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Hong Jing Yu
Ordering reminder: Unless you like the funny mouth numbing feeling of the Sichuan peppercorn called hua jiao 花轿—not a ringing endorsement but millions of Chinese people do love it and many foreigners can't get enough of it as well—be sure to tell your server when you are ordering that you do not want any of it in your food, as they don’t really know how to go light with this ingredient. When cooking at home, you can try different amounts of hua jiao in your recipe until you get the effect you like; grinding the peppercorns into powder also gives you the flavor boost with a mellower effect.
朝阳区北三环西坝河远方饭店B楼1层
ChaoYang District, XiBaHe,
Yuan Fang Hotel B, 1/F
Tel: 010-84253840
$: Dinner for eight, about 230rmb
Situated in a local neighborhood a bit off the beaten track, Hong Jing Yu is a reliable standby for Shui Zhu Yu (水煮鱼), tender flakes of fish cooked in a fiery red pot of chili oil. Besides this specialty, Hong Jing Yu also does the full range of Sichuan specialties quite well from cold dishes to sweets (their fried sesame balls have black sesame filling instead of the usual red bean paste). All this in a simple, clean and bright environment.
水煮鱼 shui zhu yu: tender fish cooked in chili oil, with a ton of chilies on top; have them decant the chili oil before serving
Changan Theatre location: 东城区建国门内大街7号长安大戏院首层
Jianguomen Neidajie 7 hao, Chang An Da Xi Yuan shou ceng
Tel: 010-6517 1012
Directions: On the ground floor of the Changan Theatre, both sides are the same restaurant
For authentic Sichuan food recommended by Sichuan transplants to the capital, go to Yuxin. With locations throughout the city it sets a dependable and high standard in both setting and cooking. The restaurants are casual but comfortable, with simple bamboo screens to create side nooks for semi private dining. The Gongti location is a good choice if you don’t have a reservation; expect to wait for a table at other locations. The dishes here are consistently good.
干煸四季豆 gan bian si ji dou: dry fried long beans (with pork)
What we think
This often-crowded neighborhood Sichuan place does not disappoint. Try any of the Sichuan standards as well as the tea smoked duck, which we have tried multiple times successfully. The “Dong Po Rou” (fatty pork slices over preserved vegetables) is delicious, but unlike other restaurants there is stealthy hua jiao in this dish. The squirrel fish – songshu yu – is sweet and rich, though slightly over battered. The staff here are hard-working, smiling and willing to work with you to get the best dishes off the photo-heavy menu. The price is right, the food is good, the ambiance a little too fluorescent to be romantic but still a great place to have a tasty Sichuan dinner. Not always a selling point in Chinese restaurants, Mei Zhou does their (fried) dessert options right.
杭椒炒肉 Hang jiao chao rou: slightly charred Hang zhou green chilis with pork or beef
This restaurant is attached to the official Sichuan Province Representative Office; this means that Sichuan officials use this restaurant for official entertaining and to gain face when showing off for the big shot leaders in the capital. Thus, it’s going to be very, very good Sichuan food – the province could not afford it to be otherwise. The unadorned dining room, which has obviously abandoned décor for culinary props, is packed every day with boisterous noisy crowds enjoying a meal together. The food can be fabulous but is sometimes inconsistent as Chuan Ban floats a bit on its popular reputation. The staff is gruff, to say the least, and they only accept reservations until 6:30PM, after which you can expect a lengthy wait.
水煮牛 shui zhu niu: a twist on the usual fish preparation |
