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Qiannan Bites brings the flavours of Guizhou to CityLink Mall, serving up the region’s unique cuisine. You might even spot ladies dressed in traditional costumes, decked out in hefty silver jewellery that jingles with every step. They represent the Miao people, one of Guizhou’s ethnic groups.
Let’s put mala tang and sauerkraut fish — the usual mall staples we’ve seen a hundred times over — aside for a moment. Qiannan Bites takes a different route with a distinctive menu that showcases flavours you don’t often find in Singapore.
It’s a little like travelling somewhere new and discovering an unfamiliar food culture, without having to pack your luggage. What’s even better is that the head chef is specially handpicked and recruited from Guizhou, with the rest of the kitchen team undergoing training months before. This ensures an authentic taste of the region in every dish.
What to order at Qiannan Bites
To kick off our lunch, we started with the Guiyang Silk Doll Rolls (S$11.90) or Siwawa, a traditional speciality in Guizhou. It came with a mini basket of glutinous rice skins, a saucer of gravy, and a colourful, segmented array of 9 condiments.
Besides cucumber strips, pink pickled radish, signature pork bits and tau kwa, one of the more unique condiments was this bean sprout-like root called chameleon plant (fish mint). I tried it on its own and its unique flavour reminded me of a cross between mild ginger and rojak flower. However, it’s an acquired taste and customers can request it to not be included.
The paper-thin glutinous rice skins were stretchier than your usual peking duck wrappers. You can mix and match any combination of the 9 ingredients, but my recommendation? Add a bit of everything for the ultimate experience.
Once you’re loaded it up, fold both sides in, mimicking the act of wrapping an infant. Finally, drizzle the special zingy gravy, sprinkle some pork bits and shove the whole thing into your mouth for one glorious bite.
The skin was chewy, giving way to a complex blend of savoury, tangy, spicy, and crunchy flavours — what they call the essence of Guizhou. It took me at least 10 seconds to process what I had eaten.
It was a flavour I had never encountered before, and the medley of textures kept me intrigued enough to go back for more. If this is Guizhou’s take on spring rolls, man, I’d travel there just to have this every day!
Each Fresh Meat Pastry (S$3.80) is handcrafted from scratch, and we had the opportunity to watch the chefs work their magic. The dough is portioned, stretched by hand, and left to rest for 15 minutes.
A filling of premium meat and Guizhou Sichuan peppercorns is then tucked into the dough, which is flattened before being shallow fried in hot oil on both sides. This gives the pastry its golden-brown hue before it’s portioned and served.
To my surprise, the pastry wasn’t oily at all. The exterior was crispy, while the juicy, flavourful meat filling came with onion and scallion bits. There was also a gentle, lingering numbing kick from the Sichuan peppercorns, which added character without overpowering the meat.
We then moved on to the Guizhou-Style Deep-Fried Skewers, a crowd-favourite that’s sold on the streets of Guizhou. When orders come in, the various premium ingredients are coated in a light batter and fried till crispy, before the signature Guizhou chilli dipping sauce is brushed on.
Let me first warn you that the skewers aren’t for the faint-hearted. With each stick, the heat slowly crept up on me until my mouth was buzzing with spice. I worked up a little sweat along the way, but it was so shiok that I happily powered through every fiery bite.
For those who can’t handle spice, not to worry. You can request for the skewers to be less fiery or not spicy at all!
I loved how flavourful the Pork Ribs (S$3.80 for 2 sticks) were with a well-balanced meat-to-fat ratio. Just like a good lup cheong, the Mini Sweet Sausage (S$3.60 for 3 sticks) was yummy with a soft texture and had savoury-sweet notes. One of my favourites was the soft and fluffy Potato Slices (S$3.60 for 3 sticks), which paired beautifully with the punchy heat.
I also enjoyed polishing off the soft, gelatinous flesh of the Tender Braised Chicken Feet (S$3.80 for 2 sticks) — all that was left were the bare tendons and bones.
For the final dish, we settled for something hot and comforting with the Guizhou Lamb Rice Noodles (S$13.90). We learnt that Guizhou locals grow up eating this particular street food dish. Ingredients were simple — sliced lamb, pickled mustard vegetables, and rice noodles steeped in a hearty lamb broth.
The lamb was tender and the pickled mustard vegetables added a tangy kick that helped mellow down the richness of the meat. I enjoyed slurping the noodles with the broth, and though the dish is simple, I can understand why it’s loved by many.
To give it more depth, add the fiery chilli to give the noodles more oomph and personality.
Who Qiannan Bites is best for
It’s a great choice for those wanting to venture beyond the usual Chinese fare. Guizhou cuisine has a character of its own and Qiannan Bites has a lineup of snacks and mains that perfectly highlight their culinary identity.
How to get there?
The easiest way is to alight at City Hall MRT Station (NS25/EW13) exit C and take a short walk to CityLink Mall. Otherwise, there are a few bus services that will take you to the Opp War Memorial Pk bus stop. For those who are driving, the nearest parking space is at Raffles City Shopping Mall.
Do we recommend Qiannan Bites?
Definitely! The dishes were all well executed and had a good balance of texture and taste. If anyone were to ask me to recommend a native Chinese spot, Qiannan Bites will definitely be one of my top 3 picks.
* This article is brought to you in partnership with Qiannan Bites.
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