02-06-2025
First dibs: Taiwanese spicy noodle chain with 2-hour-long queues opening 1st Singapore outlet
Spicy Noodles 销魂面铺, which has 18 outlets scattered across Taiwan will be opening its 1st overseas outpost in Singapore on 3 Jun 2025. Located at basement 1 of Raffles City Shopping Centre, this restaurant is famed in Taiwan for drawing long queues of customers, with wait times stretching up to 2 hours. Geez… hope it's not the case here!
Its name, 销魂 (xiao hun) in Chinese, translates to 'selling one's soul', which will surely steal your heart with its soul-stirring flavour.
The menu closely mirrors what's offered in Taiwan. However, when I checked with my native Taiwanese friend, their response was one of disappointment — they said, 'It's a pity we can't have duck blood in Singapore!' Well, it isn't a loss for me.
To preserve its authenticity, key elements like the handmade Xiao Hun noodle, master chilli sauce, master chilli oil, and noodle sauce are flown in directly from Taiwan.
Enjoy it either with the Mild Beef Soup or Spicy Beef Soup options. The broth is brewed and slowly simmered with pure beef bones for at least 6 hours.
The Soul Chilli Oil is said to be stir-fried painstakingly by hand for 8 hours, and its nicknamed by regulars as 'the Hermès of chilli oil'. All it needs is just a single concentrated drop to switch things up a little. My threshold for spice is quite high, so I'll see about that in a bit.
We tried the Mild Beef Soup Set (S$18.80++) that came with sliced US beef and veggies in a clear broth, Xiao Hun noodles, soft-boiled eggs, and tau pok.
Calling the noodles springy is an understatement. It was delightfully QQ and had an addictive chewy texture that doesn't lump together even when it gets cold. Just like a ramen restaurant, the soft-boiled eggs were also executed perfectly.
The beef slices were tasty and the fatty portion wasn't chewy. The soup was also clean tasting yet full of flavour — it looks like the long simmering time really paid off!
We also tried the Spicy Beef Soup Set (S$24.80++) that comes with a mixture of beef tendon and sliced US beef.
Judging from the broth colouring, I was expecting to get overwhelmed by the spice. Fortunately, it was mild enough for me. The tendons were like one of the best I ever had — pillowy and melt-in-the-mouth.
Being a sucker for spice, I asked for an entire dish and slathered it onto my noodles. Be warned, use it sparingly — I absolutely enjoyed it while my dining partner was scrambling for iced water.
To further complement your noodles, the Fried Dough Fritters (S$4.50++) are great for soaking into the spicy broth, which absorbs all the delicious savoury goodness.
If you're a beancurd lover, you MUST get the Spicy Braised Spongy tofu and Soy Chip (S$4.50) — no questions asked.
If you're at Raffles City Shopping Centre for some retail therapy, head down to Spicy Noodles for a taste of Taiwan.
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