Chinese in Vancouver 2007 -

[canucklehead]

Went to the Xiang on Monday, and then hit Golden Sichuan last night. What a contrast.

The Xiang still serves with Hunan fire burner heat - cool and spiky celery salad and beef with pickled peppers were standouts. The waitress kept asking me if I was sure that I wanted big heat ('da la') and I said yes. Me and my friends got that chili pepper buzzy high as we ate. I may not ask for such big heat next time...

Golden Sichuan in contrast was bland bland bland. Though the food was well prepared, it did not have any spicy heat or numbing piny flavors of sichuan peppercorns. Disappointing - especially since the Richmond location was a real winner in the past. I am not sure if they dumbed it down since the table was mostly non-Asian - but if they did, it was there own stupidity that lost them potentially 6 regular diners.

[fmed]

Thanks for the report canucklehead. Xiang has been on my list for a while now...I really have to get over there soon.

Too bad you had a bad experience at Golden Sichuan...a very good friend and Chinese Sichuan chef (former Sichuan chef...she does Italian now) gave it the seal of approval...perhaps the Westerner ratio really did affect your meal.

[canucklehead]

I'm hoping the meal at Golden Sichuan is a one off also. In the past - it was very reliable. But there was almost a complete lack of sichuan peppercorns.

Anywhere you have been for Sichuan that has been good for you or your friend?

[fmed]

I'm hoping the meal at Golden Sichuan is a one off also.  In the past - it was very reliable.  But there was almost a complete lack of sichuan peppercorns.

Anywhere you have been for Sichuan that has been good for you or your friend?

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You know, here seems to be a complete hole in the Vancouver scene in terms of truly authentic Sichuan. My old go-to was Szechuan Chong Qing on Commercial Dr...but this is more of that "Nixon era" stuff if you know what I mean. It has been in steady decline over the last decade to the point where I don't even consider it anymore. I think it was actually a "relative" decline -- I don't necessarily think the decline has been drastic...it's just that the level of Chinese cuisine in the GVA has been steadily rising over that decade.

For authentic Sichuan food....I just go to her house! Awesome stuff when done right. But once again, she told me that the food she had recently at Golden Sichuan in Richmond "tasted real".

[Vancouver]

There used to be a Hunan place that had proper heat levels at the south end of Cambie near Marine Drive. They had those white chiles, tongue numbing peppercorns, etc. I can't remember the name of it. I think it closed a long time ago - but I wonder what happened to the folks from there?

[fmed]

There used to be a Hunan place that had proper heat levels at the south end of Cambie near Marine Drive.  They had those white chiles, tongue numbing peppercorns, etc.  I can't remember the name of it.  I think it closed a long time ago - but I wonder what happened to the folks from there?

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This One? (Hu Hu Nan - Main and Marine)

[run2eat]

Is that the place on the East side of the street, just north of Marine? I haven't been there for quite a while, but have enjoyed some memorable meals in their friendly, humble restaurant. Last time, I had a fantastic fatty pork and garlic shoots dish that really stood out.

[fmed]

Is that the place on the East side of the street, just north of Marine? I haven't been there for quite a while, but have enjoyed some memorable meals in their friendly, humble restaurant. Last time, I had a fantastic fatty pork and garlic shoots dish that really stood out.

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Yes that's the one. It's been a while for me too.

[canucklehead]

Yes - alas they are no more.

[grayelf]

I look forward to hearing from both of you what you think of it!  Honestly that was the first of the two I tried there.  I had it several times and loved it.  Then because everyone keeps talking about the beef roll I tried that.  I decided I would go back to the cumin beef on sesame flatbread going forward!

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Almost went last night but SO was craving Vietnamese egg pie. I think fmed will win this race -- we are off to San Francisco on Thursday for 4 days of decadent dining, so I've vowed to cook at home till we leave.

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Please report back on your SF expedition.

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Fear not, I plan to. You (and the California board) may rue the request by the time I'm finished :-)

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As promised (threatened?) I have posted a mega-report on our recent trip to SF here if you are interested (there is even a Chinese resto in there, Cantonese dimsum to be exact -- see "Monday")

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?act=ST...=0#entry1560810

[canucklehead]

Recent dinner at the Xiang:

Cold spicy celery salad.

Lamb with Cumin, Beef with pickled peppers.

The heat is insanity - nova hot, bright, and vinegary - it lifts everything and gives you this crazy buzzy capsicuim high. Underlying flavors are very nice though - whole cumin seeds and lamb are a perfect match, the beef has an underlying wokky flavor, and the celery salad is savory and refreshing at the same time (I think that they use chicke bullion powder as part of the dressing).

Edited April 27, 2008 by canucklehead (log)

[TK80]

Hello,

I've been a long timer lurker and finally felt compelled to post something since the topic of sichuan food came up. There's a great hole in the wall restaurant 2 - 3 blocks from Xiang that serves authentic sichuan food.

I highly recommend the boiled beef, cold jelly noodles and twice cooked pork. I haven't tried the dan dan noodles yet but my friend says that its not that good.

Man my mouth is starting to water thinking of all those peppercorns and chillis.

I can't eat it too often though b/c my stomach burns for a couple days after eating it.

Here's the address:

Szechuan House

4394 Imperial Street, Burnaby, BC V5J 1A9

Telephone : 604-439-3029

I hope you try it.

T

[canucklehead]

Hello,

I've been a long timer lurker and finally felt compelled to post something since the topic of sichuan food came up.  There's a great hole in the wall restaurant 2 - 3 blocks from Xiang that serves authentic sichuan food. 

I highly recommend the boiled beef, cold jelly noodles and twice cooked pork.  I haven't tried the dan dan noodles yet but my friend says that its not that good.

Man my mouth is starting to water thinking of all those peppercorns and chillis.

I can't eat it too often though b/c my stomach burns for a couple days after eating it.

Here's the address:

Szechuan House

4394 Imperial Street, Burnaby, BC V5J 1A9

Telephone : 604-439-3029

I hope you try it.

T

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Thanks! I drove by it the other day - and that place immeadiately struck me as worthwhile trying. Ever since Golden Sichuan let me down - I've been looking for new Sichuan places to try.

[TK80]

Hello,

I've been a long timer lurker and finally felt compelled to post something since the topic of sichuan food came up.  There's a great hole in the wall restaurant 2 - 3 blocks from Xiang that serves authentic sichuan food. 

I highly recommend the boiled beef, cold jelly noodles and twice cooked pork.  I haven't tried the dan dan noodles yet but my friend says that its not that good.

Man my mouth is starting to water thinking of all those peppercorns and chillis.

I can't eat it too often though b/c my stomach burns for a couple days after eating it.

Here's the address:

Szechuan House

4394 Imperial Street, Burnaby, BC V5J 1A9

Telephone : 604-439-3029

I hope you try it.

T

←

Thanks! I drove by it the other day - and that place immeadiately struck me as worthwhile trying. Ever since Golden Sichuan let me down - I've been looking for new Sichuan places to try.

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There's also a food stall in Crystal Mall that serves Sichuan style noodles. Its called Huaxi and its in the same area that Wang's is in. I go there to get my sichuan fix because the chillis aren't as potent but the soup still has that great sichuan flavour (my body cannot handle eating at Szechuan House on a weekly basis). They have a jar of minced garlic on the counter that you can add to your noodles - delicious.

[fmed]

I was at Crystal Mall for the first time an quite a while recently. There are two places you can get decent Sichuan Noodles at Crystal Mall (Huaxi is the better of the two)

[Vancouver]

Yes, I love that huaxi noodle place! That and the place around the corner with the chicken knees are my two go-to places in the food court!

[BCinBC]

Hey, I went by the Xiang today to pick up some lunch, and they were all papered up. Was driving so I did not bother to stop, but does anyone know what's the what?

[fmed]

Hey, I went by the Xiang today to pick up some lunch, and they were all papered up.  Was driving so I did not bother to stop, but does anyone know what's the what?

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Noooo!

[BCinBC]

As investigated by fmed, the Xiang is still there, it has just undergone a reno and rebranded as Alvin's Garden. Phew.

[canucklehead]

Alvin's Garden - if anything - is better than the old Xiang. The food is more focused, and the room and menu layout is miles ahead of what it used to be.

A friend of mine says that the S&W Restaurant in Kerrisdale (right below Golden Ocean) now serves Hunan food. Her parents (who are Cantonese) went - but were warned away from anything too spice, and so ended ordering very blandly - but they saw plates piled high with chili's served to other tables. And they knew that they had been steered wrong. Has anyone been?

[HKDave]

A friend of mine says that the S&W Restaurant in Kerrisdale (right below Golden Ocean) now serves Hunan food.  Her parents (who are Cantonese) went - but were warned away from anything too spice, and so ended ordering very blandly - but they saw plates piled high with chili's served to other tables.  And they knew that they had been steered wrong.  Has anyone been?

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Lee, is this Kerrisdale S+W related to the "S+W Pepper House" restaurants (Crystal Mall in B'by, and #3 Road in Richmond?) If so, I've also heard good things about them...

[canucklehead]

I'm not sure - but it would explain alot.

[fmed]

This is very interesting...I may have to investigate.

[Beebs]

A friend of mine says that the S&W Restaurant in Kerrisdale (right below Golden Ocean) now serves Hunan food.  Her parents (who are Cantonese) went - but were warned away from anything too spice, and so ended ordering very blandly - but they saw plates piled high with chili's served to other tables.  And they knew that they had been steered wrong.  Has anyone been?

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Lee, is this Kerrisdale S+W related to the "S+W Pepper House" restaurants (Crystal Mall in B'by, and #3 Road in Richmond?) If so, I've also heard good things about them...

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I'm not Lee, but I've heard that yes, they've got a number of restaurants. I've been to the Kerrisdale location a couple of times. We had the cumin lamb (yum!), dan dan noodles (yum yum!!), little steamer buns, onion pancake, and a couple other items that I can't remember since this was a while ago. We'll probably go back sometime in the next week or two.

[canucklehead]

I'm not Lee, but I've heard that yes, they've got a number of restaurants.  I've been to the Kerrisdale location a couple of times.  We had the cumin lamb (yum!), dan dan noodles (yum yum!!), little steamer buns, onion pancake, and a couple other items that I can't remember since this was a while ago.  We'll probably go back sometime in the next week or two.

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Would love to hear more! Look for real Hunan dishes (which, unfortunately, would not include dan dan noodles). Beef with pickled peppers, and smoked pork belly with garlic bolts are stuff that I order all the time at Alvin's Garden. The heat should be intense and sharp flavored - but short lived.

Looking forward to your next visit.