Unlike my previous rougamo/roujiamo which are found in a coffee shop and hawker centre, Qin Ji Rougamo is located inside The Clementi Mall on the fourth floor, right outside the food court Boleh Boleh.
They have other locations at Raffles Place, Guoco Tower and Alexandra Retail Centre.
This brand is operated fast-food style, where you place your order over the counter with their crew whom I find pretty friendly. You will be given a printed receipt with your order number and all you have to do next is to wait for your number to be called to collect your food.
Their menu is basically rougamo and rice noodles in various flavors.
Rougamo:
- Qin Ji Pork Rougamo
- Chicken Rougamo
- Cumin Pork Rougamo
- Black Pepper Beef Rougamo
- Healthy Vegetable Rougamo
- Crispy Rougamo
Noodle:
- Sour & Spicy Sweet Potato Noodle with Minced Pork
- Rice Noodle with Fatty Beef Slice in Bean Sauce
- Braised Beef Rice Noodle
- Tomato Soup Rice Noodle
- Cold Noodle Skin
- Noodle with Minced Pork in Bean Sauce
- Qin Ji Braised Beef with Dry Rice Noodles
- Pickled Cabbage Fish with Rice Noodle
There are also four set meals of various combinations. I decided upon Set Meal D, which comprised of a bowl of pickled cabbage fish with rice noodle, a cumin pork rougamo and a beverage of your choice (I picked Ice Peak Orange Soda).
I am puzzled that I was charged $13.85 for the set instead of the advertised $18.50. I checked the receipt and there was a 25% discount. I am not sure if this is an ongoing promo or just for a limited time? And is it only for this outlet or applies to all?
The is the bowl of pickled cabbage fish with rice noodle.
Or you might find the name "sauerkraut fish rice noodle" or "suan cai yu mixian" (酸菜鱼米线) more familiar.
The rice noodle, which comes in a very generous portion, is served in a piping hot bowl of soup topped with pickled cabbage, sliced fish, chickpeas and garnished with coriander.
The soup is tangy, probably due to the pickled cabbage and slightly spicy too. The tanginess is rather appetizing, but the spiciness burns my lips a little.
This bowl of noodle is great for a rainy day while sitting by the window looking out at the streets below.
However, I find the ala carte pricing of $10.80 rather alarming.
As much as I like this dish, this is something that I will not have frequently.
(Could this be the reason for the 25% discount? If you check out their Google reviews, their pricing is a major complaint.)
The chickpeas are a nice addition to the bowl and provided a nice crunchy mouthfeel. The longer you leave it in the soup, the softer it becomes.
The fish slices are thick and tastes fresh with no fishy smell. The texture is firm and does not break into flakes easily.
Next, we come to the rougamo.
I have watched some China travelogue shows and in the Xinjiang region particularly, they talked about the zi ran (孜然) a lot.
Zi ran is the Chinese name for cumin.
This piqued my interest how cumin really tastes like, so I decided to give the cumin pork rougamo a try. The ala carte price is $6.50.
As usual, the rougamo is super flakey and crispy.
Every bite I took shattered bits and pieces off the bun.
The chunks of marinated pork and onion slices reminded me of satay.
I like the unique flavor of cumin and hoped it can be more prominent.
The meat is moist and tender without being too dry and fibrous like pulled pork. I also wished there are green pepper slices.
QIN JI ROUGAMO 秦记肉夹馍
The Clementi Mall
3155 Commonwealth Ave West
#04-23/24
Singapore 129588
Business Hours
Mon - Fri: 11am - 9pm
Sat - Sun: 11am - 9.30pm
Google Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/TE2LZFuwCSPT1umC8
