A New Sensation of Chili: Red Chilli Sichuan Restaurant (Burwood)

I recently visited Red Chili Sichuan Restaurant (several branches around Sydney, the one I went to was in Burwood). It was highly recommended by a family friend and it did not disappoint. I left with my mouth feeling numb and tingly and stomach satisfied and full. I've never really had sichuan/szechuan cuisine before, so  I didn't really know what to expect.

I don't know the name of this dish, but it's basically fish cooked in hot oil, mild chilies with a lot of spices like cumin and peppercorns. It was spicy omg-I-burnt-my-tongue hot, but more like omg-my-tongue-feels-fuzzy-and-weird hot. If you know what I mean. It's hard to describe, TRY THIS DISH ONCE!

Underneath there were bean sprouts and Chinese greens, half cooked by the hot oil. The dish comes to your table still sizzling and popping.

Seriously one of the smoothest, silkiest fish flesh I have ever eaten. It just breaks up in your mouth. Serve with a LOT of rice and iced water haha.

This was a spicy lamb ribs dish. Very erm, lamb-y.

Most Asian restaurants will have bok choy and mushrooms in oyster sauce, but this one is probably one of the nicest I've had at a restaurant. I was really pleasantly surprised because I was expecting an average dish, purely there to balance the vegetable-meat intake, but it was delicious. It was soothing after eating all that chili, but also sweet, savoury and earthy from the rich mushroom flavour. Unlike most recipes, this had shiitake and button mushrooms.

I'll be updating this post shortly. Coincidentally, I am going again tonight with the whole family!

If you want to learn a bit more about the dish, there's a Poh's Kitchen version, which Neil Perry calls velveted John Dory http://www.abc.net.au/tv/pohskitchen/stories/s2833423.htm. Definitely watch the full episode to get a thorough understanding of it.


Address:
Red Chilli Sichuan Restaurant
35C Burwood Rd
Burwood (opposite Westfields and Gelatissimo)