Dainty Sichuan

Sichuan Peppercorns (Image: Wikipedia)

Long gone is the time when we saw ‘Chinese food’ as a monolithic entity in Australia; we are now able to choose between northern, Shanghainese, Hainanese and even Uyghur dishes. Sichuanese food is another entrant into the expanding palate of multicultural Australia, and with direct flights between Australia and the Sichuanese capital Chengdu, is it any wonder that Australians are developing a taste for this red-hot cuisine? We’re not sure why it’s called dainty when it’s anything but; Dainty Sichuan is an expansive restaurant located upstairs in one of Chinatown’s newer shopping malls. There are also branches in South Yarra and Box Hill.

Sichuan peppercorns (Image: Wikipedia)

Sichuanese (sometimes called “Szechwan”) food is famous for its spice; even in China, locals know where to look if they need a chilli hit. However Sichuanese food is not all about the chillis, in fact the majority of its heat comes from a local type of seed, known in English as the Sichuan peppercorn, but actually not related to pepper or chilli at all. In fact the Sichuan peppercorn’s plant is a citrus species, a fact not lost on spice aficionados who can taste its subtle lemony zest behind the bold burning heat. Like all good restaurants in Chinatown, Dainty Sichuan’s service is prompt and perfunctory, but the waiters have enough time to smile and laugh if you scratch the surface.

Chongqing Chicken at Dainty Sichuan

And yes, the food is spicy. We ordered the Chongqing Chicken, recommended to us as a specialty and the hottest dish on the menu, a real battle of strength. We are served a pile of red hot fried chillis, interspersed with Sichuan peppercorns, and chopped chicken wings tossed through. Yes, some like it hot. The spice is a different kind of spice however; more numbing and tingling than overbearingly hot, and yes, as some say, citrusy and zesty.

Kung Pao Chicken at Dainty Sichuan

We also ordered Kung Pao chicken, a dish popular in many Chinese restaurants abroad, but which is surprisingly low-profile in Australia. It’s deliciously sweet and sour in flavour, but again, spicy in the Sichuanese style.

Hotpot at Dainty Sichuan

We also ordered a hot pot, a Sichuan specialty; half vegetables and the other half spicy fish, and both delicious. Dainty Sichuan’s extensive menu also boasts some unorthodox options such as cold beef noodles and plenty of offal dishes, all of them with varying degrees of spice. If you like Chinese food, and you like it authentic, and above all if you like it hot, then Dainty Sichuan is the place for you. If you find the heat a bit too much, you can always take a stroll across the road to Cacao Green and cool it all down with some delicious frozen yogurt, or walk up the road to The Lab where liquid nitrogen is used to create gelato wonders.

Details

Food: 8/10

Ambience: 7/10

Service: 6/10

Cost: Mains $15 – $30

City Branch: Level 2, 206 Bourke Street

Bourke Street: (03) 9650 2188, South Yarra: (03) 9078 1686, Box Hill:  (03) 9041 4318

City branch: Monday – Sunday: 11:30am – 3pm, 5pm – 10p South Yarra and Box Hill branches keep slightly different hours, call for details.