Sichuan Restaurant

My last dinner in Shanghai, there was a huge rain storm. We decided to walk to a very popular Sichuan restaurant . We were lucky it was only a 10 minute walk from the hotel. Sichuan food is famous for being very very spicy. But the main thing that most people might not be used to is the amount of cooking oil they use in their food. You will believe me once you see & read the post.

The first dish was jelly fish in shaped into long thin stripes with a very spicy sichuan sauce, sprikled with sesame seeds. A nice starter to get our taste buds ready for more spicy dishes.











The second dish was crystal prawns. This restaurant is famous for them. Fresh and plump, light and tasty. It truly lived up to its reputation for being a wonderful dish.


The third dish was tenderloin cooked in oil. The oil was fused with a spice and vegetables. I could not believe it until I saw it. At first, I did not dare taste the dish because my heart was saying "dont you dare touch that if you want a heart attack". However, my taste buds won the arugment and I stuck my chop sticks into the hot oil and digged out a piece of beef. It was the most unbeliveable piece of meat I have tasted. It just melted in your mouth leaving the taste of the spicy sauce and vegetable essence. Amazing!











The fourth dish was another wonder to behold. A HUGE bowl arrived at the table and it was covered with chilies and sichuan pepper corns. I had no idea what on earth we were going to eat or how to eat it. This time it was a fish cooked in oil which got it essence from the kilos of chilies and sichuan pepper corns. My head started itching just the site of it. So, the photo on the left is when the dish arrived. The photo on the right is when the waitress started spooning out the chilies and sichaun pepper corns. What was left was the fish swimming in the oil. This time I was not afraid to try, since the beef in oil was terrific. The same was for the fish, so fresh and cooked perfectly. The meat was sweet but the after taste of the spicyness almost killed us. There was so much sichuan pepper corns, that our mouths were numb (like you got a shot of novacane from the dentist). It was a strange feeling trying to eat and drink when your mouth and lips are numb. But I loved the experience.

The fifth dish was a tricky looking dish. It first looked like simple green beans. I was about to eat one when I was warned that they are actually roasted green chilies. Yes, you read right. Roasted green chilies. I have no idea how on earth the Chinese can eat just stuff. However, I was determined to try. Actually, they were terrific. At first they had a punch and kick, but it was short lived. The spiciness was there, but because it was so good, I could not stop eating them.

The final dish was fried chicken in chilies. By this time, my mouth and lips were begging me to stop torturing them. No Way! It is not very often, I can experience such wonderful food. Some people suffer for fashion. Here, I am willing to suffer for food. The whole chicken including the bones was butchered into small bite sizes. The first bite was crunchy but then your lips got numb. Fantastic. How often can you do this? I would love to suffer again at this fantastic restaurant.