Red and Hot

Like most Londoners, I am loving Sichuan food right now. There are a few to choose from in central from the swankier Bar Shu and Bar Shan in Soho, to the less glitzy, more cafe style of My Old Place (City) and Gourmet San (Bethnal Green).

I was taken to Red and Hot a couple of times by a friend who grew up in China and have become a huge fan of this place. It's the best Sichuan place I've ever been to. The food is fantastic, but equally as important, their menu is very extensive and fully translated into English. It is very annoying to see plates of steaming dumplings and endlessly appetising dishes pass your table onto those of Chinese diners "in the know" whilst the English only menu offers uninspiring Anglo-Chinese dishes and only a few authentic Sichuan examples.  Full marks to Red and Hot for inclusivity.

For eats, we had:

A cold appetiser of "Mouth watering Sichuan Chicken with Lip Tingling Spicy Sauce (£7.80)". Cold appetisers took a bit to get used to but now I love them. The sauce is fiery and addictive, laden with numbing Sichuan pepper and sesame oil.

Onto one of the Sichuan classics and a firm favourite of PJ and mine, "Aubergine in Fish Flavoured Sauce £7.80". If you haven't had this before, don't let the strange name put you off. Fish Flavoured is just a staple set of ingredients normally used for flavouring fish. The frying of the aubergines makes them buttery on the inside and the morsels melt into a sweet, tangy and delicious mouthful. It is insanely good with rice. You will soon find yourself fighting over this dish with your fellow diners. This is my favourite version in London.

"Dry Stewed Sea Bass in Soya Bean Paste (£14.80)". A bit of a splurge on price admittedly but deep fried fish with sweet and beany sauce gets me going. Frying the fish keeps the flesh moist and delicate. It was a nice balance against the spicy chicken.

A final dish from the "Snack" menu. "Chengdu Dan Dan Noodles (£3.80)". I've never had Dan Dan noodles from Chengdu admittedly, but coming from the capital of Sichuan province, I expected these to be uber fiery, which they weren't. The noddles themselves were perfectly cooked though.

I thoroughly recommend Red and Hot and I will be going back again and again. The menu is so extensive I feel I could never get bored here.

Monster Munch Rating: 90%

Red and Hot
59 Charing Cross Road
London
WC2H 0NE
0207 734 8796

www.rednhotgroup.com