Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war.......

I haven't posted in a short while. This is because I've been eating decidedly non spice-i-fied foods lately or else a redux of foods already mentioned. Just because my lust for the little red death pods carries me forward, ever forward in search of new things spicy it doesn't mean that I don't like to eat a few non spicy yum-yums from time to time. Last week there was an instance where I made a non spicy Cambodian curry for Steph's benefit and lacking the requisite Prik peppers to make it all scorch-y, it was a benign but flavorful little curry. Real nice. I think I'll eventually post the recipe for that.

 Anyway, tonight, was different. Tonight battle was joined. I waged war on the Chinese cuisines of Hunan and Szechuan and probably a few others who were unfortunate casualties of war. We ventured forth down to the humble burg of Redwood City to meet up with Steph's Pops at Crouching Tiger. The thing about Crouching Tiger is that unlike most restaurants where a few items on the menu happen to be spicy, this place features and even flaunts the spicy. It's a little sad watching non-spicy peeps and their ilk scrambling to cobble together a few dishes that won't singe their delicate palates. For Steph's dad and myself, this was our time. Up there it's their time, but down here, this is our time........... Oh my. Ok, maybe it's not so much like the Goonies. No, it's more like Gossip Girl and we were for once a part of her uber luxurious world of teenage high fashion living.  

The menu was choc full of some amazing sounding dishes, so many with little red chili icons next to them so as to indicate to us that "stay away this dish is hot, hot, hot!" It was bliss. Let's jump right into a round of appetizers: 

Steamed Chinese Bacons in spicy garlic sauce

Sliced Pork Knuckle in minced garlic sauce 

Sichuan Smoked Pork 

Spicy Beef Stomach 

Beijing Cold Rice Jello in house sesame sauce

Can I just say that these were ridiculously good. I couldn't tell you which I liked best because they were all that fucking good. Holy fuck! The bacon was very tender, and although if you handed me some soggy white pieces of bacon with my eggs I'd call you a bastard. But if you mix it with garlic and chili sauce then fucking serve it to me raw for all I care. It's that good.  Speaking of eggs, the smoked pork would be awesome with eggs for breakfast. The stomach, if ya like tripe-ish foods, and I do, then this is the pinnacle of offal eating. As for the pork knuckle, fuck it! that shit was good yo! It was marbled with chewy and tasty fat.

A little soup perhaps? Sure how about: 

Fish head with soft tofu in a hot pot

A very savory broth with a giant fish carcass to flavor it up. What else are going to do with it? Throw it away? That's fish stock son. That's fish stock.

On to dejeuner.

Steph's pops and I were partners in crime on this night. We knew right away what dishes would totally provide that knockout punch. and they were?

Spicy Boiled Beef  

Dry Cooked Eel

The cow was in this saucy, garlicy, peppery, soup with huge chunks of onions and cabbage. It was almost Korean-esque.

The highlight of  the meal was the dry cooked eel. Holy fuck! This was awesome! It was little deep fried slices of eel, which tasted like rad salty pieces of jerky. That was good enough on it's own, but they really took it to the next level. They tossed this "eel" in wok with chunks of garlic and ungodly amounts of verdant green jalapenos and dried red chilies, not to mention the red chili flakes liberally sprinkled throughout. It was like christmas.

Needless to say. I will be going back. Steph's dad and I need to have a Star Trek marathon and spicy lunch day. 

The Spice must flow....................Just not from our arses.

Tweet