Crazy for Sichuan food

I don't know when it got started. If yawning is contagious, I would argue food cravings can be contagious too. The devil living inside me has an increasing tolerance and appetite for Sichuan food ever since I moved back to Hong Kong. Albeit most sichuan dishes are excessively seasoned and oily, some said spicy food is good for skin but the unfortunate most would be more prone to massive breakout. Luckily spicy food doesn't stimulate acne for me or make my stomach turn, eating too much of it would still make my lover's handles more prominant.

As a typical taurus, I am not very adventurous with restaurant choices and tend to visit the same places incessantly until the restaurants screw up miserably. Whenever my friends ask where to go for dinner, I would always list my 3 choices: yakitori, sichuan food or hotpot.

For sichuan food, my favorite dinner place as gotten to be San Xi Lou 三希樓(滿江紅), even a chengdu born guy would claim this as the best sichuan restaurant in HK, although the spicy level has adjusted down a notch. I went there again, this time not for hotpot but for hot dishes.

Spicy chicken/ "saliva" chicken - chicken was lean and meaty. The sauce was adjusted just right and not too sweet. I always love the peanuts on top of the chicken to give a crunchy texture when combined. A must order item whenever I dined at the restaurant.

The cold dish - fun pai - I wonder if they make the fun pai themselves because these are thicker than the ones at other restaurants. The key is the sauce that's hot and flavorful enough because fan pai is basically tasteless. I just love the sauce that can burn your tongue.

Sichuan wonton in red sauce. Not the best that I have had, I still prefer the wraps to be the kind of dumplings rather than the guangdong wonton. I am still obsessed with the one at sichuan dai ping fou, where the skin is thick and chewy and absorb a great deal of hot sauce.

Dam dam noodles - basically noodles in peanut sauce.

Deep fried tofu cubes - great snacks for beer.

Fish in chili soup - Another must order item at any sichuan restaurant. because the soup base is so oily the fish fillets absorbed all the oil hence become very smooth and slimy. Inside the bowl you can also found the potato starch noodles and lots of beans sprouts.

Tofu and beef - the tofu was silky and smooth and is a great combination with the beef in chili sauce and peanuts.

For dessert, we had the pumpkin soup, red beans jelly and sweet dumplings in rice wine. I have to admit that the restaurant doesn't offer very good dessert. but still something sweet can moderate the flame after a spicy dinner.

I need to convince people that we all can train up our tolerance level for spicy food. I keep lifting my tolerance level for every visit to sichuan restaurant, and I am addicted to the excitment of burning my tongue off after a hot dinner. Call me crazy but that's my devil's calling....

Hot pot

Can't believe I've actually done this.....3 hotpot dinners within a week, no wonder I am starting to get a sore throat.

1st - lamb hotpot at TST, using charcoal fire which is very rare in HK now..

the lamb was excellent.. there's not much worth eating except lamb, whether you like it or not,this place is exclusive for lamb lovers.. 

2nd - homemade hotpot with lots of meat balls and seafood... 

3rd - sichuan hotpot at 滿江紅 .. sichuan people said the soup is not spicy enough..i actually witnessed the showdown of spicy lovers drowning every piece of edible food into red hot chilly soup.. I can tolerate moderate spiciness but this is quite spicy for me and I need to switch to the regular side half way through the dinner...

Sichuan girls are well-known for good skin...I am already feeling the effect of the sichuan hotpot from last night..hohoho...

Sichuan feast

Three Sichuan lovers ganged up and dined at a private kitchen. We had a fabulous night at Sichuan Dai PIng Huo, we loved every bite of spice and fire. Normally I need to take break from the heat in the middle of the meal, but this time I finished everything cohesively...I think I have just developed a different level of tolerance for spicy food.

I don't think Sichuan Dai Ping Huo offers the most authentic Sichuan cuisine..it is more gearing towards the avant garde catering to the younger crowd. There're 11 courses in total.. yes..no body leaves with an empty stomach unless you cannot tolerate the heat.

The whole dinner is full of aroma and spices, so stimulating you can smell the ingredients from afar.

Out of all dishes, I love the spicy fun pei and dumplings the most. The fun pei appetizer is probably too spicy for me but that's aiming to jump start our nerves.. like a kick in the bum to tell us to get ready for a spicy dinner. I also love the dumplings as a sweet ending to our hot meal, I am so addicted to the chewy dough and sweet sauce..it's like a pad on the shoulder cheering our success of finishing the whole meal.