Qing Shan Dao Review: Affordable Eatery With Mains Under $15 In Tai Seng

Qing Shan Dao is an eatery with nett prices in Tai Seng

The 2024 GST hike—hello, 9% GST—is becoming the bane of our existence. It’s getting incredibly costly to dine out frequently in this economy! So when we were invited to Qing Shan Dao, an eatery with nett prices in Tai Seng, we were excited to try their wallet-friendly offerings.

Food at Qing Shan Dao

My colleague and I were given their Kabayaki Eel ($12.90) and Golden Sauerkraut Fish Noodle ($8.50) to try. Rice and noodles are my favourite kinds of carbs, so I was glad we got to try both.

When we were served the Kabayaki Eel, it reminded us of unagi don at first glance. You get a bowl of short-grain rice topped with marinated eel, onsen egg, a wedge of lime, and shredded seaweed, along with a miso soup, and a side of salad. The two sides may not seem like much, but as a person who likes variety in her food, I thought they were nice additions to an otherwise simple dish.

It was apparent that the eel was fresh, and prepared with a lot of effort: you get deboned and grilled eel that’s marinated with a sweet soy sauce. The unagi flesh was so soft that we could mix it easily with the remaining ingredients, and have it like a Japanese mixed rice dish.

My only small gripe with this dish was the portion—it would have been better if we were given more rice to soak up the sauce, as the unagi-to-rice ratio was a little uneven. Otherwise, $12.90 for a hearty and yummy set meal was worth it. 

If you’re not into seafood, there are other rice options available here: Curry Fried Pork Cutlet ($11.90), and Grilled Chicken Thigh & Wagyu Beef Combo ($11.90) are just some examples!

Fans of sour-spicy combinations can get their Golden Sauerkraut Fish Noodle AKA suan cai yu. Each bowl comes with a handful of noodles, corn, bok choy, bamboo shoots, and pickled vegetables submerged in a mildly spicy and sour soup.

The noodles used in this dish weren’t QQ—instead, they were on the softer side. Think la mian, but less chewy! We also liked that the fish pieces weren’t too thin, so we could enjoy them in a single bite. Though there weren’t many fish slices, I appreciated that each piece was thick enough for me to enjoy with a handful of noodles. But my small gripe would be that I would have preferred the noodles to be firmer given that the fish pieces were soft.

When it comes to suan cai yu, I tend to have the “all or nothing” mindset: the saltier and more intense the flavours, the better it tastes. This explains why I was a little torn about the soup—while I liked that it wasn’t too sour, they could have used more spices to zhng up the depth of the broth.

Ambience at Qing Shan Dao

Qing Shan Dao is a 40-seater with a casual atmosphere. During our visit, the bulk of their patrons were corporate diners who, I assumed, work around the area. So if your office is near the Grantral Mall, you now have a new lunch option for your consideration! And even better, the mall is a quick two-minute walk from Taiseng MRT Station. 

The verdict

The eatery’s three biggest strengths are affordability, accessibility, and variety. While portions are not the best here, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to come by eateries like Qing Shan Dao that serve up a decent range of items without having to break the bank. 

For more affordable finds, read our guide to the best cheap restaurants in Singapore. Alternatively, check out our Wooga Jjajang review for Korean food under $10 at Old Airport Road. 

Address: 601 MacPherson Road, #01-43, Grantral Mall, Singapore 368242
Opening hours: Daily 11am to 9pm
Website
Qing Shan Dao is not a halal-certified eatery.

Photos taken by Daryl Lim.
This was a media tasting at Qing Shan Dao.