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SEA CHUAN KUNGFU FISH: GOOD FOOD COMES FROM QUALITY AND FRESH INGREDIENTS

The Saltwater Fish in “Mala”

The craze over mala began in Singapore with mala hotpot restaurants sprouting up across the country. A slew of stir-fried mala hotpot (麻辣香锅) food stores then started opening up in hawker centres and food courts. Eventually, mala versions of dishes and snack started appearing as well, everywhere.

However, to find a restaurant that sells Saltwater fish in “mala” is rare, and SEA Chuan KungFu Fish happens to be one of them.

It brought back memories of my trip to Cheng Du, where I first encountered a mala-based dish, the mala chicken and hotpot. I was really fascinated by the meal I had. But back in Singapore, I never really ate any mala-based food. This is possibly due to the hot weather, or maybe because I cannot take spicy stuff like I used to.

“I recall the Sichuan Mala hotpot that I ate in Cheng Du to be very oily,” I told Adam. That was the impression I had of my first mala encounter. Although I enjoy my meal, I don’t really fancy the greasy aspect of the dish.

“We have improved the recipes. Our version of mala fish is not that greasy. You can even drink the soup.” Adam told us that they had tuned the recipe to cater to local customers’ tastebuds over the years.

90% of a Delicious Meal Comes from the Ingredients

Adam used to be involved in a trading business that brought seafood ingredients to China. He realised that not many were using saltwater fish to do mala hotpot, which at that time, seems like a new concept. This inspired him to start his restaurant specialising in providing saltwater fish mala hotpot.

Due to his years of experience in trading food ingredients, He believed that ingredients’ quality is critical in experiencing a good meal.

He paid particular attention to and emphasised the use of high quality, new components. They are one of the few hotpot restaurants in the market which uses fresh, urban farmed vegetables, specially grown according to his specified needs.

As Adam shared with us his vast knowledge of what he has learned over the years, you can see and feel his passion for what he’s doing. It was interesting to know how the different chillis types will mix to derive different flavours and spiciness levels. And it was intriguing to discover the difference in taste between freshwater and saltwater fish, their nutrition value, etc.

“We used to say that when it comes to a delicious meal, the ingredients contribute to 70% of the effort, while the cooking techniques contribute to the remaining 30%. Now I realised, through my own journey, that quality ingredients, in fact, can impact up to 80%, or even 90% of it all.” – Adam.

The Challenges

Like many businesses, times have been difficult for them due to the pandemic. Revenues were plunging, and that create many challenges for them. But he shared that despite all these challenges, there are heartwarming moments as well.

There was this particular family that patronise their restaurant every Friday.

“They will always encourage me, telling me that I must persevere, that they will come back again tomorrow, not only next Friday”.

Another customer of theirs, a couple, had told him to persevere as well as they love the food. “The taste of your food is delicious! There is hope, don’t end your business; otherwise, we won’t be able to enjoy such good food.”

“I realised that their words of encouragement have been so valuable and powerful.” – Adam.

Running a business is challenging. And it is especially so during this time. And more than anyone could realise, words of kindness and encouragement such as those offered by Adam’s customers, can provide so much hope and support for business owners through times of difficulty.

Governing A Big Nation is Like Cooking a Small Delicacy

A phrase he used to describe his philosophy struck me the most during the interview.

“治大国若烹小鲜” – “Governing a big nation is like cooking a small delicacy”, it is never easy to find the right balance.

We had the opportunity to have a taste of the less spicy version of their Sichuan mala fish. And it is definitely a thumbs up for how well the delicately fresh fish worked so well with the mala’s sophisticated spiciness. And remember the urban farmed vegetables he used? They actually held on to their texture very well despite being soaked in the soup for an extended period. And of course, we drank the soup! Love it!

If you are craving some mala dishes, do give SEA Chuan KungFu Fish a go!

Outlet Information:
📍6 Raffles Blvd #02-103 Marina Square, Singapore 039594

Website: https://kungfufish.sg/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/sichuankungfufishsg/

Explore more SG Local Food Stories Here.


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