My first experience with Dainty Sichuan was quite a disappointing one (http://eatlikeushi.posthaven.com/dainty-sichuan-food-melbourne-01-2014). It was the Box Hill branch and for lunch we had a hotpot that seemed more MSG than quality. I left wondering how this chain had received accolades proclaiming some of the best food in Melbourne and if their a la carte dishes would be better. Since then I have enjoyed Hunan and Sichuan food more. I enjoy it much more than the typical Cantonese that most people associate with Chinese food. Even though Mao's on Brunswick Street and their fried mantou only lives in my dreams, the many dumpling places and Red Chilli Sichuan (http://eatlikeushi.posthaven.com/red-chilli-sichuan-canberra-12-2013) helped this along much over the past 2 years.
Finally I booked at the mothership in South Yarra to see
- Bang Bang Chicken (chilli & Szechuan pepper, sweet & sour) $19.8 - a cold dish of delicious chicken and vegetables slivered together;
- Cumin lamb ribs $26.8 - as usual my favourite with thick (fatty) pieces of meat and great potent flavour;
- Fish-flavoured eggplant (pickled chilli, sweet & sour) $19.8 - not really fishy, but just good eggplant fried with soft insides;
- Fried pork slices $28.8 - tasty pork without too much fat served with chewy bits of bread;
- Fried fish $42.8 - the fish was nice and like many Sichuan places, when served with that many chillies, they aren't actually hot. Some of the vegetables in it are a little oddly textured.
It may be obvious that the ribs and eggplant were my choice (as would mapo tofu if I had my way) and I liked these dishes the best. I don't mind pork belly and fried fish but have noticed in Sichuan places I don't tend to like them as much (and if the added bits like vegetables and breads aren't that good, the price becomes higher than it already is).
I think it would be silly to suggest they don't enhance flavours with the good old 621. I've even heard suggestions that some of these restaurants (not Dainty Sichuan specifically) may re-use chillies (otherwise they go through a LOT) and that could be why some dishes with so many chillies aren't actually that hot. I couldn't refute either of these claims but suffice to say the food tastes very good and I'll be back hopefully at a time when I have more control over the ordering.
In the meantime, where's my Fuchsia Dunlop books?