One of Manhattan’s Most Ambitious Sichuan Chefs Is Back in Business | Eater NY
"Tucked into a hardscrabble block, at 325 W. 42nd Street, between Eighth and Ninth avenues at the nexus of Hell’s Kitchen and Times Square, I found Sky Pavilion to be one of the city’s most ambitious Sichuan restaurants: the flavors are vivid and compelling and the menu includes a version of just about every Sichuan dish you can think of, even organ meats such as pig brains and cow intestines that are often omitted on Chinese menus here. The room is spare, boxy, and brightly lit, with paper fans on one wall as the main decoration, yet the food is often elaborately presented—sometimes on wooden or ceramic platforms sprouting carved vegetables or plastic flowers—and most dishes come in servings large enough for four or more; my posse and I enjoyed several on two very exciting visits. Highlights included green pepper and preserved eggs ($11), whose striking appearance (translucent black whites and greenish yolks) is perfectly offset by fresh green chiles; Sky Pavilion-style pork intestines ($32) served in a tureen submerged in a bright sea of red chiles, chile oil, Sichuan peppercorns, scallions, and sesame seeds that surprisingly mellow the offal; braised whole fish with ground pork ($43), a whole tilapia heaped with coarsely ground pork, garlic chives, pickled chiles, and mixed vegetables using the gan shao dry-braising technique with a nuanced use of fermented fava bean paste; tofu pudding in stone wok ($23), a handmade fresh bean curd casserole topped with chile oil, scallions, pickled chiles, and toasted soy beans that keeps yielding more jiggly white tofu; and Zigong-style spicy rabbit ($33), presented over a candle-warmed platter with stir-fried rabbit morsels enlivened by many chiles and mouth-numbing Sichuan peppercorns (and no, it doesn’t taste like chicken)." - Robert Sietsema
