Szechuan Restaurants

[Da Rolling Eye]

Any on the Leeward side? Gotta be 100%, gotta be good. Not Cantonese/Szechuan. Most of those places are more Cantonese and do lousy Szechuan. Parents aren't getting any younger and Maple Garden is becoming a long drive for them (Mililani).

[glossyp]

Re: Szechuan Restaurants

Anthony Chang (food historian and writer) says that there are no true Sichuan/Szechuan restaurants at all on Oahu but Maple Garden offers the widest selection of such dishes. I often wondered why this type of Chinese cuisine was not popular here and the answer is complicated involving immigration patterns of local Chinese and the flavor profiles preferred by local residents. Anthony's articles are quite interesting and you can find them archived at the RoadRunner site. For noodle buffs, he wrote this article, Oddles of Chinese Noodles.

[Glen Miyashiro]

Re: Szechuan Restaurants

Speaking of non-Cantonese Chinese restaurants makes me think about the old Ja Ja Restaurant at the Kapālama Shopping Center on Dillingham, back in the early 90s. The couple who first ran the place sold out to someone else after a few years, and the food was never the same. I loved their tan tan noodles and dry fried chicken. If that couple ever opened up another restaurant, I never heard about it. Does anyone know whether they did?

[Da Rolling Eye]

Re: Szechuan Restaurants

Anthony Chang (food historian and writer) says that there are no true Sichuan/Szechuan restaurants at all on Oahu but Maple Garden offers the widest selection of such dishes.

Actually, I kinda figured that since MG also includes some Cantonese dishes on their menu. But I think their main focus is Szechuan and that's what most of their customers order. Other places are mainly Cantonese and offer a few Szechuan dishes.

I often wondered why this type of Chinese cuisine was not popular here and the answer is complicated involving immigration patterns of local Chinese and the flavor profiles preferred by local residents.

Figuring most of the Chinese immigrants during the plantation days, and probably before, were mostly from the southern regions of China I'm not surprised there aren't more Szechuan restaurants. Most locals grew up eating Cantonese cuisine and that's pretty much all they know about Chinese food. Oyster sauce, black beans and corn starch. "Eh, we go eat Chinese!" 99.9% of the time it'll be a Cantonese restaurant.<LOL>

We all gotta know that Szechuan food is popular. Getting in to to eat at MG after 6pm any night is almost impossible, as a walk-in. More so on weekends. Places like Panda Express do a brisk business and their fare includes quite a few Szechuan dishes, but I wouldn't consider PE as a sit-down family dining experience. I guess we'll just have to keep going to MG. Maybe talk to the owner about opening one up in Mililani.

[Da Rolling Eye]

Re: Szechuan Restaurants

Speaking of non-Cantonese Chinese restaurants makes me think about the old Ja Ja Restaurant at the Kapālama Shopping Center on Dillingham, back in the early 90s.

Gee, Glen, I remember seeing the place whenever I went to Kapalama Market, but never ate their food. Sorry can't help you much. I used to go to Fat Fat for their crispy whole fried chicken and lup cheong fried rice.

[helen]

Re: Szechuan Restaurants

What would be typical Szechuan dishes?

[Da Rolling Eye]

Re: Szechuan Restaurants

Lots of garlic and chili peppers. Lots. The seasonings are more....pungent....and spicy. Little oyster sauce or black bean sauce if any. No cornstarch for thick gravies. In fact, not much by way of gravies. Darn if I can remember the names. I know them when I'm there.
An easy one is Kung pao chicken, probably the most popular dish. Maple Garden also has host of spicy dishes using cashews. When you think about it, just about anything that can be cooked in Cantonese can be cooked in Szechuan style, just different spices/seasoning. Oh! Mabo tofu, another popular dish. Spicy ground pork and tofu. Actually one of the few dishes with some sort of gravy.

[i-hungry]

Re: Szechuan Restaurants

yeah the variety of chinese restaurants in hawaii is not diverse. even if you got non-cantonese food, its usually not that authentic (i.e. good as it should be).

even though the early immigrants of hawaii are mostly cantonese this isn't the reason for having a majority cantonese cuisine situation. the same could be said for the mainland u.s. cities with a sizable chinese population. but they have more chinese cuisine varieties.

also a lot of the restaurants owners don't seem to come from early immigrant families. quite a few seem to be first generation from what i can tell.

what hawaii needs are good chinese cooks that specialize in non-cantonese cuisines. why this hasn't happen is a mystery to me. cantonese is only a one style of several. there's a lot of good stuff that isn't served here. i bet similar things could be said for other "ethnic" cuisines here.

[Da Rolling Eye]

Re: Szechuan Restaurants

i-hungry, good catch on the 1st gen Chinese restaurant owners. Didn't think of that one.

what hawaii needs are good chinese cooks that specialize in non-cantonese cuisines. why this hasn't happen is a mystery to me. cantonese is only a one style of several. there's a lot of good stuff that isn't served here. i bet similar things could be said for other "ethnic" cuisines here.

You bet. Even Japanese food has it's variations depending on what island, etc. You'd think with the popularity of "fusion" cuisine there would be a wider variety, but I guess as long as Cantonese is popular by a wide margin, it'll be all we get.

[Erika Engle]

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I am in no way an expert on Chinese cuisine but I've had and loved Szechuan-style food before ...

I've not been to Maple Garden, but I have been to Little Village Noodle House (Smith St., Chinatown) several times and absolutely LOVE the food. Many of the dishes are spicy -- denoted with chili peppers on the menu. I even saw Mr. Chang there during my last visit. It was CRAZY busy, as it usually is, but it was compounded because it was First Friday downtown so there were throngs of people. Lines out the door of Little Village and Indigo, across the way ...

At the risk of my doctor seeing this and giving me BIG scoldings, (he treats me for my rather severe reflux), my favorite dishes at Little Village are the "dried beans" (long beans sauteed with minced pork and hot chili pepper flakes, I think); kung pao chicken; black pepper steak (ho, da ting is so tender!); honey walnut shrimp -- not spicy, just ONO; moo shu pork; lettuce wraps ... I've never had anything there I didn't love, but then again, as I'm often heard saying, "food is my favorite."

If you're going to Little Village, you've got to get there early, whether you're planning on lunch or dinner. If you do, chances are good you'll be able to park in the tiny parking lot. Also if you get there early, you might not have to wait forever to be seated, suffering through your hunger as all the aromas and sound of the sizzling platters waft around you. The place also draws big-time movers and shakers in the business community.

[Da Rolling Eye]

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Ooohh, Erika, you making me hungry and I already had a steak dinner. <LOL>
If our whole family goes out for Szechuan, we'll give LVNH a try, but I'm still looking for a place on the Leeward side, not past Koolina on the west and Pearlridge on the east. Reason being my parents are getting along in years and Mom has to do all the driving unless they invite us too, then I pack everyone in the van. Driving all the way to Moiliili from Wahiawa is becoming a chore for them and I get kinda concerned when they tell me they went to MG, after the fact. "Eh, wai nevah tell us? We coulda'drive down wit you."

Reflux is the pits ain't it? Had a chronic problem with it years ago. All of a sudden it cleared up and I only get it once in a blue moon, usually after I eat way more than I really should have. Easy to do nowdays since I can't eat like I used to. I gotta really put a check on thirds.

[Erika Engle]

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Reflux IS the pits. I'm on daily Nexium for it.

My Dr., who, ironically considering this thread, is Chinese ... gave me a piece of paper bearing my new dietary guidelines.

The disallowed list is the top half of the page; the "foods allowed" portion is very short and summed up in the first sentence:

Foods allowed (in small portions, simple bland cooking, avoid spices).

Most of the foods I LOVE appear on the top. I don't know if I said it out loud, but when he was describing what I would be allowed to eat (before he gave me the paper), I was thinking, "Kill me now ..." (sigh)

If it has flavor (spicy!), texture (read: DEEP FRIED), or if I LIKE it, I'm not allowed to eat it. I mostly try to be obedient to the guidelines, as there is a history of stomach cancer in my family and that scares me.

[pzarquon]

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Today's Honolulu Advertiserfeatured a Knight Ridder article on "Sichuan" cuisine, and its mouth-searing reputation:

One bite into the chili-strewn dish known as Water Boiled Fish, and your mouth explodes. Your forehead erupts in beads of sweat, eyes water, the nose runs, and the tongue and lips go prickly. Sichuan (aka Szechuan) food isn't just hot and spicy. Some of it is numbing.

There's also a related piece from the Los Angeles Times on "Sichuan" peppercorns. The sidebar by Wanda Adams includes notes on how to find them ("faa jiu") in Chinatown -- recommending Bo Wah Trading Co. on Maunakea St.

[craigwatanabe]

Re: Szechuan Restaurants

Anthony Chang (food historian and writer) says that there are no true Sichuan/Szechuan restaurants at all on Oahu but Maple Garden offers the widest selection of such dishes. I often wondered why this type of Chinese cuisine was not popular here and the answer is complicated involving immigration patterns of local Chinese and the flavor profiles preferred by local residents. Anthony's articles are quite interesting and you can find them archived at the RoadRunner site. For noodle buffs, he wrote this article, Oddles of Chinese Noodles.

Tony (Anthony Chang) is a good friend of mine (former neighbor in Kaimuki) and really knows his Chinese foods. We used to have grilling cook offs at our neighboring homes where it got so big that the neighbors called our duels: Taste of 18th Avenue.

Tony is also the former democratic State Senator Tony Chang. He comes from a family of staunch Democrats and it was so ironic that at the time my boss was the staunchest Republican: Rick Hamada. Oh the things I would have loved to tell Rick for his morning show, but alas, Tony is a good friend of mine and well what happened at 1032 and 1032-A 18th Avenue...stays at 18th Avenue

But when it comes to food (especially Northern and Southern Chinese cuisine) Tony can write the book on it

[Da Rolling Eye]

Re: Szechuan Restaurants

Erika, even in moderation? Poor ting. Sorry to hear that.

Mine may have been chronic, but I guess it was a milder case than your's. Doc thought it was my heart and put me on a monitor for an hour or so. Nada. Told me to use Mylanta and to watch overeating. Stuff like Tums worked better for some reason. Sounds like I just have heartburn, but I know the difference. Reflux took a bit more than just 2 Tums to work.