I HAVE MOVED MY BLOG TO WWW.WORLDFOODIEGUIDE.COM. PLEASE READ THE REST OF THIS POST THERE. IT’S EASIER TO NAVIGATE THE NEW BLOG AND THERE IS NEW CONTENT THERE TOO! THANKS! HELEN YUET LING PANG
Sichuan food seems to be the hot trend in London right now. Recommended by my Tibetan friend who likes her Chinese food spicy, Snazz Sichuan is located at the New China Club, a members’ club with an art gallery set up by businessman James Wang, originally from Chengdu in Sichuan province.
There is the main section of the restaurant, while at the back is a lowered, more ‘exclusive’ area for members, with leather banquette seating. A small room for private dining is also available. Most of the other diners were mainland Chinese, adding to the restaurant’s authenticity, and as we arrived, a large group of Chinese men were leaving. Even before the food arrived, it felt as if I’d been transported back to China.
What we ordered:
Using a mixture of English and poor Mandarin, we managed to convey our order to the waitress - three dishes to share, plus rice. Everything on the menu is rated according to spiciness using chilli symbols, with four being the highest (for example Guan Gong Beef - £10.80). My friend, who has eaten here several times, recommended the Spicy Chilli Chicken in Galeshan Sauce (£12.80 - 2 chilli rating). She also chose the Fish-Fragrant Fried Aubergines (£7.20 - 1 chilli rating), while I thought the Vermicelli with Mince Pork (£7.20 - 1 chilli rating) sounded extremely appetising.
Other recommendations by my friend include the cold appetiser of Cucumber in Garlicky Sauce (£5.80), the Dry-Fried Green Beans (£7.80) and the Chengdu-style Spicy Cold Noodles (£5.80), nice in the summer. Sichuan hot pot is also available here, but the menu is only in Chinese, and costs £36 for a minimum of two people. If you haven’t had hot pot before, and you like spicy food, this would be a good place to try it.
The service was polite, while the food came quickly, although we had to remind the waitress for both our rice and napkins. The portions were substantial, unlike at Bar Shu, and we struggled to finish everything. I was full for about two days after this meal. My favourite was the Vermicelli with Mince Pork, because I love vermicelli with anything.
Second was the chicken, which was delicious and not that spicy (it left a pleasant, tingling sensation in my mouth but I didn’t need to gulp water, until I arrived home). Just avoid the numerous whole dried chillis and watch out for the small bones. The aubergine was my least favourite. It traditionally comes literally swimming in a bowl of oil, so you almost have to drain the pieces before you eat them. But this is a Sichuan classic and not to be missed. Being Cantonese and used to more bland flavours, I find Sichuan cuisine very exotic!
A large family arrived to sit behind us, and it turned out to be James Wang’s family celebrating a birthday. He introduced himself and his family, allowed me to take a picture of their fabulous hot pot dinner, then showed us his art collection downstairs (where everything is for sale).
The verdict?
One point to make - when I arrived home, I glanced at the bill and noticed we’d been charged for two items which we had not ordered. I called James to let him know, and he immediately asked the waiter to call me so that I could be refunded. Overall, authentic food, polite service, nice surroundings and friendly owner.
You might also like Bar Shu (Sichuan) - 7.5/10
10 - Perfection, 9.5 - Sensational, 9 - Outstanding, 8.5 - Superb,
8 - Excellent, 7.5 - Very good, 7 - Good, 6.5 - Above Average, 6 - Average
Contact Details:
Snazz Sichuan
New China Club
37 Chalton Street
London NW1 1JD
Tel: 020 7388 0808
www.newchinaclub.co.uk
