A Szechuan Dinner (With Photos)

[OzPiper]

I love me some Szechuan!!

I like Szechuan from time to time.

Most of the dishes come swimming in oil.
And while not too high on the Scovile score, there is a preponderance of the palate-numbing Szechuan peppercorns.

Perhaps we could have ordered a more balanced meal.

 

[VDL_Piper]

Part of the party.

I’ve known Tets ever since he started out on his own in a tiny restaurant in Ultimo, Sydney. And we have been friends since.
Sadly he closed his Sydney restaurant. He had a offer he couldn’t refuse for the site from a developer
He has just opened a restaurant in Dubai, as well as his restaurants in Singapore and Los Angeles

That’s such a good story. I must admit I felt pangs of disappointment when I heard he was closing Kent St but he is a true journeyman of the industry, 40 years or so.

 

[OzPiper]

That’s such a good story. I must admit I felt pangs of disappointment when I heard he was closing Kent St but he is a true journeyman of the industry, 40 years or so.

Yes, no formal training at all.
Worked at a restaurant early in his time in Sydney as a dishwasher/kitchen hand and asked the chef Tony Bilson(another Sydney culinary legend) if he could try his hand at cooking.
The rest is history.

In the early days of his 1st 2 restaurants, he did all the cooking with his then wife as his assistant in the kitchen.
My nickname for him then was ”the slowest chef in Sydney” as we often didn’t finish our meals until midnight.
But we happily waited, as his food was so revolutionary for the times.
His creativity then was amazing - a completely different degustation menu on every occasion.
When asked to repeat a memorable dish, his oft reply was “I’ve moved on“

He once did a special dinner for me for a table of 8.
Every dish featured truffles or caviar, most with both.
We had the entire restaurant to ourselves, with the full complement of his staff.
Despite the cost of the meal, I doubt if he made any money on the night, given it was a Sunday night - he would have to pay his staff weekend penalty rates.

 

[makhorkasmoker]

I like pairing sherry and madeira with food

There are styles from dry to very sweet, so given a bit of thought, you should find a match.

The problem with dry sherry is that some people may have difficulty with the aldehydic flavour profile.
A dry fino or better still, a manzanilla, is a great match for oysters and seafood which abounds in Oz

I was just in Jerez, visiting wife’s family, hitting some good bars for fino, manzanilla and tapas—loving it. So I know what you mean!

 

[JOHN72]

Beautiful dishes. Spectacular.

 

[Homer]

Front end or back end ?

I was thinking exactly the same

 

[mingc]

Szechuan dishes have oil for broths. How come the Szechuanese aren't fat?

I can't afford to eat at Marina Sands! I lived close to S'pore and spent the last year of high school there. It sure has become fancy. I can only afford the hawker centers today.

 

[OzPiper]

I can't afford to eat at Marina Sands! I lived close to S'pore and spent the last year of high school there. It sure has become fancy. I can only afford the hawker centers today.

I much prefer eating at hawker stalls whenever I visit Malaysia or Singapore. And places serving “grandma food”

 

[danimalia]

That looks wonderful. I love Szechuan food and have had some similar dishes over the years. I like just about anything in chili oil, though I don't know I've had anything like the mung bean vermicelli dishes, and both look amazing as well.

 

[OzPiper]

That looks wonderful. I love Szechuan food and have had some similar dishes over the years. I like just about anything in chili oil, though I don't know I've had anything like the mung bean vermicelli dishes, and both look amazing as well.

This restaurant would be right up your alley

A lot of the dishes had 3ins of chilli oil.
And almost all came with lashings of dried chilli and Szechuan peppercorns giving that tongue&palate numbing (“ma la”) effect

My rear end is still in recovery mode

 

[Steddy]

I like pairing sherry and madeira with food

There are styles from dry to very sweet, so given a bit of thought, you should find a match.

The problem with dry sherry is that some people may have difficulty with the aldehydic flavour profile.
A dry fino or better still, a manzanilla, is a great match for oysters and seafood which abounds in Oz

Manzanilla, one of the great under appreciated wines of the world. I don’t know if there is anything else like it.

 

[OzPiper]

Manzanilla, one of the great under appreciated wines of the world. I don’t know if there is anything else like it.

There is vin jaune from the Jura, also aged(for 6+ years) under flor.

There has been a resurgence of interest in sherry in recent years, and along with that an increase in wines made with flor, with "FlorPower" from Equipo Navazos setting the trend.
I have tasted wines from Australia, Spain and the south of France (Domaine de Plageoles in Gaillac).
And know of, (but not tasted) others made in Germany, Austria, Hungary, Portugal, Sth Africa and the USA