Several Sichuan restaurants have tried to spice up their settings
by copying the template of South Beauty - made famous for elaborate
decor, delicately presented food and high bills that match highbrow
atmospheres. But it's the dishes, not the decor, that are brought
to the table that keeps customers coming back.
This is exactly why the newly opened Sichuan eatery San Qi
Sichuan Restaurant, should expect plenty of repeat customers.
The establishment's "whole-family blessing soup" is a good
starter. The soup comes with wild fungus with seafood, including
abalone, sea cucumber and clam boiled in a broth that the
restaurant regards as a secret recipe. The broth effectively covers
the seafood aroma, and it's a bit lighter than such soup would be
in most restaurants. Sichuan cuisine is famous for its heavy use of
chili and huajiao, the tongue-numbing seeds of Chinese prickly
ash.
This spicy stuff is the key ingredient in the restaurant's
signature dish: Quick-fried dry preserved fish with chili. This
tasty treat is hard to come by at other restaurants in Beijing and
is particularly crispy and tasty. The braised pigeon with huajiao
is also a flavorful option. The boiled short ribs with spicy
huajiao provide a good combination of sweet, sour and fresh huajiao
aromas and flavors. Bacon rolls with Sichuan chili are fried with
fresh asparagus in the middle.
The fried prawns with tea embody this health-conscious
philosophy: The tea not adds flavor but also reduces the oiliness
of the dish. San Qi's crisp glutinous rice cakes make for
delightful deserts, and are best washed down with the house plum
wine - a good mix of sweet and sour that's not too strong at 11
degrees of alcohol.
A white and red color scheme, in addition to plenty of mirrors,
sofas and wooden chairs create a comfortable ambience. And the
attentive service makes dining all the more enjoyable.
Average spending is 80 yuan per person.
(Beijing Weekend January 10, 2008)
