This is a version of the Sichuan classic you may well know as Kung-P(a)o Chicken, a name no one in Sichuan (or anywhere else in China) uses. It is 宫保鸡丁 (gōng bǎo jī dīng).
Whatever you call it, this is a strange version. The basic flavours were on point and the chicken was nicely cooked. What threw me was the amount of clery throughout the dish. Little cubes of celery. Cubes are appropriate. That is what 丁 (dīng) means, but so many?
The chef at Panda Cafeteria, the local Sichuan restaurant, was also a little heavy-handed with the Sichuan peppercorns, but that's OK by me. Maybe not for everyone.
All in all, I was happy, although I can see that there was room for improvement.
