I don't understand the magic of Sichuan peppercorns. How the hell is it able to transform flavours into a completely new explosive experience? How am I picking up on these flavours when I can't even feel my tongue? How am I suddenly able to not just tolerate...but ENJOY spicy food?
There's only one word for it: magic. And all of this can be YOURS for a shockingly low price of HKD $110! That's what a 4 person set + one lunch set cost for each of the 5 of us. The 4-person set itself was more than enough food for 5 of us, and I had leftovers to take home for dinner. See, the Dan Dan Noodles included in the set doesn't mean one noodle dish to share, it's 1 bowl for every person in the set! 4 bowls of spicy, flavourful, chewy noodles! On top of that, there was:
Jellyfish and Cucumber: To cool down your palette.
3 Layer Pork: Some weird chilled pork roll with a spicy/sour sauce and a mound of garlic...something in the middle (puree?) Don't let the notion of spicy/sour/garlicky/cold pork rolls turn you off. This was pretty good.
Spicy Boiled Fish: The visual representation of Sichuan cuisine: a giant pot of chilies, oils, and spices. Submerged in all that red are pieces of flaky white fish, flat rice noodles, and veggies. Good, but damn, this left my tongue swollen and made me a mouth breather.
Wontons: This was loaded in the peppercorns and their oils, which means one bite renders your tongue numb. The second bite makes you appreciate pork in a whole new way. The flavours were so intense. This was definitely one of my favourites.
Kung Pao Chicken: I'm not sure what this was, but it wasn't Kung Pao Chicken. It had chickens, cashews, and was way too saucy to be a traditional Kung Pao. The sauce was sweet, spicy, and sour. The cashews had a hint of a spice I can't really put my finger on...cinnamon? Still, very delicious, and something unique.
Fried Pork Cutlet Noodle/Century Egg and Tofu: This is the additional solo lunch set we ordered. The pork was marinated in Chinese rice wine, and it was a fantastically strong flavour. Century Egg and tofu made another great palette cleanser.
They've got the AC jacked up high but the weird thing with this kinda spicy food is that it doesn't really warm you up. You just feel your mouth burning while your arms are cold. At least when you're in a state of conflicting temperatures, you can relax on their super comfy pillows. All I know is that after the meal, my mouth was on fire, my nose was running, and I was sweating profusely. Never felt better.
(55/100) - 2017 read more