LOCATIONAt the northern end of Glenferrie Road, between Burwood Road and Barkers Road.
PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIAThe gaudy facade of this Chinese restaurant stands out among the more subtle restaurants and shopfronts on Glenferrie Road. Within, gold fabric swathed columns give way to rich, heavy furnishings, ornate decorations and Chinoiserie, adding to a feeling of opulence. The menu here is similarly full-on, offering the uncompromising traditional flavours and textures of Sichuan cuisine. The flavours are strong, with lashings of chilli, Sichuan pepper and garlic. Menu items feature authentic Sichuan tastes such as fried bean jelly, pig’s intestines with chilli, sea cucumber with sweet sauce and pork mince and stir-fried beef tendon. More accessible flavours are here too in popular items such as
ma po tofu and
gong bao chicken.
To start, try pickled wood ear fungus and chilli salad, soft mung bean noodles in spicy soy sauce with spring onions and crushed peanuts or pork dumplings with a paste of dried chilli and black sesame. Mains include braised pork cooked with five spices and “saliva beef”, named for its mouth-watering properties rather than any unsavoury ingredients. Also try the deep fried corn kernels in salty duck egg yolk paste, which are like sandy, crunchy popcorn with an amazing texture. Desserts tend towards intriguing texture over flavour, with dishes such as sweet soup balls filled with black sesame paste or grass jelly with sago and milk. Orange segments offered at the end of the meal also offer sweet relief for chilli burdened tastebuds. Some language difficulties may cause confusion at times but it is worth persevering to enjoy this restaurant’s regional cuisine. The stunning decor makes it feel like a special-occasion restaurant but reasonable prices also make it a great regular option.
Angela Costanzo