Fresh-from-the-Tank
Menu Specials:

• Lobster with Pan Fried Noodles
• Spicy Mala Tofu Dungeness Crab
• Sautéed Ginger Scallion Crab
• Steamed Whole Fish with Scallions
• Manila Clams in Black Bean Sauce

Chef John on Szechuan heat technique:

Multiple Heat Levels

“One way that Szechuan cooking technique differs from American or European is that we actually have two levels of both high heat and slow-cooking. It is not unusual for a Szechuan dish to go through several high heat and low heat or slow-cooking techniques before the dish is complete and presented to the table.”

Chili Pepper Flavors

“The small red chili peppers used in Szechuan cuisine differ from the red Mexican chili. It is not too spicy but it creates a warmth which opens the palate to greater sensitivity to the flavor profiles in Szechuan cuisine: sweet, sour, bitter, hot, salty, aromatic, and fragrant.”

Technical

“Szechuan cuisine is extremely technical. There are over 100 Szechuan dishes and each one is flavored differently. For example, the preparation of our renowned dish, the 1000 Chili Pepper Fillet of Fish starts with roasting all of our chilis and then combining them.”

Infused Oils

“We then infuse our chili oils, Szechuan peppercorn oil and an onion oil. We use the highest quality flounder we can find and we simmer it all day. A properly prepared fish tastes sweet, not salty. The dish then goes thru several slow-cooking and high heat cooking techniques. The slow-cooking is for color and the high temperature is for aroma.”

Difficulty

“High heat technique is very difficult and not everyone can do it. It takes every moment of two weeks to train a new cook how to control it.”