[CLOSED] Chen's Mapo Tofu (NEX)

I liked it. It's not the most authentic, but it's shiok.

Still as good as my first try years ago. Take note it's on the spicy side.

Other than mapo tofu, the menu here looks Japanese because the parent group specialises in Japanese-Sichuan cuisine. I tried the mapo years ago so went for something else. I can't complain about the Sichuan-style shoyu buta, the egg was lovely, but if anything, the meal was too small.

not too salty. opted for lvl 2! is like mala 中辣 quite spicy. big portion but i still feel it’s quite ex

Came back for the Mapo Don simply because I was craving mapo tofu and I knew I has to return to get my fix. The tofu here is soft and silky, and is enveloped by the mapo sauce which is spicy and numbing. Previously I opted for level 2 spiciness and it was not the most ideal albeit being a spicy food lover, so I opted for level 1 this time and it was perfect. An optimal level of spiciness such that I could still enjoy my meal. I did realise that I wished there could be more minced meat in the sauce. I added an onsen egg just to see how it would work with this. For someone who usually never rejects an egg (unless plain hard boiled lol), I would probably not pay to add one to my Mapo Don here, for the simple reason that the egg is long gone once you mix it into the rice. As the textures of the onsen egg blends in with the tofu, and the overpowering mapo gravy overwhelms the rice, the onsen egg seems to disappear into oblivion. Not that the egg wasn’t well done, it looked pretty amazing to me — paying $1.50 just didn’t make any difference.

Purchased this with a Premium Set add on of $4.50, total paid $19.75 with GST.

Rate:🌟🌟🌟🌟

Premium Set with order of every main - $4.50
Hot & spicy soup - $5 ala carte
Calamansi juice - $3 ala carte

Opted for the hot and spicy soup and a Calamansi juice for the premium set sides, which allowed me to save $3.50. The hot & spicy soup was comforting and appetising at the same time. It was sufficiently sour and spicy. Starchy and full of ingredients like black fungus and even small prawn bits. I must say that it the starchiness of the soup is not a great pairing with a heavy Mapo tofu meal, but on its own it was great, and I’d still get it again.
Calamansi juice would serve as a great thirst quencher and spice queller, but they also have other soft drink and tea options.

Rate:🌟🌟🌟🌟