Szechuan Chalet Slings Some Unexpectedly Hot Hash on the Upper East
In what my be its first ever appearance on Upper East Side turf--jellyfish!
Like a very, very red oil spill, Sichuan restaurants have fanned out across the five boroughs, and no locale is seemingly exempt. Case in point: Szechuan Chalet on the Upper East Side, a neighborhood more known for its sauerbraten than Sichuan peppercorns.
While the food is somewhat deficient in actual Sichuan peppercorns -- though a soupcon may be detected -- the menu does possess a good amount of heat, via such agencies as dried red peppers, pickled green peppers, fresh green peppers, and skads of chile oil, which is the real sine quo non of Sichuan food.
Here are some further examples of things to be enjoyed there.
Swabbed with red oil, the ox tongue and tripe with peanut chili vinaigrette was hot as hell.
The salted vegetable in Sichuan sauce was equally spicy.
Fried tilapia with Sichuan spices was one of the highlights of the meal.
... For an excellent not-hot dish, pick either the camphor smoked duck or the ginger scallion lamb (directly above).
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