I guess since I'm starting culinary school in a couple of months I should maybe be a little worried about searing my tastebuds into retardation with my spice addiction, but I can't help it. Sometimes (every other day) I just need that spicy food high. When your cheeks flush, your eyeballs sweat, and your lips feel like hot leeches fastened to your skull, drawing all the blood to the front of your face. Really makes you feel alive. Hunan cuisine is not the hottest food around, but as far as Chinese goes, it's definitely up there.
Upon being seated, they start you off with some boiled peanuts, which is a little bit of salvation when you arrive at the restaurant starving your brains out after being so absorbed in figuring out the layout of your new food blog (yes, after much agonizing, it still looks like this) that you've sadly forgotten to factor the long journey to Flushing into your estimation of when you would be consuming food.
But this is not about peanuts.
Boom. Ox tongue and tripe! (I highly recommend clicking to enlarge here.) You may not be able to tell from the photo, but that shit is taking an invigorating dip in some serious chili oil. Priming itself to lay its fury all over your peanut-palliated palate. Very similar to the Sichuan fu qi fei pian (or "Husband and wife offal"), this is one of those dishes that will take up residence right next to your pavlovian switch once you've tried it. If you like spicy food, and tripe. Which I do. Very much. You will also find some crunchy crushed peanuts, some finely chopped hearts of celery, and a shitton of chili. One thing: make sure to have some rice on hand before you dive in (the complimentary hot tea provides little solace, even when cooled). I made the mistake of not waiting, and by the time my rice arrived I had a charming little red mustache where I had to keep dabbing the sweat off. Hunan Heat: it's a creeper, but it lingers.
Next:
"Braised Pork, Mao's Style." Also known as "Red-braised Pork," even though it's brown. Hmm.
I'm no expert on Mao (or anything, probably), but I'd say he was a dude who looked like he'd seen a fine pork belly or two in his time.
Come on in a little closer.
We also had some pickled cabbage and chilis:
Hunan House
137-40 Northern Boulevard, Flushing, Queens, 718-353-1808
yum chestnuts!! great post!
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