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Most Singaporeans who enjoy a hot pot session with friends would’ve probably dined at Shi Li Fang Hot Pot before, boasting 14 outlets around Singapore and known for its plushy giveaways. Just 2 weeks ago, the folks behind this steamboat chain opened No. 1 Jingdong Roti within the Kopitiam food court at AMK Hub. This is the first concept introduced in Singapore but has chains back in Beijing, China.
With a filling that’s derived from more than 20 carefully selected ingredients, you can catch various buns being made fresh on-site right in front of your eyes.
The roti-making process follows the traditional method of ‘3 flips, 6 turns, and 72 lifts’. Let me conduct a quick history lesson — legend has it that Emperor Qianlong, while travelling in disguise under a false identity, once tasted this roti and had sung praises of it.
We started with the whole Jingdong Pork (Signature) Extra Stuffed (S$3.60 for half, S$6.90 for whole), which was cut neatly into 4 portions. The skin was relatively thin, and they truly meant business when they said it was extra stuffed — the filling was so hefty that we needed a spoon to support it to prevent it from breaking apart.
Containing fine shreds of leek, the pulled pork filling was extremely tasty and juicy with a lightly dominant flavour of ginger. The only problem? It was slightly too oily with a combination of the meat juices and grease. A drier texture would have improved the overall experience.
The Royal Beef (S$4.60) small roti resembled the mega version of the Fuzhou pepper buns from Raohe Night Market in Taipei. The piquant beef filling was unctuous and the bun was extremely flaky — almost like a crispy prata.
The Zucchini (S$3.20) pancake is excellent for those looking to satisfy their hunger pangs without leaving them feeling overly full. There was a slight crunch coming from the zucchini but I just wished they had stuffed more for better texture contrast. Taste-wise, it’s lighter compared to the previous two. If you wish, there are self-serve condiments like homemade chilli, minced garlic, and vinegar to enhance the flavour.
The menu also offers a couple of noodle options for S$7.30 like the Braised Noodles with Pork and Green Beans.
The noodles were the fine egg variety and tasted great with a subtly peppery and savoury flavour with crunchy green beans and pork bits.
To complement your meal, choose from 3 of their S$1.80 cold sides like the Spicy Beancurd Stick, Shredded Potato and Wood Ear Mushroom. The Shredded Potato that we tried was a little bland and underwhelming. I would recommend you to try out the other dishes instead.
If you’re cracking your head on what to eat at AMK Hub food court, why not give No.1 Jingdong Roti a try? Who knows? Maybe you’ll rave about it just like the late emperor!
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