Tasty Sichuan

Mapo Tofu

Silken tofu trembling in a lacquered pool of doubanjiang and chili oil, with Sichuan peppercorns delivering that signature lip-numbing tingle on the finish

Dan Dan Noodles

Chewy wheat noodles in a sesame-chili sauce with preserved vegetables and ground pork — the sauce clings and builds heat with every bite

Wontons in Chili Oil

Delicate pork-filled wontons draped in a glossy, fragrant chili oil with garlic and sesame — one of the more addictive cold starters in the East Bay

Water-Boiled Beef (Shui Zhu Niu Rou)

Thinly sliced beef poached in a fiery, numbing broth blanketed in dried chilies and Sichuan peppercorns — the dish that defines ma la cooking

Fish-Fragrant Eggplant (Yu Xiang Qiezi)

Soft, collapsing eggplant wok-tossed in a sweet-sour-spicy garlic sauce — no fish involved, but the yu xiang flavor profile is a Sichuan essential

Kung Pao Chicken

The Sichuan original — not the Americanized version: diced chicken with dried chilies, peanuts, and Sichuan peppercorns in a tightly wok-tossed sauce

Twice-Cooked Pork (Hui Guo Rou)

Pork belly sliced thin, first boiled then wok-charred with leeks and fermented black bean paste — smoky, fatty, and savory in the way few dishes achieve

Cold Sesame Noodles

Room-temperature noodles in a nutty sesame-chili dressing, good as a starter or cool counterpoint to the spicier mains