Szechuan Food - Coffeeshop Style

I've been a regular visitor to a hole-in-the-wall coffeeshop that serves fabulous Szechuan food for the past few months. This place serves good food at inexpensive prices. My friend, TSH, and I have been eating there on a fortnightly (if not weekly) basis.

I love Szechuan food because I love how the Szechuan peppercorns cause my tongue and lips to tingle and go numb. Yes, I know this sounds pretty sadomasochistic but Szechuan food-lovers out there, I'm sure you know what I mean, eh? Check out the picture above of the dried chili pepper in chili oil, isn't this a most wondrous condiment?

My friends and I like this cold dish - Crystal Sliced Beef. The beef slices were tender and infused with the flavour of spices & herbs. We also liked the raw garlic slices on top...naturally, this is a dish to eat if you're trying to drive away vampires.

One of my favourite dishes here is Ma Po Tofu (S$6). I love how the rich and spicy gravy causes my tongue to tingle on contact and the smoothness of the silken tofu cubes. I also like how the gravy is spicy yet tasty enough to complement a warm bowl of steamed rice. This is a MUST-TRY!

The Chong Qing Spicy Fried Chicken aka La Zi Ji @ S$12 is one of TSH's favourite dishes here. We like the crisp exterior of the chicken and juicy interior. There is a tendency for the quality of this dish to vary but am glad to note that its generally been good on most occasions. This is also a MUST-TRY!

Most of us love this dish of Shui Zhu Yu (literally means "Water Cooked Fish") @ S$16 best. The fish slices are fresh and smooth. The soup is spicy and tasty. The soy bean sprouts are crunchy and have absorbed the flavours of the stock. I always order this dish when I visit. This is a MUST-TRY!

During my visit yesterday, we decided to order a new dish. Andrew ordered the "Twice-Cooked Pork aka Hui Guo Rou" @ S$11. The pork belly slices were tender and not excessively salty. Andrew has visited China extensively (mostly off-the-beaten-path) and is a walking encyclopaedia on Chinese cuisine. I figured that if he's giving the thumbs-up then this place must serve pretty authentic food as though I've visited China before, I've never been to Chong Qing. The people running this place are PRCs and so it would help if you can speak some Mandarin. If you can't speak Mandarin, no worries! Ask for the English menu and you'll be pleased to note that there are some pictures on the walls to help you.

I also like the Stir-Fried French Bean with Chili (Si Ji Dou) @ S$6. The beans are crunchy and well-tossed in the spicy sauce. Like the tofu and fish, this dish also goes perfectly with steamed rice. This is incidentally one of Joyce's favourite dishes.

If you're intending to visit, do note that there is only one-size for all the dishes and they're generally pretty large servings (good for 4 people).

Jin Hang Restaurant Pte Ltd
16 North Canal Road,
#01-01,
Singapore 048828
Tel: 6534-1622