Savour a trio of Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan flavours at the new Golden Chopsticks in Tampines

Sour, spicy, and savoury, for sure

Ask the staff for a recommendation and chances are they’ll point you to the boiled fish with pepper salt (S$30.80) — a sort-of-healthier take on Sichuan’s iconic shui zhu yu (boiled fish), where hot oil usually takes centrestage.

Instead of the usual oil bath, Golden Chopsticks’ version comes in a drier form — tender poached fish is topped with a shower of aromatic Sichuan spices and peppercorns, plus beansprouts and tofu skin soaking up the flavours below. 

While the lighter treatment is easy to love, the punch doesn’t quite penetrate the lower layers once you’ve worked past the top. Nonetheless, it’s a simple, yet addictive dish — fragrant, gently spicy, and approachable even for those who lean towards wei la (mildly spicy).

If regular suan cai yu (fish with pickled mustard greens) usually hits you like a punch to the throat, Golden Chopsticks’ passion fruit sour soup fish (S$30.80) is the gentler cousin you didn’t know you needed. 

But passion fruit…? Don’t worry, the fruity tang is far from being in-your-face — it sits quietly in the background and builds as you slurp. In fact, we only realised the fruit’s presence when we spotted the little black seeds in the broth. 

What it delivers is a refreshing boost that makes the soup deeply comforting. Notably, it’s also much lighter and less peppery than a typical suan cai yu, which works in its favour — especially if you’re sharing with the little ones or those who can’t take spice well.

The pot comes loaded with comforting ingredients, too, such as konjac knots, tofu puffs, and white fungus mushrooms. 

For those steering clear of heat, there’re non-spicy picks as well, such as the unique crispy rice with rose pickled mustard and pork (S$18.80).

Blending the signatures of two provinces, it pairs Guizhou’s airy guo ba (crispy rice sheets) with stir-fried diced pork, and Yunnan’s rose pickled mustard stems, perfumed with rose sugar made from edible Yunnan roses. It’s a dish we could hardly fault — savoury and wonderfully satisfying. 

The best way to enjoy it? Load up a spoonful of filling onto a piece of crispy rice, take one big bite, and enjoy the crunch. 

A nod to Yunnan flavours is the mint garlic pork ribs (S$25.80), though the execution here is more modern than how it’s traditionally cooked. 

The ribs are first simmered in a peppery garlic broth — somewhat similar to Singapore’s bak kut teh — fried until crisp on the outside, then finished with a huge tumble of fried garlic, alongside potato chunks and lightly fried mint leaves.

However, the meat came across on the tough side, which felt dry after a fair bit of chewing, while the garlic lacked the fragrance we were hoping for. 

Still, it’s easy to imagine this being a dish that many families would gravitate towards, and one that kids would likely enjoy. 

If only we had more stomach space, both the mildly spicy stir-fried sauerkraut and beef (S$22.80) — starring angus beef slides and Sichuan pickled mustard greens — and the clams and bullfrog with pickled ginger (S$28.80) were on our list, too. 

The latter, in particular, is one for the adventurous foodies: Clams and delicate bullfrog meat bathed in a tangy Sichan-style broth of pickled young ginger.

For those who insist on ending on a sweet note, Golden Chopsticks even offers complimentary free-flow soft-serve in matcha and strawberry flavours, along with snacks!

This was a hosted tasting.

Hungry for more eats? Check out Mashi no Mashi’s A5 wagyu ramen at Chinatown and Spanish tapas spot Carlitos’ newly launched hidden bar.