"Near the northern verge of the Upper West Side, which has always been an under-the-radar location for excellent Chinese restaurants, lies the alliteratively-named Happy Hot Hunan. Few restaurants serve such a wide range of Hunan specialties (quite different than Sichuan ones, and often spicier). Foods preserved by pickling, drying, and smoking provide unique flavors, including one dish of smoked pork and smoked bamboo shoots." - Robert Sietsema