Living in Hong Kong gives us great access to some of the world’s best Cantonese cuisine. With its roots in Southern China, Cantonese cuisine focuses on highlighting the ingredient’s true flavours by primarily utilising cooking methods (steaming, braising, and stir-frying) and seasonings that extract the subtleties of flavour from the main ingredient.
Conversely, Chinese cuisine from other provinces like Sichuan, Hunan, or Chongqing are those that feature bigger and bolder flavours which can feature the heavy use of chilli in their cooking. We know that our options here in Hong Kong for regional Chinese are more limited, but here are five different choices to match the type of dinner you’re looking for.
The Go-To Affordable Meal Option: Sad Sour Spicy Noodles
We wrote about this spot about a year ago, and it still remains high on our list of Sichuan food options in Hong Kong. For a bowl of sour, spicy, and soupy yam noodles, topped with a bit of minced pork, and crunchy peanuts, this is the spot. Get the economical set ($62) which gives you a bowl of noodles and an accompanying side dish. Choose the BIG spicy option if you’re feeling adventurous.
傷心酸辣粉 (Sad Sour Spicy Noodles)
Island Beverley Shopping Center
Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
2333-9693
The Cheap and Dirty Option: Little Chilli
Little Chilli remains a solid go-to location for us when we have large parties and are looking to start a fun night out. All tables have low stool-based seating, and this place is a winner for their vast and inexpensive menu of spicy options. Cold Chinese beers selling at a cool $11 per bottle don’t hurt either.
Our favourite dish here is the Dry-Fried Bullfrog with Chillis ($118), which comes loaded with dried chilies, peanuts, and juicy bits of deep-fried frog legs. If you don't dig on frog, they also serve this with chicken or shrimp.
Little Chilli
33 North Point Road
North Point, Hong Kong
2571-9822
The Mid-Tier Option: Sijie Sichuan Restaurant
Sijie has its roots as a private kitchen in Causeway Bay and have, in more recent years, moved into a commercial building around the corner from Times Square.
In our book, their cold spicy noodle dish is worth the visit alone. There’s always a mad rush once this dish is served, and it’s inevitable that an additional plate is ordered to satisfy everyone’s cravings. This plate of cold flour-based noodles is topped with a roasted chili oil sauce and heaps of green onions. It’s got a nutty, sesame, roasted chili flavour that we have yet to find anywhere else.
Sijie Sichuan Restaurant
10/F Bartlock Centre
3 Yiu Wa Street
Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
2802-2250
The Fancy Option: Da Ping Huo
Da Ping Huo was opened twenty years ago as one of Hong Kong’s first private kitchens by nationally famous Chinese painting master, Wang Hai, and his wife, Wang Xiaoqiong, who is an expert in Sichuan cuisine. Now located on Hollywood Road as a licensed restaurant, the restaurant offers lunch and dinner sets that allow diners to experience the full range of Mrs. Wang’s recipes, which are still used today, even with new management.
Our favourite dishes here include the Spicy Fried Prawns with Lotus Root (Lunch $288, Dinner $388) and the Chengdu Fish Fillets in Hot Chili Oil (Lunch $388, Dinner $480).
We also enjoyed Mrs. Wang’s Roast Beef (Lunch $288, Dinner $388), which is beef brisket braised three times to a delightful tender state with a good amount of heat.
Da Ping Huo
LG/F, 49 Hollywood Rd
Central, Hong Kong
2559 1317
The LKF Option: Sichuan House
Located in M88 in Central (yes, the same building as the Beijing Club), lies a hidden gem in Sichuan House. Being located in a building full of clubs, the interior décor is set to match the vibe, and everything feels quite modern and chic. The menu here is designed by Chef Wu Hung Chu, who hails from Chengdu, Sichuan, and was trained under Sichuan cuisine master, Peng Ziyu.
We were most impressed by Sichuan House’s ability to create disparate taste profiles using the chilli as a base. We experienced a range of flavours from sweet spicy, numbing spicy, smoky spicy, to flat out, spicy spicy. A few winners here were the Crispy Pork Jowls ($108), the Coriander Pork Belly Rolls with Crushed Garlic, and the Tea Smoked Duck with Chicken Filling ($178). For those of you looking to blow your spicy socks off, the Premium Red Pepper Dry-Rubbed Prawns ($238) are a must.
We almost forgot to write about these, but they might have been the most surprising treats of the meal. It's no surprise that this writer loves french fries, and these Sichuan-style french fries were so savoury and amazing that we ordered two baskets. Only one basket shown here.
Sichuan House
M88, Wellington Place
2-8 Wellington St
Central, Hong Kong
2521 6699
