Cai Lin Ji Opens First Overseas Outlet in Jurong Point: Serves Up Authentic and Unique Hubei Street Food alongside its Iconic Hot Dry Noodles

A Wuhan cultural icon is making its way to Singapore with the opening of the first Cai Lin Ji 蔡林记 store in Singapore this 6 September. Westies can rejoice as the specialist of the multi-award-winning Wuhan hot dry noodles 热干面 and Hubei street food is bringing its centennial time-honored brand through its first overseas outpost in Singapore’s Jurong Point. 

Cai Lin Ji brings the best of Hubei street food directly to Singapore with delicacies that are only found locally in Hubei. Each serving is made fresh in-house daily, presenting the best to Singapore and the region for the first time. Diners can expect its full repertoire of bestselling dry hot noodles alongside its vibrant street food, from freshly made deep-fried snacks, and steamed bites, to handmade drinks, and specialty rice dishes for the full Hubei street food experience. 

Alongside the street snacks, look forward to Wuhan’s iconic smooth and chewy hand-pulled alkaline water-based noodles, which lend a punchy heat with chili oil, via Cai Lin Ji’s well-loved Signature Hot Dry Noodles (re gan mian). As its name suggests, the noodles are served dry, glossed over with a secret black sesame sauce combined with crispy and sour beans just before serving, letting the aroma permeate the air before you even see it. Savor the noodles that evoke a strong sense of nostalgia on the first bite, leaving an unforgettable end note that has earned it the title of "Top 10 Noodles in China." Established in 1928 in Wuhan of Hubei Province, China, Cai Lin Ji has taken the humble hot dry noodles and introduced them to the world stage. It is proudly present in various prominent locations in Wuhan. It covers the entire Hubei province with a total of over 300 stores and daily preparations of hot dry noodles reaching at least 30,000 servings in one morning. 

Authentic and Unique Hubei Street Food that was previously only available in China

Taste authentic street food flavors of Hubei in a selection of signature dishes. So specific and native are these flavors to Hubei that they are hard to find in the rest of China, much less the world. Cai Lin Ji is proud to be amongst the first to introduce these local Hubei pride to Singapore.

Discover them in items like Three Delicacies Dou Pi ($4.50 for 1 pc, $8.50 for 2 pcs), a traditional snack native to Hubei consisting of three layers – the first of potato flour, middle of steamed egg or glutinous rice, and the top layer of bamboo shoots or minced meat riddled with pork belly and mushrooms. Pan-fried to a golden crispy hue, the inside layers present a flavourful bite from the mushrooms, minced meat, and glutinous rice. This delicious dish is also known locally as san xian dou pi and is widely found anywhere and everywhere in Hubei. 

Dumpling lovers will find a unique Hubei take on dumplings with the Signature Shao-Mai ($3.90 for 3 pcs). Hand-made and bigger in size than they are in Hubei, they are wrapped with a mix of sticky rice, raisins, rock candy, peanuts, osmanthus flower, orange peel, and shredded carrots. It bites into a peppery taste and contains soup inside like a xiao long bao, stewed to perfect fragrance. 

Noodle soup comes in the specialty of Xiang Yang Beef Noodles/Beehoon ($10.90), a breakfast staple of beehoon noodles and beansprouts doused in a rich beef bone broth and added with lashings of beef and offal. Beef tallow lends an impeccable fragrance, balanced by the refreshing crunch of beansprouts. 

Another traditional dish not to miss is the Han Kou Wonton ($6.90 / 10 pieces) which can be best paired with the Hot Dry Noodles or Three Delicaces Dou Pi as a moreish side. It is freshly made daily with minced meat wrapped in chewy tender skin and cooked in a flavourful broth.

Soup that warms the heart and stomach can be found with the Signature Egg Drop Rice Wine ($4), a Hubei specialty soup made simply from raw egg dropped into 100-degrees boiling water and added with rice wine. The rice wine lends a sweet floral profile to the soup while the eggs offer a serving of protein to start the day. 

A sweet alternative is the Signature Osmanthus Paste Rice Wine ($3.90), made with rice wine, fragranced with osmanthus paste, and given texture with mini rice and potato balls that are meant to cool and reduce the excess ‘yang’ from the body. Typically served with a fried rice bun for breakfast, the rice wine borrows the floral fragrance of osmanthus for a nutritious and flavourful breakfast soup. The rice and potato balls provide a small serving of carbs for energy to take on the day. 

Wash it all down with Mung Bean Soup ($2.90), a Hubei specialty beverage dessert that is made in-house daily. Comes with a generous amount of mung bean, it is light and refreshing and is commonly enjoyed by the locals of Hubei for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. 

Iconic Wuhan Hot Dry Noodles part of Hubei’s “Intangible Cultural Heritage List”

On Cai Lin Ji’s menu is also Wuhan’s most emblematic food, the re gan mian, aka hot dry noodles. Its hot dry noodle-making technique, considered a treasure of the past that has been preserved till today, was included in the "Intangible Cultural Heritage List" of Hubei Province in 2011 and plays a vital role in the unique taste of the hot dry noodles. 

Made with jian shui alkaline noodles that are slender, smooth, and springy with excellent bite, Cai Lin Ji’s Signature Zha Jiang Hot Dry Noodles ($7.90) are tossed in sesame paste for fragrant earthiness before it is glossed over with sesame oil to seal the flavors in. Light and dark soy sauce with a medley of spices including the essential fermented white pepper, Chinese five spice blend, and whole black cardamom add to the profile. Topped with minced meat, pickled radish, long beans, and scallions that give texture, a final dash of chili oil is added to finish the dish. 

The Hot Dry Noodles are also available in four other varieties, each bringing a distinct characteristic of their own. The Beef Hot Dry Noodles ($9.90) embellishes the bowl with prime cuts of lean beef, Beef & Tripe Hot Dry Noodles ($12.90) is a popular favorite with its varying bite and texture courtesy of beef slices and beef tripe, while the Shrimp Hot Dry Noodles ($11.90) lends the sweetness of whole prawns to the iconic dish. The Hot Dry Noodles - Plain ($5.90) is a down-to-earth rendition of the original Hot Dry Noodles, that will be a favorite with diners who prefer lighter flavors, and even kids.