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serend
FooJay
Joined: Aug 31, 2004
Posts: 1712
Status: Offline
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 Posted:
Dec 22, 2004 - 03:31 PM |
 
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| Post subject: Si-Chuan food: between Hell and Salvation |
I love S-Chuan food! And from what I heard many of you do, too, and really savvy about the best SH has to offer in that area. You are very welcome to share Si-Chuan restaurant info, some great dishes you've had, or recipes.
I'll start with a recommendation and a question:
1. For those of you who can read Chinese, I strongly recommend a book called "My Life with Sichuan Food" (Wo De Chuan Cai Sheng Huo").
2. Does anyone know where we may get good ingredients for SC cooking? Like, hua-jiao from Han-Yuan, chilli from Lang-Ping, bean-paste from Pi-Xian, etc.? |
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bellabella
Gypsy Queen
Joined: Aug 03, 2004
Posts: 14989
Location: London
Status: Offline
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Dec 22, 2004 - 03:42 PM |
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I've actually never been to a Sichuan restaurant, and I'm a little scared the food will be so spicy my face will go red and my throat will seize up! So can you recommend a good restaurant for a first timer?
Thanks Serend |
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SirFiddler
Board Legend
Joined: Mar 30, 2004
Posts: 11445
Location: Very close to a bottle of chilled Boags
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Dec 22, 2004 - 03:54 PM |
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Yeah, I love spicy food. The hotter , the better ... What would be a good place to go ? |
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serend
FooJay
Joined: Aug 31, 2004
Posts: 1712
Status: Offline
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Dec 22, 2004 - 04:02 PM |
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Hmmm...in that case I'd recommend 俏江南 (Pretty Jiang-Nan) to you, bellabella.
Address: 徐汇区桃江路28号（近宝庆路）
Tel: 64452582.
Reasons I recommend this place for your first experience are:
1. It offers the so-called "reformed Si-Chuanese". Or rather, what we may call "fusion" Si-Chuanese style. Not too spicy. And the echef is used to requests for a tone-down and won't get offended.
2. It has both Si-chuanese and Cantonese dishes on the menu, so you may order a few of each for a balanced palate.
3. The cooking is quite good in its own right.
Tips: you may want to go with a few people. I would say 3 minimum. That way you have room to "diversify". |
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serend
FooJay
Joined: Aug 31, 2004
Posts: 1712
Status: Offline
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Dec 22, 2004 - 04:08 PM |
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For the die-hards....drumbeat...are you READY?
1. Yu-Xin (渝信川菜).
Address: Near Jing-An Temple. 333 Chengdu N. Rd. (X Weihai Rd.). 静安区成都北路333号招商局广场3楼（近威海路）.
Tel: 52980438 52980439
Key words: all around best place in SH.
2. Dark Lady
Address: Chang-Ning Bureau, 515 An-Long rd. (X Xian-Xia Rd.) 长宁区安龙路515号（仙霞路口）.
Tel: 62421177.
Key words: autheticity. Excellent ingrediends! Nothing fancy. |
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gfo68
Reacher
Joined: Jan 17, 2004
Posts: 278
Status: Offline
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Dec 22, 2004 - 06:44 PM |
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I know a real good one on Wei Fang Lu between Century Ave and Dong Fang Lu. I don't know the address, but the food is damn hot. They have this soup full of those black pepper corn things which make your mouth go numb. My favorite. |
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richvenom
Barker
Joined: Sep 06, 2004
Posts: 153
Location: Somewhere out there where you aint wanna know
Status: Offline
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Dec 22, 2004 - 07:04 PM |
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there is quite a number of hotpot resturants near weifang lu ...which are pretty good ..i kinda like 257 (if i remember the number correctly) |
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niko
Rocker
Joined: Aug 23, 2004
Posts: 602
Status: Offline
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Dec 22, 2004 - 07:18 PM |
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i love hot food.we feel numb bcs of some "hua jiao"(seed of Bunge prickly ash) in the spice.it's Sichuan food's unique taste.
i have an aunt who is from Sichuan,she cooks very well,especially her Chong qing hotpot.she told me sometimes they added few poppies in hotpot,it makes food more delicious.
mmm...yummy... |
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GC
The Ginger Prince
Joined: Dec 01, 2003
Posts: 21536
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Dec 22, 2004 - 07:34 PM |
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The Darling Harbour chain in Shanghai are quite good. The website tuesday dinner was at the one on 855 Pudong Nan Lu a few weeks ago.
Ended up being around 65rmb per person. Really good food, excellent decor although a bit on the oppulant side. You can order it not too spicy or go for something that takes the lining off you mouth.
There was no english menu. |
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bellabella
Gypsy Queen
Joined: Aug 03, 2004
Posts: 14989
Location: London
Status: Offline
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Dec 22, 2004 - 11:20 PM |
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Thanks for that Serend - could you tell me the address in Pinyin - can't read chinese!! Then i can go check it out!!
I could just print it out and show it to the taxi driver - but I like to know where I'm going first! |
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moviejunkie2004
Lurker
Joined: Dec 06, 2004
Posts: 25
Location: Shanghai
Status: Offline
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Dec 22, 2004 - 11:45 PM |
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there's one called 三娘鱼庄 San Niang Yu Zhuang (Lady San's fish village - excuse me for my lousy translation) at Hong Gu Lu and An Long Lu (near Gu Bei area), very good and very cheap ( around 50rmb per peson) - if u dont need "fa piao" (receipt) they can even discount more!
Am shocked by Serend's knowledge about Sichuan cuisine, being a Sichuan native myself, i dont even know that much...i raise my hat to u, Serend.
but boy do i hate "hua jia"! urgh, can't remember how many times i've fought with my mom over "hua jia".
for the record, they do put poppies in hot pot, everywhere, not only in Sichuan. |
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serend
FooJay
Joined: Aug 31, 2004
Posts: 1712
Status: Offline
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Dec 23, 2004 - 10:26 AM |
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Bellabella: sorry; here's the address:
Xu-Hui Bureau, 28 Tao-Jiang rd. (X Bao-qing Rd.)
You may call them at 64452582 for direction, too. |
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bellabella
Gypsy Queen
Joined: Aug 03, 2004
Posts: 14989
Location: London
Status: Offline
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Dec 23, 2004 - 11:27 AM |
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benkloepfer
PopStar
Joined: Sep 02, 2004
Posts: 1042
Status: Offline
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Dec 23, 2004 - 12:16 PM |
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Hi Serend!
What do you call those little lip-numbing seeds anyway? I think I saw them in a package once and it said star-anise, but anise is normally used in sweet things like licorice and stuff. Do you know the english or chinese name?
Regards
Ben |
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serend
FooJay
Joined: Aug 31, 2004
Posts: 1712
Status: Offline
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Dec 23, 2004 - 01:58 PM |
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Good question. The Chinese name is easy: 花椒. Pinyin is "hua-jiao".
It is basically a species of Rutaceae, along with most of the citric fruits (along with orange, grapefruit, cumquat, etc.). Its Latin name is---are you ready---Zanthoxylum bungeanun Maxin.
Please note that even though it looks like pepper, it is not. More citric than peppery.
There is no exact match for 花椒 in the English language. Here are a few make-do approximations that I have run into in the past:
1. "Chinese prickly ash".
2. "Chinese red pepper".
3. "Szechuan Pepper".
So the rightful name is still open for grabs. We can call it what we wish, then people may even pick it up! I think we should pay respect to the place of culinary origin: Si-Chuan is the only province that makes 花椒 a indispensible ingredient of the local cuisine. I vote for "Si-Chuan Red Pepper". |
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serend
FooJay
Joined: Aug 31, 2004
Posts: 1712
Status: Offline
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Dec 23, 2004 - 02:14 PM |
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More on 花椒: place of origin is very important. I have had drab and tired 花椒 that got no loife and soul in it, and I've also had them that perks one up like stimulants. The difference is huge.
花椒 from following places are the best:
- Northern Shaan'xi Province (陕西)；
- Several places in Si-Chuan Province, esp. Mao'wen (茂汶), Qing'xi (清溪), and Han'yuan (汉源).
- One town in Gui-Zhou Province (贵州): Ding'tan (顶坛). |
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serend
FooJay
Joined: Aug 31, 2004
Posts: 1712
Status: Offline
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Dec 23, 2004 - 02:22 PM |
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Thanks, moviejunkie2004, for the kind words. One lives and learns 
The poppies that they put in the hotpot, look like the shells of poppy fruits. They look too big for seeds, don't you think? I am just guessing. I wonder though, since opium growth has been illegal in China for the last 60 years, where do the restaurants get such plentiful supply of poppy shells? Can't be all from what's left of the medicinal growth....
I had an excellent dinner a year ago at a place called Tan Yu-tou, a hotpot place that distinguyishes itself by serving great fish-head pots. I was pretty sure that I saw a lot of broken shells of unidentified fruits. I suffered no discomfort afterwards, and the level of stimulation did not go beyond what's achievable with a great meal. |
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itahote
Newbie
Joined: Dec 23, 2004
Posts: 1
Location: Pudong, Shanghai
Status: Offline
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Dec 23, 2004 - 04:20 PM |
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| Post subject: To try the recommended restaurants |
I ever stayed in Chongqing for my university.
I really like Sichuan food. |
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moviejunkie2004
Lurker
Joined: Dec 06, 2004
Posts: 25
Location: Shanghai
Status: Offline
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Dec 23, 2004 - 05:39 PM |
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i believe they r shells. and i think it's easy to grow some poppies in ur own garden? (btw, one thing always puzzles me: where all the hash in Amsterdam comes from? they certainly cant import, right? so ppl grow it in their own gardens?). and i dont think eating poppy hot pot makes u sick or suffer? i think they r there to get u addicted? and i do think u guys here r hooked...correct me if i'm wrong.
tomorrow i'm off to Sichuan for a short vacation. oh yeah! (u there, stop drooling) but thinking about the rounds and rounds of hot pot get-together inevitably there waiting for me makes me shudder. oh, and my mom's hua jiao feast! hope i can survive and when i'm back hope my tongue's intact. |
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serend
FooJay
Joined: Aug 31, 2004
Posts: 1712
Status: Offline
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Dec 23, 2004 - 06:31 PM |
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Those poppy-seed muffins don't hurt nobody, either.
What doesn't kill you, makes you ... a better person. Well, probably not. That's how I see "hua jiao feast", anyway, with my eyes red with envy  |
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IamME
Rocker
Joined: May 23, 2004
Posts: 625
Location: Shanghai
Status: Offline
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Dec 23, 2004 - 11:35 PM |
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Hmmm there's a place I thought was great down on sichuan bei lu... on the left ide comming from the bund. by quilt and blanket store. it's on the second floor thugh the entrance is on the first...I'll try to get an adress to make this useful next rtime I'm over there.
hey can you put price range whn you post abuot restaurants? I usually won't risk it unles I know it's affordable. otherwise it's not worth the trek. |
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niko
Rocker
Joined: Aug 23, 2004
Posts: 602
Status: Offline
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Dec 24, 2004 - 07:42 PM |
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not very expensive in most chinese restaurants,if you 2 people have a dinner,around 150RMB,unless you order something like crab,lobster... |
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jac710
Newbie
Joined: June 09, 2006
Posts: 9
Status: Offline
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Mar 25, 2007 - 01:58 PM |
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By far the best sichuan is SH is a restaurant on Yan'an Lu and Dingxi Lu. I can't read the characters in the name, but it is right on the corner and has a bamboo look to it. It is cheap and the best La zi Ji in town. They also have an amazing hong shao rou dish that they prepare like the La Zi Ji. It is moderately spicy, but really flavorful. |
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shanghaithunder
Ranter
Joined: Aug 08, 2004
Posts: 502
Location: Jing An, Kailua, Nor CaL
Status: Offline
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Mar 25, 2007 - 08:17 PM |
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Ba Guo Bu Yi is a very classical Sichuan restaurant which I think is one of the best. They serve one of my favorite dishes which is full of Sichuan peppercorns (prickly ash). It's called roasted rabbit head kao tuzi tou) and it's a fragrant Chengdu speciality. They also have great husband and wife fat clices (fuji fei pian), smoked tea duck and cold wide spicy noodles (liang fen).
1) Dingxi Lu near Yan An Lu in Puxi
2)Zhangyang Lu/Dongfang Lu near Purple Mountain Hotel in Pudong
If you like fish, I found a great place that serves roast fish in different cooking styles. Huo Shan (Fire Mountain) It's the best fish I've ever had.
They roast the fish on a grill with several spices and then serve it in a roasing dish on your table over hot coals. Yummy! You can choose nian yu or hei yu variety of fishes and then choose the style of flavor too.
1) Changshou Lu near Xikang Lu/Jiaozhou Lu
2)Shaanxi Bei Lu/Xinhui Lu |
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KJ
Ranter
Joined: Sep 28, 2005
Posts: 541
Location: Shanghai
Status: Offline
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Mar 26, 2007 - 08:41 AM |
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Good thread. So many of these places around....I warn everybody against saying "this is the best or that's the best...." Right??!? There's just too many to choose from and noway for one person to have tried them all.
Anyway, I know it's expensive, but what do you guys think of South Beauty? It's always packed with more locals than foreigners, so they must be doing something right. I like it as it is more than just hotpot. |
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