Alfred Zhang

SPICY, numbingly hot and strong flavored, Sichuan cuisine is quite popular in Shenzhen. Apart from big-name Sichuan restaurant chains such as Bashufeng (巴蜀风), Taoranju (陶然居), which serve a full range of classic Sichuan dishes, restaurants serving mainly Sichuan noodles or stewed fish pots are also attracting plenty of customers.

Now, the commonplace Sichuan snack — jelly tofu — is becoming popular. Check out a restaurant named Sichuan Douhua (四川豆花 which literally means Sichuan-style jelly tofu) in Jingtianbei (景田北), which features jelly tofu as its trademark.

Ranging from the traditional Sichuan-style to exquisite preparation, the restaurant features a dozen varieties of jelly tofu. According to the staff, the traditional style homemade jelly tofu, topped with crushed peanuts, spring onion, chili powder and soy sauce, is most popular because the food is hearty and tasty. Another hearty item is free-flowing soybean milk which replaces the cheap tea served in many places.

If some people assume Sichuan Douhua is a small restaurant tucked away somewhere serving only jelly tofu, they will be wrong. It is not only tastefully and brightly decorated, but also serves up a classic selection of Sichuan cuisine. Those with a taste for spicy food should not miss out the bangbang chicken, stewed fish with homemade chili sauce, dandan noodles and many other items.

For example, the stewed fish with homemade chili sauce is another of the restaurant’s most popular dishes aside from jelly tofu. The Mandarin fish (48 yuan, US$6.31, per 500 grams) and bighead fish (20 yuan per 500 grams) can be prepared in the same unique recipe. As bighead fish is normally larger and heavier, Mandarin fish is recommended, unless you are dining with more than six people. Decision made, the waitress then quickly clicks on the panel of a smart phone-like device, which sends your order to the kitchen in a split second.

Normally, the fish course will be ready and served in about 15 minutes. A “wow” factor for this dish is that the fresh, red, homemade chili sauce buries the fish so that it absorbs the flavor of the sauce and retains its freshness at the same time.

The restaurant provides a selection of delicious desserts. A smart choice is the sesame pie filled with taro mash (方芋夹). You also can order a special type of noodle here — the longevity noodle, a long string noodle boiled in a chicken broth. People, who celebrate their birthday in this restaurant, presenting their ID card, will get a complimentary bowl of longevity noodle.

However, there are two things the restaurant should rectify. Firstly, the sign facing the road is small and easily missed and that means missed business. Secondly, the deep fried glutinous cake was a bit crisp from overcooking.

There is no minimum charge but there is a 300 yuan charge for a private, screened-off section to accommodate usually six to eight guests.