We had given "Spicy City" a break after watching customers exhibit some really terribl
e behavior on our last visit to the "New" Spicy City. But recently, the Missus was craving the chicken feet, and I, the Chongqing La Chao La. This time we decided to visit right at 5pm when they started dinner service. And as you can see, not a creature was stirring…….and thankfully so.
The menu looked like it had been changed a bit since our last visit, which made us even more interested. Of course the Missus started with some cold appetizers.
And of course this included the Missus Pao Jiao (pickled pepper) flavored chicken feet. Tonight these were a bit on the chewy side, but this did not stop the Missus from gnawing away.
On this visit the Fuqi Feipian was still on the tough side, but had more Sichuan Peppercorn, which added to the overall flavor. The Bean Curd Skin Noodles were exactly the same as before…….dry and bland.
I wanted to see if the Fried Lamb with Cumin($9.99) had changed since the last time I had it, and indeed it did look different:
This time the meat was on the tough side and was lacking in Cumin. Also, the flavor of the lamb was so mild that it was almost beef like. On the good side, it wasn't the least bit greasy, and except for the lack of cumin, was perfectly seasoned. It was also a pretty large portion of lamb.
We also ordered one of my favorite dishes, the "Chongqing Saliva Chicken" (Cold Chopped Chicken w/Spicy Sauce – $9.99). We were surprised at the rather large portion size:
The first time we encountered this dish was at ChungKing Restaurant in Monterey Park, in what seems ages ago. I remember that the server told the Missus that, "the chicken looks and smells so good, that you can't stop drooling…." This version was pretty good, the minced topping included pickled vegetable, which came through clearly. The texture of the chicken was just the right combination of firm but moist. The dish was not as spicy as it looked, and lacked a real deep and complex flavor. Still, we enjoyed this.
Looking for something to order on the menu, we came up with the Fish Filet w/Szechwan Sauce (Actually, this is supposed to be fish fragrant fish filet – $10.99). Again the portion size was very "family style":
This was more like a sweet-sour fish dish, with the emphasis on the "sweet". The fish was fried well, moist, with a crisp, almost tempura type batter. The Missus enjoyed this much more than I did.
On our last visit, the dish I enjoyed the most was the Chongqing La Chao La, also called "Spicy & Spicy" on the menu($8.99). I had been craving this dish.
Even though the dish looked exactly the same as what we had last time, I knew when it hit the table that something was wrong. It was simply not fragrant. The dish was salty, but lacked the sour and spicy flavors. It was funky, and a bit "off tasting". I just ran to the fridge and a had a few spoonfuls of our leftovers, and it does taste a bit flat, lacking the sharp and direct pickled heat. It is pretty salty though!
And this being Spicy City, our meal just couldn't end without observing an "interesting" customer. While eating, a Middle Eastern Gentleman walks into the restaurant, and plants himself at a table. He opens the menu, and asks the ever patient server where the Black Bean Fish was. The server didn't quite understand him, but luckily another server just happened to arrive. This young lady had a better grasp of English, and figured out what the customer wanted. As she takes his order, he goes, "WAIT…WAIT, is spicy?" The young lady explains that this dish is not spicy. The guy looks flabbergasted, and goes, "I WANT SPICY, must be SPICEEEE!" Of course the young lady says they can make the dish spicy. At that point, the dude starts talking really loud on his cellphone. When the dish arrives, the guy, still talking real loud on the cellphone shouts at the server, "WAIT, WAIT, where's my FORK, where is it, I must have it!!!" So…..for those folks who get irritated when they visit a Asian Restaurant and get the "fork treatment", you know why…some folks "must have it!" What is it with the customers this restaurant attracts. The servers here are pretty nice, and yet they have to put up with stuff like this. Oh well…….
Anyway, my chicken feet and I wish you all a peaceful week!
Si Chuan Garden Spicy City
4690 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111
Our previous posts on Spicy City can be found here and here.