Four Mainland China restaurant chains have set up in Singapore since November, the latest opening in Riverside Point on Friday.
It will be the first overseas outlet for Chengdu-style hotpot chain Spicy House, which has about 30 outlets on the mainland.
Two restaurants opened in June, Shi Miao Dao Yunnan Rice Noodles in VivoCity and Riverside Grilled Fish in Raffles City, while Faigo HotPot opened in Clarke Quay in November.
Other China food brands in Singapore go back about four years, including Hai Di Lao Hot Pot, which will open its fourth outlet in VivoCity this month, and 9Goubuli, a Chinese restaurant in Marina Bay Sands.
Faigo HotPot is a 12-year-old chain with more than 100 outlets across China. This is its first overseas outlet, the 130-seat Singapore restaurant being run by Shanghai Dragon Restaurant Management. The stocks are served in individual pots heated by electric stoves complete with a heat-control panel and USB ports for charging mobile devices. Diners can choose from more than 70 ingredients, and the outlet is the first in the chain to have a sauce bar offering nearly 20 condiments.
Riverside Grilled Fish, which has opened 54 outlets in China in its 11 years, is using its first overseas outlet as a springboard to make inroads into the Southeast Asian market. It specialises in spicy Chongqing-style grilled fish, and the Singapore franchise is owned by Minor Food Group, which runs the Thai Express and Xin Wang Hong Kong Cafe chains.
Shi Miao Dao Yunnan Rice Noodles in VivoCity’s Food Republic foodcourt serves “crossing the bridge” rice noodles, an elaborate set with 11 sides including braised chicken, fried peanuts and raw quail egg and vegetables. There is a choice of five types of soup, and the dish dates back to the Song dynasty. The Singapore stall is part of a chain which has more than 800 outlets across China, as well as Canada, Japan and Thailand.
Spicy House owner Zac Wang from Shanghai believes Chinese hotpot chains like his will do well in Singapore, where he has been based for six years. The 120-seat restaurant at Riverside Point offers three types of communal hotpots, including one with nine compartments for cooking ingredients separately. The menu lists about 100 ingredients.
