[Restaurant Review] Si Chuan Dou Hua - More than just a spot for Sichuan delicacies

Si Chuan Dou Hua (SCDH) may not be a household name, and given its positioning, you might be forgiven for thinking that they only serve Sichuan dishes. Take a look at their menu, and you will quickly realise that they serve more than just Sichuan food (a good thing, because my spice tolerance isn't the best). Are they worth a try? Read on.

The Food

SCDH's menu is extensive, and they serve dim sum for lunch too.

The first dish served was the Sauteed Iberico Pork with Leeks in Spicy Sauce (回锅肉). I'm a fan of this dish as the edges of the pork belly were crispy while the meat was tender. There was sufficient wok hey, and the whole dish was spicy and numbing without being overly so. This was a great start to the meal.

The next dish was the Stir-fried Abalone with Green Pepper and Asparagus.

There's a lot going on in this dish but it was confusing. The ingredients were fresh and the cook was good. It's a classic example of a stir-fry, but the flavours don't work well together. It looks good though, with vibrant colours.

Similar things can be said about the Stir-fried Seafood and Cabbage with Vermicelli in Claypot. The ingredients were fresh; I could taste the natural sweetness of seafood, and I enjoyed the crunch provided by the cabbage, but do the flavours come well together? Not really.

The Peking Duck though, was very enjoyable. Nothing beats seeing a fresh, roasted duck being sliced in front of you. You can hear the crackling skin, and see the tenderness of the meat as the chef slices through the duck.

This brings me to the service. On that day, the restaurant was completely packed, and the service staff had their hands full. However, they still offered to make the Peking Duck wraps for us. Aren't the wraps beautiful?

I think it is a testament to the quality of the produce, and the skill of the chef that the crispy skin is so thin. Just look at this!

I opted for the remaining duck meat to be fried with Ee Fu noodles. As crazy as it might sound, this was probably the best dish of the night. The noodles had a lot of wok hey, but at the same time, it did not overwhelm the rich soy sauce taste from the seasoning. One can overcook Ee Fu noodles rather easily, but the noodles I had were well-cooked, and not soggy. The duck meat and sprouts provided a good textural contrast to the noodles. This was a marvelous dish.

How can anyone come to SCDH and not have their Homemade Beancurd? I'm biased but I love beancurd, and the beancurd I had was great. The beancurd was silky smooth, with a rich soy taste. This is my go-to dessert at SCDH.

Conclusion

I really enjoyed my meal at SCDH. Yes, there were hits and misses, but most of the dishes were competently executed. I think most readers will be better off sticking to the classics at SCDH. SCDH should trim down the menu, and focus on the things that they do best.

I can't wait for my next visit. Perhaps for dim sum?

Disclosure: This post is not sponsored.

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