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Thursday, 29 February 2024

Sichuan Alley – Landed at Capitol Singapore [MEDIA INVITE]

Sichuan Alley, a modern casual restaurant focused on Sichuan cuisine has recently opened a new outlet at Capitol Singapore. Sichuan Alley (“SA”) serves signature Sichuan cuisine, comforting noodle dishes plus the new addition of delectable fried rice.

Sichuan Alley @ Capitol Singapore
The décor of SA at Capitol Singapore is casual, modern and complemented with Chinese flair. The dining area is designed based on open concept, where diners can see most of the dining area and outside the restaurant with minimum boundaries. On the opposite, passersby can see the diners and delicious food served inside as well. There is one part of the seating area like a noodle bar section. This is good for single-person dining and fuss-free.

Noodle Bar Seating
Part of Dining Area
We started the tasting with Signature Small Plates: Chilled Cucumber ($3.90) and Mala Black Fungus ($5.50). The cucumber is crunchy, refreshing and nicely seasoned. The black fungus will open up your appetite with the fiery mala spice combined with crunchy and nutritious black fungus.

Mala Black Fungus & Chilled Cucumber
Chilled Cucumber
Mala Black Fungus
Mouth Watering King Prawns ($8.90) is a combination of crunchy prawns with chilli oil and homemade sauce. The spiciness is very mild and the fragrant sesame seeds added flavour to this dish. Sichuan Pepper Ox Tongue ($11), the texture of the ox tongue is tender with a bit of bounciness. The homemade chilli sauce is not spicy, instead, it enhances the flavour of this dish.

Mouth Watering King Prawns

Sichuan Pepper Ox Tongue
B-52 Fried Chicken ($16) is the signature fried chicken of SA. The crispy and succulent popcorn-sized chicken nuggets are buried under the pile of dried red chillies, cashew nuts, leek and spring onion. The chicken is delicious, but if you accidentally bite the chilli seeds, you will be in a pickle.

B-52 Fried Chicken
Braised Pig Intestines with Tofu ($17.30). I am a pig intestines lover, so I might be a bit biased towards this dish. The pig intestines are very clean and there is no foul smell. It absorbs the sauce nicely and together with the tofu, this dish is just irresistible. My “rice thief” dish at SA.

Braised Pig Intestines with Tofu
Sichuan Hot Red Beef ($19.30) – Sliced Beef, Black Fungus, Bean Sprout, Celery and Celtuce. A fiery-looking dish and it lives up to its plating. The juicy and tender beef slices are very spicy, after that piece, I quickly gulp my refreshing Black Plum Tea ($5.90) to put out the fire.

Sichuan Hot Red Beef
Sichuan Sour Vegetable Fish ($19). I like the silky texture of the sliced fish in this dish. The Sichuan sour vegetables are very appetizing and invite you to eat more. Yum Yum.

Sichuan Sour Vegetable Fish
We proceed to the main food staples of Dry Noodle, Dumplings and Rice. It was the first time we tried SA fried rice. Sichuan Soy Sauce Fried Rice ($8.90) & Chicken Cutlet Egg Fried Rice ($14). The Sichuan Soy Sauce Fried rice reminds me of the version that I had in Beijing a while back. This simple-looking fried rice is fragrant and appetizing plus the aroma and umami flavour for the Sichuan Soy Sauce is just irresistible.

Sichuan Soy Sauce Fried Rice
Meanwhile, the Chicken Cutlet Egg Fried Rice has a lovely fragrant aroma from the egg. The chicken cutlet is crispy externally while the interior is juicy and succulent.

Chicken Cutlet Egg Fried Rice
President Rice Noodle ($24.50) - Beef Cheek, Pig Intestines, Pork Ribs, Mashed Peas, Vegetable, Coriander, spring onion, crispy chickpeas, rice noodles. This is the most luxurious noodle dish in SA. The rice noodle is smooth and silky, accompanied by three main protein dishes and topped with a lovely fried egg. For the President Rice Noodle, diners can choose the spiciness level from Spicy, Less Spicy or Non-Spicy.

President Rice Noodle
Mashed Peas Dan Dan Noodles ($13.50) – Mashed Peas, Minced Beef, Coriander, Thick Noodles. The noodle is thick, bouncy and crunchy. When you mix all the ingredients, it will become like a version of mazesoba. Though the noodle comes with fresh chilli, I find the spiciness level is manageable.

Mashed Peas Dan Dan Noodles
Scallion Oil Noodle ($8.30 – Vegetarian). A lovely al-dente noodle, coated with aromatic scallion oil, soy sauce and spring onion. Simplicity at its best.

Scallion Oil Noodle - Vegetarian
Desserts are Speciality Ice Jelly ($5.50) and Sweet Fermented Rice ($4.50). The sweet fermented rice balls are a dessert that needs some getting used due to the unique taste of the fermented rice. For the Speciality Ice Jelly, I like the combination of brown sugar, hawthorn flakes, peanuts and the ice jelly. It is refreshing and provides a lovely end to the meal.

Sweet Fermented Rice
Speciality Ice Jelly
Overall, the team at Sichuan Alley has fine-tuned their menu with the opening of the second outlet. The dishes look comforting and it showcase that Sichuan cuisine goes beyond spicy and mala. The menu caters to everyone and all ages. For the complete Sichuan casual dining experience, check out Sichuan Alley. Kanpai!! Cheers!!

Thank you very much Kristine, Executive Chef Eugene See and Sichuan Alley team for hosting us.

Food & Drink: 8/10
Value: 8/10
Service: N/A (Tasting Invitation)
Ambiance: 8/10
Budget per Person: $11 – $25; $26 - $50

Sichuan Alley @ Capitol
213 Stamford Road
#B1-29/30, Capitol Singapore
S178905

T: +65 9155 5244
IG: @Sichuanalley
OH: Daily 10.30 – 21.30
Menu available online

Other Location
151 Telok Ayer Street
#01-01
S048441

Thursday, 1 February 2024

The Ultimate Tips for Mastering Time Management Better


It can be quite challenging to be consistently productive and meet all of your deadlines. At the same time, the ability to manage time efficiently is particularly beneficial for every individual with busy roles such as a housewife, student, employee, or entrepreneur.

To help you manage your schedule effectively, we have curated the ultimate tips for mastering time management better. You can consider and apply these suggestions in your daily life to experience positive changes!


1. Determine the Goals You Want to Achieve

The first thing you should do is to discover the right reason why you should start doing time management properly, what is your goal, and what you want to achieve from your new-found discipline.

For example, if you want to establish better time management for working out, instead of writing down general goals like “be a healthier person,” it is much better to articulate a specific action, like “I’m committing to pilates class every twice a week.”

Establishing clear, measurable, and detailed goals will facilitate the identification of precise steps needed to accomplish them.


2. Make an Activity Planning

Once you have determined your goal, the next step is to create an activity plan. This is important so that you can measure your productivity each day.

For example, if you’re a final semester student who wants to engage in volunteer activities, planning to have a better time management system might be harder to do. Juggling the demands of academic commitments and volunteer work can undoubtedly present a significant challenge in effectively managing your time. Thus why, you need to make a thorough activity planning instead.


3. Organize Tasks Based On Priority Order

Have you ever found yourself overwhelmed with lots of tasks that you need to work on? You may feel unsure about which task to tackle first. But you don't have to worry now, as we have the perfect solution for you to do it. From now on, you can organize your tasks based on priority order instead. To do this method, you can follow below:
  • Begin by prioritizing and completing tasks that are both important and urgent first.
  • Postpone tasks that are important but not time-sensitive.
  • Delegate tasks that are urgent but not essential to others.
  • Reserve your spare time for activities that are neither urgent nor important.
This method will make it easier for you to map which work must be completed first and which work can still be delayed.


4. Set the Completion Time Target

Did you know that establishing a target completion time is crucial when doing any kind of task? Whether you’re an employee or engaged in other responsibilities, setting a specific time goal is essential.

Especially if you are an employee, when you receive an assignment from your supervisor, ensuring all tasks are completed diligently and punctually is important. Therefore, it is a must to set a target completion time that aligns with your capabilities.


5. Don't Delay Your Work

Postponing your task can indeed lead to increased challenges. When you delay completing a task that could be done today, you often find yourself having to tackle two tasks the next day.

Postponing work may initially provide a brief respite, but it can result in a heavier workload and increased stress. The accumulation of tasks makes the situation busier and more overwhelming than it would have been if the tasks were addressed promptly.


6. Consider Seeking Assistance

When your workload becomes overwhelming don’t hesitate to ask for help. For instance, if you are a housewife accustomed to handling all household chores and taking care of your family, it's entirely acceptable to seek assistance for tasks that may drain your energy.

Consider, for example, hiring carpet cleaning services in Singapore to deep clean your carpet, or a part-time maid to help you out every once in a while. As a housewife, there can be times when you feel a particular chore is very exhausting and time-consuming, thus enlisting external help, though incurring a cost, can be a valuable strategy to manage your time effectively and conserve your energy. This approach can help you maintain your sanity amidst a heavy workload.


7. Give Yourself a Reward

Do you agree that self-reward is crucial? If so, you might want to do this to boost your enthusiasm for time management. When you successfully achieve a target, you can consider rewarding yourself. For example, if you can consistently meet all work tasks ahead of schedule, you could celebrate with a treat like eating your favorite ice cream. These enjoyable moments can serve as positive reinforcement, encouraging you to stay focused on your work.

Do keep in mind that to tackle everything effectively, you need to develop strong time management skills and follow our ultimate tips above!


This article is contributed by Rose