"Hunan cuisine is known for its ganla, or “dry spice,” which comes from the extensive amount of chili peppers. In most cases, Hunan cuisine is even spicier than Sichuan cuisine. Hunan Chili King does not skip out on fresh chiles. It uses a lot of smoked and cured meats in its dishes along with its spicy red chiles. Although the restaurant allows diners to customize spice levels, even mild can be considered spicy for those unaccustomed to ganla. The staff may sometimes downgrade the spice level if they don’t think you can handle it, so the proactive approach is to reassure the staff that you can handle the dish’s authentic spice level. Hunan Chili King is known for its extensive menu, which used to contain 200-plus items. But its menu is now a fraction of what it used to be. The spice power in its more curated menu is still strong: The house special spicy fish fillet is soaked in a pool of red chiles. The spicy intestines, sliced beef in hot chili oil, spicy cumin lamb, and spicy dry frog hot pot are just some of the items that will light your mouth on fire. Proceed with caution. You can also order online at QMenu at https://qmenu.us/#/hunan-chilli-king-san-gabriel." - Kristie Hang
