At 10am on the dot, the popular Taiwanese label KiKi Noodles will be available here in Singapore through an online platform — KiKi Fine Goods Singapore. There will be just two items on the list: KiKi’s sun-dried noodles in scallion oil and Sichuan pepper, and both are expected to sell out fast.
The star factor
The sun-dried noodles are a big hit in cosmopolitan cities such as Hong Kong and Taipei, and it’s easy to see why. First, there’s star quality behind the brand. Taiwanese celebrity Shu Qi is known to be the face of KiKi Noodles, and has shared videos of herself bringing these instant noodles wherever she goes, be it cooking in a caravan, travelling in Kyoto, or snuggled up in a hotel room in Florence. She has also shared and posted videos of herself cooking these noodles for herself and fellow celebrities like Andy Lau.
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Says Shu Qi: “I love travelling, but my palate just misses home. No matter where I go, whether it’s for work or play, if the duration goes beyond three days, I have to bring my noodles.”
Made by hand, with love
The artisanal noodles come from Tainan, a city famous for the age-old art of making noodles by hand. These fine strands are made from just flour and water, then left to dry under the sun for two days. During this drying process, the noodles are stretched out on bamboo poles and carefully flipped once every two hours to ensure the sides are evenly dried. This natural drying process also means no salt, stabilisers and preservatives needs to be added to the noodles.
What makes these sun-dried noodles so popular is the springy bite that comes from drying them over time. Yuan Guang Quan, founder of KiKi Restaurant who started this modern Sichuan restaurant back in 1991, tried over 100 types of noodles before settling on these heritage noodles from Tainan. His aim: to let consumers enjoy restaurant-quality noodles in the comfort of their homes.
KiKi Restaurant’s modern take on Sichuan Cuisine
KiKi Restaurant was founded by Yuan, along with Taiwanese celebrities Shu Qi, Matilda Tao and Pauline Lan. Here, traditional Sichuan favourites were transformed into modern interpretations. With the objective of creating a new dimension of modern Chinese cuisine, KiKi Restaurant integrates creative concepts, culture and food, breaking away from the traditional impression of Chinese cuisine, proving to be popular with locals and foreigners alike.
The first KiKi Restaurant was founded at the most popular district in Taipei, Yan Ji Street, and there are now a total of seven outlets in Taiwan — five in Taipei, with two outlets in Taichung. The extensive restaurant menu showcases house specials such as Chinese Chives and Fermented Black Beans, a favourite that has sold over two million plates since it was first served when the restaurant opened. Other items include Braised Chili Beef and Crispy Deep Fried Egg Tofu.
The all-natural, preservative-free noodles KiKi Noodles retails for NT220 (S$9.90) for six packets of noodles. In Singapore, the noodles are distributed by KiKi Fine Goods Singapore and retails for S$13.70.
