Sichuan Citizen

I decided I needed something spicy for dinner tonight, so the newly renovated Sichuan Citizen was the obvious choice for some home style Sichuan  cooking. Some people might say the food was expat fodder, but my local friend insisted it was authentic and rather like the typical dishes his mom used to cook. From the main stretch of Donghu Road looking in, the restaurant looked rather small, taking up the width of a typical shophouse. 

Once inside, the small bar and dining area opened out to a much larger family style dining room in the rear adjoining room. On the upper floor, there were more private rooms and yet another large dining hall. Tonight, the bar area was the place to hang out, and it was packed when I got there at nine o'clock.

The restaurant decor was rather like a blend between a tiki bar and a wood shack filled with Chinese memorabilia. It also reminded me of a restaurant called Sino in Santana Row, San Jose, that was trying to cash in on the faddish chinoiserie trend at the time. At least Sichuan Citizen had real Chinese waiters working there.

I ordered the mapo dofu, the fried beef fillet with dried red chili and the string bean with bacon. Later, I also added the Shanghai style crystal shrimp, just because they never tasted the same anywhere else in the world. All four dishes were excellent, and not too spicy even for me. I guess that's why they called this expat food. My favorite was the mapo dofu (spicy beancurd with minced pork) that was just perfect when paired with a bowl of steaming white rice. 

I could have eaten two plates of that. I also like the fact that the menu is extensive and has all the most popular Sichuan dishes, and they have a well-stocked bar serving cocktails to quench the fiery tastebuds after a meal.