Kuan Zhai Alley’s waterfall dining concept at Funan mall, Singapore. Will cai fan lovers bite?

It was the sound that first got my attention. The sound of mini waterfalls gently plopping, gushing.

Looking around a few moments, I turned the corner to find a"floating" eatery that has somehow integrated itself with a flowing moat (pond?).

Loud splashes from this pond-moat drew us in

View of the Funan rock wall

Water flowing out from inside the tables. <.<

And there it was: Kuan Zhai Wan Wan Xiang (also known as Kuan Zhai Alley). The eatery hails from Sichuan, China, serving a wide variety of Sichuan and Chongqing-style dishes. Think zi char, but in mini bowls — priced from $1.90 to $5.90. There are other outlets at Paya Lebar and Church Street (which we haven’t tried), but this Funan one seems more eye-opening thanks to the design.

Naturally, we picked seats near the water feature, noticing most diners had chosen to sit away from it. Too noisy, perhaps? Good for us. It's exactly what we find most vibrant about the place, anyway.

We grabbed a tray and began browsing. It’s the kind of place you’d crave if you want zi char without the commitment. We were spoiled for choice, though I couldn’t help noticing that many items leaned towards the higher end of the price range ($3.90–$5.90), with fewer $1.90 options than expected.

I, for one, was mentally tallying up my tray total... which made the experience slightly stressful. My two colleagues, meanwhile, sailed through confidently, knowing exactly what they wanted. The concept is simple: move down a line and pick your dishes. But occasionally, items run out. When the steamed egg was gone, I awkwardly hovered at the back for about five minutes while it was replenished, letting others stream past me.

Worth it though. Once I finally had my steamed egg, I headed to payment, adding the $1 unlimited rice option to my total.

The checkout system is pretty cool: you shove your tray onto it and it automatically calculates the items and prices (sensors? AI?).

After payment, you collect your rice. Buy three bowls or more and you can redeem a free beverage too, which is oddly positioned at the start of the line.

Porridge or rice! I chose rice.

Free drink if you purchase three or more mini bowls

We couldn’t wait to eat.

My final picks: salt baked chicken, french beans, and steamed egg. $10-ish dollars.

Taste-wise, everything was genuinely good. I like the zi char concept, though I couldn’t help mentally comparing it to cai fan.

The free drink with three dishes is a nice touch, but the real question (that I've had throughout) is: would I choose this over cai fan?

If I’m being brutally honest... probably not, if I were a cai fan lover.

But I’m not, so I’d happily eat here again. I’d wager that cai fan loyalists are unlikely to be converted. It feels a little like a psychology game: premium-looking options, lots of choice, and a small element of surprise.

That said, it is quite a fun experience, and we even saw large groups coming in at 2pm. If you limit yourself to something like a $5.90, $2.90, and $1.90 bowl, you’d probably walk away feeling pretty good about it. For reference, my colleagues spent about $12–14 each.

So, if you're famished after scaling the Funan rock wall, or looking for a quick and fun lunch fix, this unique food spot might just be for you!

📍 Kuan Zhai @ Funan, B2-22