XYCD Sichuan Cuisine – Affordable Sichuan Delights In The CBD

Nestled in a corner of The Sail at Marina Bay, you’d never expect to find a humble little tuckshop serving bowls of Sichuan-style noodles and rice boxes. There’s so much more to Sichuan cuisine than just the usual mala hotpots, and here you can get authentic home-cooked styled Sichuan cuisine that’s less on the oil, more on the portions.

They brand their style of cooking as “just like how mum would have done it”, with simple flavours signature to Sichuan that varies from the ever-popular mala to pickled dishes and braised stews. Despite having a wide variety of noodles to choose from, we made no haste in ordering the Chef’s recommendation of Braised Brisket Beef Noodles (S$7.80) as well as their Hot & Sour Glass Noodle (S$6.80).  

True to its name, the Hot & Sour Glass Noodles were indeed hot and sour. The combination of sour pickled umami and salivating mouth-numbing spice was nothing short of addicting, and the added crunch of peanuts gave a nutty sweet aftertaste to each bite. 

The Braised Brisket Beef Noodles was also a feast for the eyes and mouth. It sports a good mix of succulent braised beef and tendons, all of which readily soaked up the broth to give that satisfying burst of juices when bitten into. Compared to the glass noodles, the la mian style complimented this soup much better by giving a better chew to match the heavy flavours.

Compared to the usual Sichuan fare, there was a noticeable reduction in the amount of oil ladled into the bowls, and the spice much less overwhelming, allowing us to better enjoy the taste of the soup.

If like any stereotypical Asian, you can’t have a meal without rice, their bento boxes are a crowd pleaser too. Here you can order any main course of your choice and choose to have it served with white rice or brown rice (for an extra 50cents), before selecting any 3 side dishes of your choice from the display food counter.

The Chef’s Recommendation was Mala Fragrance Chicken Bento (S$8.80), and what seemed to be a promising underdog was their Twice Cooked Pork Belly Bento (S$8.80).

XYCD Sichuan Cuisine
2 Marina Boulevard
The Sail at Marina Bay #B1-08B
Singapore 018987
(Closed on Saturdays and Sundays)
Mon to Fri: 11am – 3pm, 5.30pm – 8pm
Nearest Station: Downtown