Hong Kong - Sichuan House

Tea with red dates and flowers

Snacks

Mouth Watering Chicken 川莊口水雞

Sliced Beef and Pig's Tongue in Chili Sauce 成都夫妻肺片

Bang Bang Wontons in Sesame Sauce 棒棒雲吞

 Sizzling Crispy Spare Ribs 龍泉驛乾鍋排骨

Fish Fillets in Hot Chili Oil 成都水煮桂花魚

Review: Sichuan House is a must-go for spice lovers! It is located conveniently in the heart of LKF, in the same building as Sushi Kuu (and Club Beijing, if you must). The restaurant is decorated in black and lots of red, like an ominous warning that this will be a fiery meal in hell. Y, Laubaby and I were promptly seated and we nibbled on snacks such as cold marinated cucumber slices while we waited for our food. It didn't take long for our first spicy dish to arrive. Sichuan House's version of mouth watering chicken is one of the best 口水雞 dishes around because the chicken is thoughtfully cut into bite size chunks and de-boned. The sauce was very fragrant and not too spicy. The sliced beef and pig's tongue dish was well seasoned and the meat was springy, not chewy. We also liked the bang bang wontons (the only non-spicy dish we ordered), which were surprisingly juicy and flavourful. The spare ribs arrived sizzling in a metal pot and the peppercorns and dried chillis smelled amazing. The pork was crispy on the outside and moist inside. Last but not least, my favourite fish fillets in chili oil - a generous portion of tender fish fillets floated on top of a huge bowl of chili oil. The bean starch noodles underneath soaked up all the spicy and numb Sichuan flavours. I loved the cucumber slices and bean sprouts that add texture and flavours. The tea with dates and flowers helped soothe my burning mouth for a bit. Great tip for anyone who can't eat spicy food: V ordered a bowl of hot water to wash off the top layer of chili oil to make the food less spicy. 

I recommend: Mouth Watering Chicken, Fish Fillets in Hot Chili Oil, Bang Bang Wontons, Sizzling Crispy Spare Ribs

Sichuan House 霸王川莊
Address: 7/F, M88, 2-8 Wellington Street, Central, Hong Kong
Phone: 2521-6699
Hours: Mon-Sun 11:30am - 12:00am

Los Angeles - Umami Burger

Did not get out of bed until 2pm I believe. Thank goodness I had eaten a hot dog before going to bed or I would've woken up with the worst hangover. We decided to hit up Umami Burger for a late lunch. Umami has multiple locations all over LA and around the US. We arrived at the La Brea location around 3:30pm and waited almost an hour for a table. We were starving by the time we finally got seated. The interior did not look like your average burger joint. This was a high-end restaurant with sleek modern decor. Overall, delicious food. I think their signature burger was one of the best burgers I've ever eaten. I hear some locations are better than others though. Now if only Umami would come to Hong Kong...

Iced Green Tea: a bit on the sweeter side

Market Salad: fresh crisp greens, tangy vinaigrette dressing

Truffle Burger: delicious patty topped with house made truffle cheese and brushed with truffle glaze. I think what makes Umami's burgers stand out is their soft, toasted, slightly sweet buns. It really brings the whole burger together.

Umami Burger: Their signature burger: patty + parmesan crisp + tomato + onions + Umami ketchup = burger heaven. All the flavors and textures combined really well. This burger had a slight Asian taste to it. I think it was probably in the seasoning of the patty and the homemade ketchup. The patty was juicy and well seasoned, the onions were sweet, and the parmesan crisp added a nice savoury crunch. They make their own ketchup, which tasted fresh and "umami" (sorry I couldn't think of a better word!). You have got to try this!

Truffle cheese fries with Umami ketchup:  Fries were not too greasy, and the truffle cheese was fragrant. They skimped on the cheese though, as you can tell from the picture.

Verdict: Delicious burgers, long wait. Looking forward to my next visit though!

Update (July 14th 2014): This location actually closed down, but there are still 9 other locations in LA.