove it quickly before it becomes mushy. Eaten hot, the lovely light vegetal earthy sweet flavour is so enticing and yummy. Highly recommended!

Mountain Yam / Taro (SGD $0.50 per skewer)

When hot, the Pumpkin (SGD $0.50 per skewer) is awesome, with its soft tender chew and mild vegetal sweet earthy flavour. Goes great with sauce! Highly recommended!

Pumpkin (SGD $0.50 per skewer)

The Cheese Tofu Beancurd (SGD $0.50 per skewer) is alright, nothing spectacular. Just decent.

Cheese Tofu Beancurd (SGD $0.50 per skewer)

Loved the freshness of the Broccoli (SGD $0.50 per skewer), with its light crunch to texture and mild vegetal sweet flavour. Good!

Broccoli (SGD $0.50 per skewer)

The Spinach (SGD $3 per serving) bowl is great. Generous portion of leafy spinach, with a light crisp crunch and beautiful vegetal sweet flavour. Best paired with a light, non-spicy soup / broth. Good!

Spinach (SGD $3 per serving)

Actually, the Fresh Prawn Paste (SGD $10 per serving), consisting of fresh pounded deshelled prawns, was just decent for me. It has a nice moist tender chew with bright sweet savoury flavour, but didn't quite delight like versions elsewhere.

Fresh Prawn Paste (SGD $10 per serving)

The good thing about the Fresh Mackerel Fish Slices (SGD $8 per serving) is the freshness of the mackerel fish, light with sweet savoury flavour and a moist flaky tender chew to texture. Absorbs the soup / broth decently, taking on the taste. Good!

Fresh Mackerel Fish Slices (SGD $8 per serving)

Loved the Fresh Triggerfish Fish Slices (SGD $10 per serving) enough to get a 2nd order. With a slight thicker, more satisfying flaky tender bite to texture, the fresh triggerfish fish slices hold bright sweet savoury flavour. Be careful when eating as some pieces have small bones. Highly recommended!

Fresh Triggerfish Fish Slices (SGD $10 per serving)

Filled with juicy fish roe, the Fish Egg Dumplings (SGD $8 per serving) bursts in the mouth when bit, releasing its bright briny salty sweet flavour. Lovely bouncy chew to texture, but only mildly absorbs the taste of the soup / broth it's cooked in. Good!

Fish Egg Dumplings (SGD $8 per serving)

The Handmade Minced Pork & Chives Dumplings (SGD $6 per serving) is your typical jiaozi / dumplings, with a semi-thick dumpling wrapper enveloping tender juicy crisp fillings of minced pork and garlic chives. With a bold meaty vegetal savoury salty sweet flavour, these pair well with any dipping sauce or soup / broth. Good!

Handmade Minced Pork & Chives Dumplings (SGD $6 per serving)

Felt the Braised Large Pig's Intestines Platter (SGD $10), while tender and juicy, also was slightly more gamey in taste compared to elsewhere. Could be improved.

Braised Large Pig's Intestines Platter (SGD $10)

The Red Garoupa Fish Stuffed With Prawn Paste (SGD $98) is a premium house signature creation of Chef. The large, fresh red grouper fish is neatly filleted, and each boneless piece is then wrapped around deshelled prawn paste with a string of spring onion, forming a meat ball of sorts. Cooked for just about 15 seconds, this has a bouncy tender texture, with bright sweet savoury flavour that is so clean-tasting and fresh. Rather addictive, wish we could order more. Highly recommended!

Red Garoupa Fish Stuffed With Prawn Paste (SGD $98)

Red Garoupa Fish Stuffed With Prawn Paste

Red Garoupa Fish Stuffed With Prawn Paste

Red Garoupa Fish Stuffed With Prawn Paste

Looking like salted egg gravy, the Pumpkin Crab (SGD $138 for 1kg) is instead generously coated in a thick rich pumpkin sauce, with mild vegetal sweet savoury flavour. The large meaty crab has succulent juicy crab meat with bright sweet savoury flavour, complemented by the yummy gravy. Rather premium pricing, but Chef's skill is evident here, making this a memorable dish. Highly recommended!

Pumpkin Crab (SGD $138 for 1kg)

Pumpkin Crab

Pumpkin Crab

Pumpkin Crab

Pumpkin Crab

The 3 Treasures Dessert Platter (SGD $12) is Chef's special creation, a crescendo of taste and texture to finish your meal. Start with the Coconut And Coffee Pudding, whose wobbly gelatinous soft texture holds bright earthy toasty sweet flavours of coffee and coconut in a beautiful contrast. Then the Red Bean And Banana Pastry With Watermelon, where the crisp but dry pastry shell crumbles lightly to reveal the thick gloopy red bean paste and mashed banana within holding robust fruity earthy sweet flavour, contrasted by the juicy texture and fruity sweet flavour of the watermelon. Finish with the Ice Jelly With Haw Flakes, whose slippery ice jelly / bingfen with chewy haw flakes and sticky gula melaka / palm sugar lend a noteworthy herbal floral sweet earthy flavour. An interesting dessert. Highly recommended!

3 Treasures Dessert Platter (SGD $12)

Coconut And Coffee Pudding

Red Bean And Banana Pastry With Watermelon

Ice Jelly With Haw Flakes

3 Treasures Dessert Platter

3 Treasures Dessert Platter

Loved the overall dining experience at Li Ji Chuan Chuan Xiang (李记串串香), with its modern ambience, efficient service, and delicious food. While prices are on the high side, I've since returned to Li Ji Chuan Chuan Xiang (李记串串香) several times to try more of their skewers in hotpot!


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