SNAZZ SICHUAN

The New China Club

37 Chalton Street

London NW1 1JD

020 7388 0808
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Chinese food in the UK has a dodgy reputation. Deep-fried pork gristle in a neon orange sweet ’n’ sour sauce and chicken and sweetcorn soup made with fifty percent cornflour, that kind of thing. Not the place to take a date, then, unless you want to send subliminal, it’s-not-you-it’s-me type messages, that is.

But, despite the rubbish name, Snazz Sichuan is different. Different because, as the name suggests, it specialises in Sichuan cuisine — lots of chillies and citrusy Sichuan peppercorns — rather than the more normal Cantonese. And different because the food is superb.

As you’d expect given that the main flavouring in many dishes is chili, it can be fiery — see hot and numbing boiled fish (their description). But not always. Steamed chicken in Chongqing sauce is warm and pungent, despite being a cold soup, while razor clam with Sichuan pepper is piquant and delicate.

You know it’s authentic because there are a good number of dishes based on bits of animals that we Brits throw away, such as fire-exploded beef tripe and spicy duck tongue.

The only mildly disappointing thing is the ramshackle decor. Other than that, Snazz Sichaun will force you to reappraise going for a Chinese.