Silk Road created a stir when it was first launched in 2001, with its tasteful décor that oozed modern Oriental charm, and authentic fare from Sichuan, Shaanxi, Liaoning and Beijing. Named after the historical Silk Road, this restaurant aimed to showcase the cuisines of the places on this route. Its Sichuan food is especially notable, as it goes beyond the classics to reveal the lesser known dishes of this cuisine. Think regional classics common in China but not so in Singapore: sliced pork on bamboo rack with spicy sauce, crispy rice bubble with stewed pork and Shaanxi vermicelli with lamb.

Nine years down the road, a visit to Silk Road still brings pleasant surprises. A cold appetiser of jelly noodles in sour and spicy sauce showcases a fine balance of sour, spicy, savoury flavours with just a hint of sweetness; as does their piquant rendition of the Sichuan hot and sour soup; whereas a dish of crisp deep-fried spicy chicken with dried red chilli shows how Sichuan flavours can be kept authentic albeit with less heat. The highlight of a meal is still their handmade noodles — be it the fine, chewy hand-pulled ones or the thick, toothsome shaved noodles. Their Sichuan dan dan noodles with minced pork is mildly spicy at first bite but proves its Sichuan pedigree with a fiery aftertaste. The award-winning Sichuan 'tianshui' (sweet water) noodles, made with chilli oil, sesame sauce, minced garlic and a spiced sweet soy sauce unique to Sichuan cooking is yet another fine example of the cuisine’s emphasis on balancing different flavours in a dish.

For dessert, there is the perennial favourite Sichuan pancake, but do note that the version here is curiously breaded. One might do well to pick from their interesting array of unusual desserts instead, such as Sichuan deep-fried breaded sweet potato cake and chilled cotton cake with coconut flakes, but these sell out very quickly — so place your order early. Level 2, Amara Singapore, 165 Tanjong Pagar Road. Tel: 6879-2655 / 6227-3848

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