4 times in 6 months, that's gotta be something, right?
The Pictures shown here may be overwhelming. But I can assure you, it's not as good as it looks. It's better. I specifically waited until now to write about this place, simply because I forgot about it, put the pictures aside, knowing that eventually I'll go again, then I'll have more pictures, and so on. In the past 6 months since its opening, I have been to 渝川菜館 for 4 times. And just as you think I was crazy, I intended to go back like a crazy addict on highs of Sichuan Peppercorns and Red Chilies. Ever since I took the first step to this raging inferno of chilies and peppers, I knew I wouldn't be able to return without getting the hyped craving every now and then. Walking up the steps to 渝川菜館 was easy. The decor was rather simple. Beige walls against linens the shades of peach and coral. There's a television on the wall. I counted, there were only 5 tables altogether, as it couldn't hold many per night. No wonder nowadays you have to reserve ahead.
For $168 per head, the menu (doubled as placemat), there is a system for dinners here. For 2-3 people, you can choose 2 cold dishes and 3 hot ones. For 4 -5 people you can choose 3 cold dishes and 4 or 5 hot ones, and so on. There are dishes in the menu that required extra costs (upon requests) and advanced reservation, since the ingredients are not always available on hand. It's reasonable this way.
The chilies started their onslaught of charm with the first appearance of the Cold Noodles, Sichuan Style (四川涼麵), a generous portion of beige wheat noodle cooked to the bite. A brief wash in icy water allowed the noodles to contract and develop a bite. The noodles were topped with a mixture of fried chilies, spring onions, fried leeks and garlic, dressed with a drizzle of chili and peppercorn oil and the slightest touch of Chinese Black Vinegar. The mild tang of the vinegar cut through the otherwise greasiness of the chili topping, and the chilies did its work -- bringing a rush of heat from inside out. Pork with Mashed Garlic (蒜泥白肉) chose pork shoulder instead of the belly. Thin shavings of pork tossed lightly with chili oil, finely mashed garlic and a handful of dried peppercorns. The garlic offered a tickling to the throat while the chili oil rounded up the rest offering the otherwise bland slices of pork a flavour boost. Tripe with Red Oil (紅油牛肚) was a disappointment. The tripe was simply boiled through and some pieces were rather tough. The chili oil was good enough, but overall the taste of tripe wasn't quite going well with the chili alone. The ingredients were simple but didn't have the chemistry unless some other spices were used. I would prefer the triped cooked in a spiced mixture like five-spice marinade before dressing with chilies. Then the Mouth-Watering Chicken (口水雞) was surprisingly moist and tender. Served in small plates and chunky bone-in pieces, chicken pieces were soft and tasty throughout. The marinade it's served in has chockful of peanuts and chopped chilies blended within, accompanied by garlic, black vinegar and a fair bit of Sichuan Peppercorns to yield the numbing effect.
Then the real stars of the show arrived.
Beef stir-fry with Pickled Green Peppers (泡椒牛肉) was a decent dish with baking-soda laden beef slices (not a good choice, but inevitable) quick fried with pickled green peppers. The tangy green peppers offered less heat than its dried red kins, but offered an alternative source of heat that inspired other possibilities in the entire section of "pickled green peppers" on the menu. Beef Slices in Fiery Broth (水煮牛肉) used the same kind of beef, but instead of quick fried, they're served atop a heaped pile of mung bean sprouts. The bean sprouts absorbed the chili broth and oil from the sichuan peppercorns and take the numbing level to the maximum. Sipping the broth and feeling the tongue gradually numbed first by the heat, then by the peppercorns...there was a sudden surge of equal vulnerability and awareness to the body itself. You felt the numbing, and you felt the sweat beads rolling down your back. Diced Chicken with Pickled Green Peppers (泡椒生炒雞) was the best in the pickled-pepper dish. The chicken was so juicy and the green bell peppers were sweet as ever.
Dry-frying dishes were something new for me. Standard in Sichuan style cooking, ingredients were first quick fried in high heat and slowly tossed over medium heat to yield a cooked, but dry texture. Dry-fried Pork-intestines (干煸肥腸) and Dry-Fried Eel Slices (干煸鱔魚片) were prime examples here, Angular cut pork intestines were first fried, then adding the mixture of fresh green peppers, red peppers and leeks. Don't miss out the fried leeks. Even though they're not frizzled in hot oil, their freshness and sweetness were clearly as dominating as the intestines themselves. The Eel dish was slightly different, with similar techniques on the eel, but supporting ingredients also included bean sprouts, which were juicy with a crisp. It's similar in texture but definitely a contrast with "dryness". The heat was slightly milder than the previous beef dishes, but this one lingered for a longer period of time, with that faint vinegar taste to it.
"Fish slices in Fiery Broth" (水煮魚) was the true show-stopper. Butterflied slices of fish cut and blanched quickly and cooked in a fragrant blend of oil which included chilies, Sichuan peppercorns and part of a star anise. It arrived with a whiff of potent heat, possibly an aura of heat surrounding it. I gazed, captivated, as we fished out slices of fish so white against the fiery redness... The fish had an amazing texture, and the heat level skyrocketed within seconds. It looked wasteful to see the sea of chilies spread out across the soup tureen, burying the hot contents underneath. Picking here and there, we managed to pick up thin strands of bean vermicelli -- light and thin with some bean sprouts to absorb the hot broth. The thin vermicelli (you can also choose the thicker noodle, which I think were more filling and tasted better) was clearly filling enough, but the broth was so flavorful I couldn't stop myself from taking a sip -- It really tasted great, as the fish may not be able to take on so many depths of flavours, even the chili's heat could be detected in the broth. You first got the sharpness, then the numbness from the peppercorns, and eventually swallowing it yielded the final welcome of smoky heat erupting from the throat upwards back to the palate. Now this will quench the craving!
Seafood lovers can try their Sichuan Chili Shrimps (辣子蝦) and Pepper-Salt Shrimps (川式椒鹽蝦). They were both shrimps deep fried briefly, and the chili shrimps were finally tossed in a massive pile of red chilies. The Pepper-salt ones were simpler -- tossed in the hot wok with a special Sichuan Peppersalt, with reminiscent to the five-spice salt we normally use for chicken. The shrimps had such a crunch you could eat the shell as well...the entire shrimp being. Both dishes were executed with such precision not to overcook the shrimps at all, without compromising whether the supporting ingredients of chilies and pepper would overpower the main star.
Our visits were rounded out by a complimentary desserts of little dumplings with Osmanthus and Sweet Rice Wine. (桂花酒釀丸子) Tiny glutinous rice dumplings were simmered in a rice wine syrup flavoured with Osmanthus. The golden blossom offered a whiff or floral aroma as the evening came to a satisfying finish. 4 visits weren't all that much, we afterall, had the cravings every now and then. To say that I'm officially a fan of Sichuan cuisine is not wrong, but I'd rather claim myself a junkie who occasionally have the cravings for red hot chilies and the numbeness of Sichuan Peppercorns. 渝川菜館 is a venue to quench these cravings, and certainly under the hospitable services and the wide array of dishes to choose from, it's undoubtedly true to be one of my favorites to frequent every now and then. I certainly hope it'll be for those who's adventurous enough to take the ride to the raging inferno of chilies and spices!
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Best dishes out of our 12 ppl meals are: 川椒皮蛋 - the garlic and chilies matched perfectly with the preserved eggs 水煮魚 - the fish is very soft and the best are the glass noodles at the bottom. Soake...
Firstly, the setting is better - definitely more sophisticated as compared with that of Sijie; "cleaner and brighter" would be my comment. Although the place is smaller than Sijie, the environment was cosy and converyed a "home" feeling for its customers. Secondly, the servi...
