Food review: 9Goubuli

SINGAPORE — 9Goubuli is named after a famous Tianjin bun created by someone nicknamed Gouzi (“little dog” in Mandarin). The story goes that once his buns gained popularity, Gouzi had little time for chit-chat with his customers, so they started calling him Goubuli (“dog ignores”) instead.

The Goubuli establishment dates back to 1858 and, in its heyday, received the highest culinary endorsement from the Empress Dowager Cixi for its meat-filled buns. It is still a dining destination in Tianjin, with 30 outlets all over China, visited by dignitaries and celebrities alike, and recently made its debut outside of China at The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands.

Suffice to say, Goubuli’s buns continue to be the pride of the menu. Today, they are produced by a team trained by seventh-generation baozi (Chinese buns) master chef Wang Chuan Ping, a wiry, petite woman with a quick laugh, who can adroitly pinch about 20 pleats into those buns in less time than it takes for to read this. The buns come with several fillings, namely, pork (S$2.20 each), vegetables (S$1.90 each), pork and vegetables (S$2.60 each), and Wagyu and vegetables (S$3.50) — all of which are juicy within and wrapped in a just-thin-enough pillowy-soft dough. They were all good, particularly the wagyu-filled ones with their succulent slices of well-marinated beef — but they didn’t blow our minds.

The rest of the menu made a far better impression — we want to plan a return visit for lunch, just to order the spicy handmade noodles with sliced beef (S$9.80) that had a superb supple texture and that were doused in a sauce made from punchy Sichuan pepper. Though the dish packed some robust flavours and tender meat, it still remained cheerfully light. For a more communal meal with friends and family, we suggest asking for the fat, juicy leaves of spinach fried with a generous handful of pine nuts (S$8) and the steamed chicken doused in a light, flavourful sauce made from Sichuan vinegar and peppers as appetisers. The teapot soup of the day (S$12) would also make the list, especially if it’s the one infused with pork, chicken, red dates and goji berries whose flavours collected to yield an intensely savoury broth edged with a sweet endnote.

If one was in need of some comfort in a clay pot, one would ask for the Tianjin-style stewed chicken with chestnuts (S$20) that is like a richer version of the homey sesame-oil chicken that Chinese mothers all over the island love to make. Indeed, while much focus has been parlayed to the steamed buns that gave 9Goubuli its name, it’s really the rest of the wide-ranging menu that will truly impress. ANNETTE TAN

9Goubuli

Where: #B2-02/03/04 The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands. Telephone: 6688 7799. Opening hours: Daily 11am to 11pm