Wah Kungfu (蛙功夫) Review – Awesome Hunan Cuisine in Chinatown

As I revelled in the spicy bullfrog at Wah Kungfu (蛙功夫), I knew that I was going to experience 菊花开 (tummy turmoil) the next day. But that didn’t stop me at all, and I continued to attack the feisty dish with gusto. This article was last updated on 18 May 2019.

Wah Kungfu

Wah Kungfu is a Chinese restaurant that specialises in Hunan cuisine (also known as Xiang cuisine). Compared to the more well-known Sichuan cuisine, I find that Hunan food is less spicy and “numbing”, with milder flavours that are more delicate.

Wah Kungfu is known for its signature bullfrog dishes (as you can probably guess from the restaurant’s Chinese name), but it also serves a wide variety of seafood, fish, meat and vegetable dishes.

Ambience and Service

Wah Kungfu touts itself to be Singapore’s “first night club themed restaurant”. There was certainly a bit of club vibe here, due to the purplish neon lights and flashy neon signs.

But what amused us most was the restaurant’s fascination with frogs. An oversized statue of a frog donned in Bruce Lee’s yellow jumpsuit greeted us at the entrance. The staff wore frog-style hair bands on their heads. There were pictures of frogs everywhere in the restaurant, along with a whole wall of frog-themed giant comic strips.

On closer look at the movie posters on the walls, we realised that they had been skilfully photoshopped so that the actors had superimposed frog faces. I think it’s more fitting that Wah Kungfu markets itself as Singapore’s “first frog-obsessed restaurant” instead.

Nonetheless, the casual and relaxing vibe of the place makes it ideal for diners to have a good time with friends. Service was decent, though there were a few occasions when I had to repeat my request for topping up of broths or refilling of water.

Bullfrog with Soup (Spicy Flavour)

The Bullfrog With Soup, Spicy Flavour ($39.80) consists of a galore of frog meat doused in mildly spicy broth. The juicy frog meat was the highlight of course, cooked to perfection with a naturally sweet flavour and wonderfully tender texture. The savoury broth was feisty but not overwhelming, good for people who can’t take overly-spicy food. The portion was just right for the two of us, which is impressive considering that Raevian and I are both big eaters.

Bullfrog (Chongqing Spicy with Tofu)

We went to Wah Kungfu on a separate occasion and ordered the Bullfrog, Chongqing Spicy with Tofu ($39.80), which is a fiery dish for the spice lovers. When the dish was served and I saw the copious amounts of Chinese red pepper scattered all over the frog meat, I wondered if we had made the wrong choice. Luckily, the dish was not really that spicy.

Served in a spicy broth, the frog meat were fried to a nice crisp and had been seasoned to have a pleasant salty flavour. Compared to the earlier dish, the meat was significantly more spicy, but still bearable for us. The tofu soaked up the spicy broth and had a nice soft texture, complementing the frog meat nicely. If you enjoy spicy food, you will find this to be a very satisfying dish (though I have to warn that it can be quite intense on your stomach).

Chicken Wing

We simply loved the Chicken Mid Wing ($2.20), which were fried and marinated to perfection. The meat was succulent with a wonderfully savoury flavour. And somehow, it complemented our bullfrog dishes nicely, even though the flavours were very distinct.

Wah Kungfu Menu (Click to enlarge)

Conclusion

We are glad to have found another awesome Chinese restaurant along Pagoda Street, with the other gem being Old Chengdu Sichuan Cuisine. If you enjoy Chinese food but find Sichuan cuisine to be too spicy, Wah Kungfu is definitely a nice alternative with its milder Hunan dishes. It is conveniently located beside Chinatown MRT, making it an accessible dining spot.

Wah Kungfu
Address: 76 Pagoda St Singapore 059235 (beside Chinatown MRT Station Exit A)
Opening Hours: Daily 11.30am to 12am
Phone: +65 6225 5981