by Aude
Weather hasn’t really been glorious over the past few weeks but God it has been hot, humid and sticky! And I’ve heard that in Yunan and Sichuan, spicy dishes are time-honoured antidotes to cooling down. Indeed, the way our body responds to fiery spice is by sweating and flushing which helps cooling it down. In those regions, locals consume chilli to drain dampness from the body. So I thought, why not giving it a go? Heading off to San Xi Lou in Causeway Bay for a very hot dinner.
San Xi Lou? Opened in 2008 on Garden Road, Mid-Levels, the restaurant combines three different cuisines (San meaning 3 in Chinese) - Sichuan, Cantonese and dim sum – and has quickly grow into being a popular foodie destination among locals, opening a sister brand in Times Square in November 2017.
But shouldn’t we start with something quite soft before bringing the heat up? Minced Pork Dumpling with Green Chilli & Sichuan Peppercorn (HKD 46) it is along with Crispy Mango Rolls (HKD 38). So far so good. Moving to something slightly spicier with the Hot & Sour Noodle Roll (HKD 42) and having a side of Chilled Cucumber with Mashed Garlic (HKD 52) to cool things down. Ok, still doing pretty good.
Weather hasn’t really been glorious over the past few weeks but God it has been hot, humid and sticky! And I’ve heard that in Yunan and Sichuan, spicy dishes are time-honoured antidotes to cooling down. Indeed, the way our body responds to fiery spice is by sweating and flushing which helps cooling it down. In those regions, locals consume chilli to drain dampness from the body. So I thought, why not giving it a go? Heading off to San Xi Lou in Causeway Bay for a very hot dinner.
San Xi Lou? Opened in 2008 on Garden Road, Mid-Levels, the restaurant combines three different cuisines (San meaning 3 in Chinese) - Sichuan, Cantonese and dim sum – and has quickly grow into being a popular foodie destination among locals, opening a sister brand in Times Square in November 2017.
But shouldn’t we start with something quite soft before bringing the heat up? Minced Pork Dumpling with Green Chilli & Sichuan Peppercorn (HKD 46) it is along with Crispy Mango Rolls (HKD 38). So far so good. Moving to something slightly spicier with the Hot & Sour Noodle Roll (HKD 42) and having a side of Chilled Cucumber with Mashed Garlic (HKD 52) to cool things down. Ok, still doing pretty good.
And then comes the Spicy Chiken Stewed with Preserved Chili, Ginger and Garlic (HKD 268) and now we are talking real spices. God, this thing is spicy as hell. But it’s so good. Am so confused, it’s so spicy that I am almost crying and feel like I should stop but it’s way to good and I can’t help digging again and again. A must order! Is it me or is it hot as hell in here? You know what, I was up for a hot spicy night and hot spicy night is what i just got!
San Xi Lou
Shop 1102, 11/F, Food Forum, Times Square
1 Matheson Street, Causeway bay
7/F & 22/F, Code Plaza
51 Garden Road – Central
San Xi Lou
Shop 1102, 11/F, Food Forum, Times Square
1 Matheson Street, Causeway bay
7/F & 22/F, Code Plaza
51 Garden Road – Central
