[indoor] set-menu family-style regional Chinese cuisine early dinner

Hunan food is known for its hot, sour, and salty flavor combo. The heavy use of a dry chili pepper mix, vinegar, shallots, and garlic gives this cuisine a depth of flavor and heat that is unmatched in other Chinese styles of cooking.

The Hunan menu changes with the seasons, utilizing the vegetables and other ingredients that are available at that time. Cold dishes, such as cold meats with chilis, are more popular in the summer. In the winter, hot pots and stir fries help to warm the body. There is always some spice.

Sichuan and Hunan have two very distinct kinds of spice.
Sichuan spice is referred to as 麻辣 (málà), with má meaning “numbing” and là meaning “hot” or “spicy”. This doesn’t mean that the food is so spicy it’ll make your face turn numb from eating it (though I’m sure this has happened to somebody before). Rather, the numbing sensation comes from the liberal use of the Sichuan peppercorn, which gives your tongue a tingly sensation when consumed. Usually, oil is used as a vessel for this type of spice, and Sichuan food tends to be doused in lots of spicy oil.

Hunan cuisine on the other hand is often referred to as 香辣 (gānlà) “dry spicy”. This refers to the fact that its hotness comes almost exclusively from fresh chili peppers and very little else, so the spiciness is pure and “dry”.

In some cases, Hunan cuisine can be even hotter than Sichuan cuisine. The many varieties of chili peppers lend not only a sharp spice to Hunan cuisine, but also lots of color. Hunan cuisine is known as one of the most colorful cuisines in China.

Hunan food is most commonly sauteed, stir-fried, steamed, or smoked. Braising is also popular in Hunan. Many Hunan dishes contain a vinegar-based sauce, which provides a cooling sensation and brings out the complexity of other spices used.

The main staple ingredients of the Hunan style are:
Spices: Dried, fresh, and/or pickled peppers; garlic; shallots, scallions, star anise, Szechuan peppercorns, and fennel.
Sauce: Vinegar, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sherry, chili bean paste (doubanjiang), chicken broth, sugar, cornstarch
Vegetables: Crunchy vegetables, such as carrots, broccoli, snow peas, green beans, and eggplant.
Meats: Fish, chicken, duck, frog’s legs, turtle, and preserved meats such as beef, pork, and lamb. Pork is preferred regionally, while chicken and beef are the most popular outside of China.
Served with: Rice or rice noodles

---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.---
This will be a family-style dinner. Specifically, I'll plan a menu to include a variety of grains, meats, and vegetables from among dishes like those listed below. We'll share all of the dishes and split the bill equally.

[W]
one of the following:
A4. Sliced Beef And Ox Tripe In Chili Sauce 夫妻肺片 $12.95
A6. Steamed Bone-in chicken With Chili oil and Celery 香芹鲜椒鸡 $14.95

one of the following:
D16. Dry Sauteed Green Beans 干煸四季豆 $13.95
D21. Dry Fried Eggplant With Green Beans 茄角之恋 $14.95
D22. Scrambled Eggs with Tomatoes 西红柿炒鸡蛋 $12.95
D23*.* Shredded Potato With Sour Sauce 醋溜土豆丝（酸辣）$11.95
D24. Stir Fried Hand Sliced Cabbage 手撕包菜 $13.95
D25. Seasonal vegetables 时令蔬菜 $14.95

[C] Chef's Special (本店特色)
C11. Fish Fillet, Sliced Lamb, Yellow Bean Sprouts and Celery with Szechuan Pepper 藤椒鱼羊鲜 $22.95
C14. Sliced Beef With Hot Green Pepper 杭椒牛柳 $20.95
C17. Wild Rice Stem with Edamame Beans and sliced pork [sub chicken?] 茭白毛豆炒肉丝 $17.95

[E] Yangtze-River-Delta-style specialties (江浙巧手小炒)
P1. Yellow Croaker with Pickled Mustard and Green Pepper 雪菜尖椒黄鱼脯 $22.95
P4. Crab Roe with Tofu 蟹粉豆腐 $20.95

---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.--- ---.---
Use calendar view to see our upcoming events at a glance.