So Spicy That It’s Numbing, and That’s a Good Thing! (Sichuanese Cuisine) July 5, 2007

Now that I’m satisfied with a couple of good choices for authentic Cantonese cuisine in Dallas (First Chinese BBQ & New San Dor), two worthwhile dim sum places (Maxim’s and Kirin Court), and a decent dumpling house (Jeng Chi), it is time to explore other realms of Chinese cuisine in DFW.  At the other end of the flavor spectrum lies my next adventure, Sichuan cuisine.  Almost all westernized Chinese restaurants serve primarily Cantonese cuisine or some adaptation of it.  Thus we’re easily accustomed to the often sweet, mildly spiced (almost always with ginger), and seafood-heavy dishes served at authentic Cantonese restaurants.  Sichuan cuisine is not mild, is rarely sweet, and is more beef-heavy than any other form of Chinese cuisine.  It is defined by the wide use of the Sichuan peppercorn, whose spice is not only fiery, but numbing.  A common sauce made from the peppercorn is called “ma-la”, which in Chinese literally translates to “ma” for numbing and “la” for spicy.

I’ve had a couple of encounters with Sichuan cuisine in DFW.  Jeng Chi’s menu contains some Sichuan dishes, most notably the water-boiled beef.  The new Asia World shopping center at Legacy and 75 also has a Sichuan restaurant (can’t recall the name, sorry) that serves up traditional dishes.  However, my visit to Sichuanese Cuisine (northwest corner of Coit & Park in Plano) blows the other two restaurants out of the water with raw authenticity and bold flavors.

Yes, it’s another strip mall restaurant that is easily missed unless you’re hunting for it.  Sichuanese Cuisine actually started in Seattle with two locations in that area, and for whatever reason, has opened their third location in Plano.  The menu is tricky.  You have to sort through all the generic westernized dishes like Broccoli Beef and General Tsao’s Chicken to find the authentic Sichuan hidden gems.  Most of these dishes are under the “House Specialty” section of the menu with a few scattered in the other more generic sections.

The restaurant was packed with Asian faces on this Saturday lunch.  With a party of four, we decided on the water-boiled beef (hidden under the generic “Beef” entrees section with items you’ll likely want to pass on like Beef Broccoli and Mongolian Beef), twice cooked pork, and a Sichuan pickled vegetable and cellophane noodle hot pot.  Service was a bit slow with a fully packed restaurant.  We were presented with complimentary Sichuan pickled cabbage (spicy and sour!) to whet our appetites while we waited.  When the dishes finally came out, they were worth every second of the wait.

Twice Cooked Pork:

Twice Cooked Pork is first boiled then shallow fried in oil, hence the name.  This version came with quick stir fried cabbage, onion, and leek (some versions will also include bell pepper).  The pork slices are rib steak meat, meaning they are fatty.  I had to pump myself up with some adventurous bravery in order to try my first bite of this dish, seeing the glistening fat trimming the edges of the pork.  I was glad I did though.  The pork slices were tender with the fatty edges being just slightly crunchy from the shallow frying.  And they were spicy!  As one of my dining companions noted, “it’s like spicy bacon, who wouldn’t love that?”  I wouldn’t say the texture is exactly like bacon, but I can understand the sentiment.

Sichuan Picked Vegetable and Cellophane Noodle Hotpot:

Sichuan pickled vegetable, or zha tsai, is made from the stem of a subspecies of mustard greens.  It is dried, rubbed with chile, and fermented in clay earthenware.  It has a crunchy, somewhat fiberous consistency, almost like a turnip.  This hot pot dish extracts the flavor from the pickled vegetable into the broth and contrasts the crunchy vegetables chunks nicely with the minced pork and cellophane noodles, all of which are, of course, numbingly spicy with Sichuan peppercorn flavor.

Water-Boiled Beef:

Listed on the menu in English as “Hot and Spicy Beef (Sichuan Style),” this dish is usually prepared  by first boiling the corn-starch covered beef for a short while (not too long otherwise it will lose the tenderness), then draining the meat and placing it on top of the veggies (usually napa cabbage like in this case, sometimes bok choy), then pouring hot oil seasoned with spices over the meat and veggies for an “out of the pan” frying experience.  The meat is always incredibly tender in this dish.  I actually prefer Jeng Chi’s version of water-boiled beef because it is spicier, with a lower “ma,” or numbing, factor.  But that is personal preference only.  This version was still impressive and well received by the table.

With awesomely spicy, numbing, authentic Sichuan dishes ranging from $6 to $10, I will be revisiting this bargain hole-in-the-wall again.  I hope the service improves when the restaurant loses its “newness,” but I also hope the bold flavors and raw authenticity aren’t toned down with time.  Ready for a new kind of Chinese cuisine outside of BBQ pork and sizzling seafood (not that I don’t love those things too)?  Try Sichuanese Cuisine and explore a new world of Chinese food. 

Rating: 3 / 5

Sichuanese Cuisine
2001 Coit Rd
Plano, TX 75075