Numb Review: Modern Sichuan Eatery Mala Peking Duck In Marina One

Numb Restaurant in the CBD for modern Sichuan cuisine

The hottest new restaurant has opened its doors at Marina One West Tower! Numb Restaurant is a Sichuan-style restaurant founded by the team behind Chengdu Restaurant and Chengdu Bowl. This new concept is all about providing mala lovers with a tongue-numbing experience through Sichuan cuisine with a modern twist. Besides offering quintessential Chengdu delights including Chengdu-style steamed seabass and sour pickled soup, the restaurant also offers a number of trendy items, including applewood-smoked chicken and mala Peking duck.

Food at Numb Restaurant

Our meal started off with a unique dish—Mashed Pepper with Century Egg and Eggplants ($13.80++). This appetiser came served in a wooden bowl and was later mashed up in a mortar and pestle to blend everything together. As someone who loves anything with eggplant and century egg, I couldn’t be more egg-cited to try this dish. I dug into the bowl and scooped up the mixture, which had specks of ground black pepper in it.

While I wasn’t the biggest fan of the mixture’s consistency—it was a little mushy, and I found it weird that the dish was served cold—I enjoyed how the ingredients blended well together, taste-wise. The eggplant was sweet, while the century egg added more complexities to the dish with its rich flavour and light ammonia-like fragrance. The addition of black pepper gave the mixture a spicy and woody aroma, which helped cut through the dominating flavours of the other ingredients.

Next, we landed on a plate of Sliced Pork Belly with Classic Garlic and Chilli Sauce ($18.80++). While I usually avoid fatty meats, I kept an open mind as I savoured a slice of the premium pork belly cuts, which was drizzled with house-made chilli sauce and topped with chicory.

Turns out, I found myself liking this side dish quite a bit. The pork belly was slightly chewy, and it had a subtle fatty taste that wasn’t too overpowering. Tucked under each folded layer of pork belly was also a slice of cucumber, which made every bite more refreshing. While I wouldn’t consider this a spicy dish, the house-made chilli had a strong piquant kick that lingered in the throat.

We moved on to Numb Restaurant’s next signature number, the Applewood Smoked Crispy Chicken ($33.80++), which made its grand entrance in a dome filled with applewood smoke. The staff gently removed the dome, allowing the smoke to escape into the air, revealing the ingredients on the plate. My mouth started to water as I took in a whiff of this smoky dish, which consisted of boneless chicken thighs roasted with peanuts and tempeh.

I quickly took a bite of the chicken and was impressed by how savoury it was. It also had a smoky aftertaste, courtesy of the applewood smoke. The Sichuan peppers offered a tingly sensation in my mouth, and I enjoyed the subtle pine and floral aromas from the applewood.

My only complaint is that the chicken was overcooked, which resulted in its dry texture.

The smoked chicken was a tough act to follow, but our next dish, the Trendy Peking Duck in Spicy Stew ($39.80++), left us thoroughly impressed. This came served in a gigantic bowl filled to the brim with a spicy stew, packed with beancurd sticks, sliced lotus root, kelp, black fungus, enoki mushrooms, and slow-cooked roasted duck. Apparently, this dish is so popular that it’s often sold out, and requires a pre-order of two days.

I was a little intimidated by the redness of the broth but dug in after some coaxing from my colleague. I instantly let out a cough as the Sichuan peppers hit my tongue and the roof of my mouth, before trickling down the back of my throat. While this wasn’t the spiciest, most numbing mala broth I’ve tasted—I’d say it was around the xiao la level of spiciness—it did make me break a sweat. About 10 minutes into this dish, my nose began to run, and I found myself sniffling in between each satisfying slurp.

I also appreciated how the broth was not too oily, which is a common gripe I have with most mala tang dishes.

As for the Peking duck, it was mostly tender, although I personally thought that there were too many sharp bones. I also didn’t like how the skin of the duck clung stubbornly onto the meat, making it almost impossible for me to enjoy the meat on its own. Despite these minor inconveniences, the Peking duck was delicious.

After wrapping up our tongue-numbing meal, we were treated to two desserts—Osmanthus Coconut Cake ($8.80++ for 4 pieces) and Fancy Rainbow Ice Jelly with Glutinous Rice Balls ($10.80++). The latter was a feast for the eyes, comprising a colourful variety of toppings, including hawthorn candy, watermelon, honeydew, peanuts, raisins, and mochi balls, sitting atop a chilled jelly base. I liked how it helped cleanse the palate, ending the meal on a refreshing note.

Ambience at Numb Restaurant

Numb Restaurant sports a clean and chic interior with rattan accents that complement the lush greenery surrounding Marina One. The 80-seater also houses an open bar offering beer on tap and sparkling wine, as well as two private rooms that hold groups of up to 10 each.

Numb Restaurant is a two-minute walk from Marina Bay MRT Station.

The verdict

The dishes here were so delicious that I requested to take away the food that we couldn’t finish during our meal. As someone who likes spicy food but doesn’t have the best tolerance level for it, I found the food at Numb Restaurant to have just the right level of spice, without compromising the flavour of the food. Whether you’re #teamxiaola or #teamdala, you’ll be sure to enjoy the food here as much as I did.

For those who can’t get enough of spicy food, check out our list of legit Sichuan mala hotpot restaurants. Otherwise, read our review of Char Restaurant, which has interesting offerings such as mala char siew and okra banana in Jalan Besar.

Address: 5 Straits View, #01-12, Marina One West Tower, Singapore 018935
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 11am to 3pm, 5pm to 10pm
Tel: 9460 1960
Website
Numb Restaurant is not a halal-certified eatery.

Photos taken by Chew Yi En.
This was a media tasting at Numb Restaurant.