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"This Chinese restaurant on 163rd Street uses enough Sichuan peppercorns to clear the sinuses of an entire kindergarten class (and their teacher) who’ve come down with the common cold. For proof of this fact, order the excellent mapo tofu or one of the whole fish options covered in a blizzard of chopped chilis. Halfway through both of those dishes, your entire mouth will feel like it’s being tickled by hundreds of tiny lightning bolts. Like most spicy restaurants, your server lets you select a heat level. Medium is a safe choice. If you ask for the utmost spice, they’ll look deep into your soul to determine if you actually mean it." - ryan pfeffer, mariana trabanino, virginia otazo