I used to be a total puss about spicy food (I know, I'm a terrible Asian) but I've definitely gotten better in the last couple of years. So I was super excited to try this place with Laura last week since it was supposed to be authentic Sichuan food in dry pot format. We went at 7pm on a Friday and was informed by the hipster hostess that it would be a 2 hour wait. Grrrr. We decided to give our name and call them on their bluff while we got wine next door. Lo and behold, they called us 45 minutes later! Patience does pay off!
The menu here is the same concept as regular hot pot except there's no broth - so let's be honest, it's basically spicy stir fry. Like hot pot, you get a whole long list of ingredients to choose from ranging from meat, chicken, seafood, veggie, tofu and noodles. They also have a nice list of appetizers to choose from too which is a nice change from the traditional hot pot places where you're stuffing your face with just hot pot. We started with the turnip and jelly fish salad ($8) and then each ordered our own bowl (although you can also share bowls too) - they recommend that 1 person order 3-6 ingredients or if you're two people 8-10 ingredients. I was starving and wanted to order 10 ingredients on my own but tried to reign it in - I got the eye of round ($5), fish ball ($4), enoki mushroom ($4), tofu skin ($4) and fish cake ($6). If I could, I would have ordered more mushrooms, bok choy, glass noodle, pork belly, and much much more. The difference between here and regular hot pot is that it's not all you can eat, which was something I had to adjust to. I got my mild spicy - I struggled if I wanted it spicy but I figured I didn't want to push my luck. Laura got hers spicy and we're not sure if they toned it down because they didn't want to cause complaints but her spice level wasn't really that far off from my bowl. Bummer.
But in general, the food was excellent and at least for me, the right amount of spiciness. Sichuan spice is not like Indian spice or Thai spice - it's like a numbing painful spice that can really get to you if you don't know your tolerance level well. They give you a side of rice which was nice to mix it all in and it helps to fill you up since you can't slurp up the soup like in hot pot.
The jelly fish appetizer was also excellent. I haven't had that dish in a long time and it's not found in a lot of Chinese places outside of Chinatown but it was perfectly crunchy and tangy from the vinegar in it. I just wished the portions were bigger for $8. And that's my overall problem with this place - while I am giving it 4.5 forks because I truly enjoyed my meal, the price I paid for it was definitely overpriced, especially when you think about how other places in Chinatown offer similar soup based meals at a cheaper all-you-can-eat price (granted, I will give you that their ingredients here are probably fresher and better quality). That being said, I will definitely go back anytime and order it spicy next time! Total bill: $61/pp with tax, tip and a bottle of wine
Photo Credit: Yelp
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