Delibowl: Authentic Halal Sichuan Rice Bowls and Noodles Now Avail For Islandwide Delivery

More than just the scorched taste buds and numbing effects of mala, Sichuan cuisine’s bold and pungent flavours has won the hearts of many Singaporeans with the likes of humongous bowls of mala xiang guo and steaming pots of mala steamboat.  

Credit – Delibowl Rice Bowl

Indeed, we can easily find a restaurant delivering Sichuan food via delivery apps, but more often than not, these are usually non-halal options. In this fasting month of Ramadhan, especially since we are in ‘Circuit Breaker’ mode, if you are craving for some halal Chinese food, the Delibowl Group might just be your answer. 

Drawing inspiration from one of the eight great cuisines of China, the Delibowl Group aims to provide diners with authentic Sichuan delights at all four restaurants under their ownership—Delibowl Rice Bowl, Delibowl Dumplings, Nuodle and The Xiang Pavilion. Available for takeaway, delivery on GrabFood and foodpanda as well as islandwide delivery directly from Delibowl’s website, the Group is offering a range of bentos, la mian noodles, and stir-fry dishes this ‘Circuit Breaker’ period.

To subdue my craving for some numbingly spicy goodness, I caved into temptation and made my order for some Sichuan food online. Excited to dive right into the dishes Delibowl had to offer, I ordered two of their bento sets, some dry dumplings, and a la mian for some fiery good time at home.

Before jumping right into the food, let’s touch a bit on service and punctuality. Since I live in Punggol and was unable to make use of the delivery platforms, I ordered directly from Delibowl’s website. The ordering process was a bit of a hassle as payment couldn’t be made directly after my order was placed. As a result, I had to wait for approximately 15 minutes for an SMS message confirming my order and payment method. 

Perhaps due to my choice of islandwide delivery, my order—which was supposed to be delivered by 7.30pm—arrived half an hour late. So, a little tip for those of you who are considering placing your orders, do take this into account and select your delivery times mindfully to avoid waiting in hunger.

Now, on to the food. What I especially appreciated was that the rice was separately packed in a compartment below the ingredients, allowing me to savour its individual flavours without making a mess. The Stewed Beef Brisket With Tomato Set Meal (S$9.90) was accompanied by two common Chinese-style side dishes—Fried Potato With Eggplant And Long Beans as well as Stir-fried Nai Bai. 

Considering that stewed beef brisket is my favourite comfort food, I was glad Delibowl’s Stewed Beef Brisket With Tomato met my expectations. The brisket was slow-cooked till meltingly tender, dissipating into nothingness after just a couple of bites. Rather than a hearty and intensely flavoured stew, this was mild and surprisingly refreshing due largely to the use of fresh tomatoes.

Rich with a sweetness similar to that of ketchup, coupled with the savoury fried potatoes and the crunchy nai bai, this set meal was definitely tailored to the hearts of both young and old.

Lovers of Sichuan cuisine would have tried their infamous mala diced chicken cubes and at Delibowl, these come in the form of their Spicy Popcorn Chicken Set Meal (S$9.90). I would be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed when I opened this bento as I was expecting to be greeted by a heap of blistering red dried chilli alongside cubes of golden-brown fried chicken. Sadly, Delibowl’s Spicy Popcorn Chicken missed out on the viciousness and kick typical of Sichuan food. 

Although the chicken cubes were deep-fried to a beautiful dark brown with all its water contents removed to allow the heat from the dried chillies to permeate into each piece, there was literally no spice to it. The saving grace of this set meal was probably the cabbage that was stir-fried to perfection, retaining the sweetness and crunch of the vegetable.

The Sichuan-style eggplant was also a unique addition to the meal. Coated lightly with cornstarch before frying, the eggplant had a chewy outer layer and was subtly sweetened, providing a nice contrast to the savoury popcorn chicken. 

For a taste of the speciality hand-pulled noodles served at Nuodle, I got the Chicken Bean Paste La Mian Set (S$8.60) to try. With the chicken bean paste served separately, I could clearly tell that the noodles were freshly hand-pulled with its uneven thickness. Made with Chinese fermented black bean sauce, although the chicken bean paste was slightly watery, it still packed a punch with its sharp, piquant flavours. 

Mixed together with the soft and chewy noodles, the deep rich umami taste of the chicken bean paste paired hand in hand with the mellow nuttiness of the la mian dough. Eaten in company with the flavourful lava egg, this Chicken Bean Paste La Mian Set makes for a comforting meal any time of the day.

Despite my love for dumplings, boiled dumplings are perhaps not the best choice for takeout or delivery. As the boiled dumplings cooled, the skin adhered to one another resulting in all 18 dumplings in my Dry Mixed Dumplings Set (S$9.90) to lump together. 

Apart from the fact that the dumplings were cold to eat, taste-wise, they were unexpectedly tasty and flavourful. Encased in the thin doughy skin was a generous portion of pork filling that was lusciously juicy. Don’t forget to dip your dumplings in the chilli oil that is served on the side, for that numbingly shiok bite which will leave you craving for more!

If you are looking for a satisfying and affordable meal to break your fast, Delibowl’s set meals are certainly worth your penny. With a choice of noodles or rice to choose from alongside a variety of side dishes, your meal won’t be that boring after all!

Expected Damage: S$10 – S$15 per pax

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