Monica L.
Yelp
I get these cravings for Sichuan food from time to time, and I'm quite addicted to that mala flavor. I also like "weird" things, according to your stereotypical American standards, such as offals, and I was happy to see that this restaurant offered a dish I was especially craving (mao xue wang). I ordered online and picked it up with no issues; the employees packed the to-go boxes very well and sturdy, which is much appreciated with all the hot liquids that come with Sichuan foods. I got:
Fish fillet with green peppers and pickled cabbage hot pot: This wasn't spicy to me, which is probably a good thing considering the other two items I got. The green peppers were a nice change from the usual Sichuan red peppers, and the fish filet tasted quite salty, which is normal from the pickled cabbage. This is a great dish for mixing with rice, or just change up your palate from the other dishes.
Spicy pig intestine, tripe, tofu hot pot: I had a sneaky suspicion that "tofu" was not your usual soy bite, and I was right. Traditional "mao xue wang" is made with offals and duck blood, and I think their "tofu" is actually the duck blood. The duck blood was actually really nice--they were plump, juicy, and tasted fresh, meaning it had a neutral taste. I'm also obsessed with intestine and tripe, so this dish was really exactly what I wanted. It also had a bit of heat, so it was very satisfying overall.
Beef tendon and tripe in chili oil: This appetizer is another one of my favorites, mostly because it has tripe--I think my all time favorite has pig ear and tripe as the combo. This was also decently spicy, and to my pleasant surprise, it wasn't overly oily as many places tend to do.
Overall, I love that this place is not overly oily--just enough to do the job--and that they offer Sichuan favorites that you usually can't find elsewhere. It is quite salty, but that's fairly typical of Sichuan cuisine (at least around here), so make sure you eat these with plenty of rice. I'm looking forward to coming back and trying more items!