I was at this Szechuan restaurant earlier in the evening with six others (thanks again, Andie),…read morewhere we sampled a good amount of their dishes. As mentioned, it's a pretty tiny space with one large table that fits 8 comfortably, though probably 9 could fit if needed. Otherwise, there were some smaller seating arrangements. The service was friendly and efficient when it came to taking out dishes and our ordering process. For the table, they gave us some lukewarm water, which was refilled frequently when required. They asked about the spice level, and our host went with medium, which worked, with some of us clarifying that "mala" is fine. In terms of flavors, most dishes had a nice numbing sensation from peppercorns and had plenty of heat, but not so much that it overpowered any one dish. The prices overall might be slightly higher than some other places, but they make up for it with their portion sizes and also by including rice with all entrees.
Our only appetizer was the $11 Smashed Szechuan Cucumbers. The cucumbers were sliced into slightly large pieces, and there was a nice sauce that had both heat and a mild black vinegar flavor. I found the ginger a bit light, but overall, it was refreshing and tasty and worked well with some other dishes, which arrived soon afterward.
My favorite of the main entrees was the Spicy Shrimp for $32, which was in a giant pot with a good 14 or so large shrimp inside, if not more. Along with the shrimp, there were also potatoes, peppers, scallions, onions, and lotus root slices. The dish reminded me a lot of Mala Xiang Guo/麻辣香鍋/Spicy Dry Pot, which is one of my favorite Szechuan dishes. The shrimp inside were prepared perfectly, while the potatoes were soft and the lotus root had a good crunch. I would recommend this highly.
The other most expensive dish was the $40 Xu Chu Braised Chicken, which also arrived in a giant pot. The chicken could be ordered braised or fried, and we got the former. The meat was on the bone, as expected, and tender, with the pieces in a very red broth. This was tasty, with the sour pickled pepper adding a nice extra flavor, along with the typical mala from the non-pickled peppers and peppercorns.
A more typical dish, though not in a typical presentation, was the tasty Cumin Beef, which was $30. In comparison to most other spots, the beef was cut into larger slices. Usually, I haven't liked this before, as the larger pieces of beef weren't tender, but that was not the case here. Otherwise, there was a mix of vegetables, including the standard onions along with large pieces of pepper, both green and red. If I had to make a complaint, I wish the onions were also sliced thinner, as they lacked a bit of cumin compared to the meat.
Another more typical dish was the $20 Szechuan Bacon, which was their version of Hui Guo Rou/回鍋肉, or Double/Twice Cooked Pork Belly. The pork belly was tender with only a mild chew, and the scallions added a nice refreshing flavor. The heat was there, but I found the douchi/black bean flavor a bit light. I didn't mind this, though, as it made it a bit less salty than usual, and there was plenty of flavor otherwise.
The last of the more unique dishes was the Crispy Pork Ribs for $24. The ribs were lightly fried and tender, but some others found them a tad salty. As with other dishes, this came with the usual mix of peppers and vegetables.
Finally, the last typical dish was the $13 Mapo Tofu. The portion was a bit smaller than other spots, but that makes sense, as this was the cheapest of all the mains. There was some sourness and a bit of heat, with my only complaint being that I prefer a slightly firmer tofu in this dish for texture, but that's a regional quip. Outside my personal tofu preferences, the flavor was good.
They gave us some Bingfen/Sichuan Ice Jelly/冰粉 as a complimentary dessert at the end, which was a nice touch. The ice jelly had a mild sweetness from the brown sugar syrup, and it was refreshing. The toppings included the typical hawthorn/haw flakes on top for sourness, golden raisins for sweetness, and peanuts for crunch. The dessert made a fine ending to our excellent meal.
Overall, we had a very good meal here, and I look forward to going back. I wouldn't mind trying their pig trotters, or especially their fish, among other things. I can see why they're popular.