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Northpoint City has established itself as one of Singapore’s most exciting (and confusing) malls, given its huge size and wide variety of dining options. If you find yourself craving some Chinese food while in the Yishun area, Ai Shang 爱尚 is one of the more affordable spots to get your fix.
Ai Shang can be found within the Kopitiam in Northpoint City. What makes this stall stand out is the fact that aside from classic Chinese dishes, it also has innovative laksa dumplings and laksa gyoza that fuse Chinese and Singaporean cuisines together.
The menu at Ai Shang also includes well-loved Chinese dishes such as pan-fried buns and xiao long bao. To make things better, all dishes come in at under S$10!
What I tried at Ai Shang
I first dug into the signature Laksa Dumplings (S$7.20), containing pork-filled dumplings and tau pok swimming in a rich laksa broth.
Each dumpling had a delightfully silky skin that encased a large ball of minced pork meat. I loved how tender the minced meat was, and the dumpling skin was not thick or doughy at all.
The laksa gravy, on the other hand, had a strong coconut milk aroma and a light spice to it. The delightful fragrance of the gravy was not too overwhelming or jelak, and gave each dumpling a robust and familiar taste.
Definitely give the Laksa Dumplings a try if you ever visit Ai Shang!
Next up was the Laksa Gyoza (S$5.80)— while the Laksa Dumplings were served in laksa gravy, these pan-fried gyozas were stuffed with special laksa fillings.
The crispy sheet attached to the gyoza were delightful little snacks, and I loved breaking off pieces to munch on.
Each gyoza was filled generously with a rich and addictive laksa mixture. The fillings were meaty and flavourful, with the savoury laksa flavours popping in my mouth with each bite.
I was delighted at how the Laksa Gyoza came with so much fillings and wasn’t jelak or dry at all. Ai Shang has certainly mastered its unique laksa creations.
I decided to give the Yang Chun Noodles with Pork Ribs (S$7.80) a go, too— Though priced at S$7.80 à la carte, Ai Shang offers a value meal for S$9.80 that includes 3 pieces of xiao long bao, making your meal even more worth it.
The Yang Chun Noodles with Pork Ribs came with a generous amount of pork ribs on top of stretchy noodles soaked in a savoury soup.
The pork ribs were a tad dry, but very meaty— I was impressed with the portion of meat provided. The pork ribs had also been marinated nicely, making them extra flavourful and savoury.
The noodles were very tasty, and had a soft, springy texture. The soup was a delight to savour, as it was full-bodied, flavourful and not too salty. However, there was simply too little soup in relation to the portion of the noodles and the meat, which was unfortunate, given how delicious the soup was. If the ratio had been a little more balanced, I would have recommended the Yang Chun Noodles with Pork Ribs.
As part of the value meal, I received 3 pieces of Xiao Long Bao, originally priced at S$7.20 for 6 pieces. I was pretty excited to try them, as I rarely come across xiao long bao within food centres and kopitiams.
Each Xiao Long Bao had a nice thin skin and a tender minced meat filling, though they weren’t super soupy. The dish was still delightful and very worth it, given the price.
Next, I tried the Noodles with Minced Meat Sauce (S$7.50), otherwise known as zha jiang mian— while most other iterations of this dish contain rich, dark sauce, the version at Ai Shang was surprisingly soupy, and contained light-coloured minced meat.
After tossing the noodles around, each strand became well-coated in a layer of oil. Unfortunately, I found the dish to be a tad bland, given the absence of the rich, savoury brown sauce that typically comes with zha jiang mian.
The shredded carrots and cucumbers gave the noodles a bit of crunch while the braised beancurd and minced meat made the noodles more exciting. However, the lack of brown sauce was a bit of a disappointment.
Finally, I enjoyed the Red Date Soya Milk (S$3) at Ai Shang— this bowl of soya milk is served steaming hot, and can be enjoyed as a breakfast item or as a dessert.
The red date aroma was strong throughout, and I could taste the earthy, bean-y flavours from the soy. It wasn’t too sweet and was super wholesome and hearty.
Final thoughts
I was pretty impressed with the dishes at Ai Shang, especially their Laksa Dumplings and Laksa Gyoza. The quality of the dishes was akin to that of restaurant food, and the prices were pretty reasonable too.
While I did find that the noodle dishes had some room for improvement, I’d love to return to Ai Shang to enjoy their Chinese food once more!
Expected damage: S$5.20 – S$10.80 per pax
