"Named after a river that’s a Yangtze tributary, China Xiang specializes in the cuisine of Hunan. The interior looks like a 1960s diner with bare grayish-brown brick, stained-wood accents, Jetsons-like light fixtures, and other period details. The restaurant’s menu mounts dishes often said to be hotter than Sichuan fare, achieving its effects via green chiles, dried red chiles, and pickled chiles. We put these principles to the test by ordering smoked pork with dried turnips, farmhouse pork, braised fish with pickled mustard greens and mushrooms, green beans Hunan style, baked corn with salted egg sauce, and sauteed farm chicken with spring ginger. China Xiang also offers an exhaustive list of 20 types of dim sum, including pig custard buns, duck dumplings, and abalone siu mai." - Robert Sietsema
