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When hunger strikes, seek mapo tofu

 

That phrase “Go West, Young Man!” has ricocheted for years throughout the United States.

But if I’m anxious, or my stomach grumbles or my mind is unfocused, I do something different: I seek mapo tofu.

It’s the famous dish that hails from Sichuan province.

In the Seattle area, my family and I head to Old Sichuan at 18124 E. Valley Hwy. in Kent, Wash. It’s south of the Emerald City in a small strip mall near an Indian restaurant. The neighboring shopping and dining complex is the Great Wall Mall.

Why this restaurant?

Well, it’s close to us. But it also offers just the right amount of hot chili pepper oil to produce the kick and sweat to satisfy. I don’t know if the heavy-duty flame used in the kitchen helps. Or the peppercorn. But everything works.

And if you wait a moment or two after the flavors enter your mouth, a slight numbing aftertaste will arrive. Yeah, I know. Nice.

Good old-fashioned white rice works with the food. My wife likes the dish with no meat because it offers a purer chili taste that complements the soybean cake.

While some places mix in beef, this cook dishes it up with pork ($7.50). If you prefer the vegetarian option, you’ll pay $6.95. Weekday lunch diners can take advantage of the $5.50 mapo tofu special (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.).

 

 

The restaruant also offers a clean-and-tidy dining area. Traditional wooden frames used in China line the wall. Black-and-white photos give you a sense of the country’s architecture. Replicas of chili peppers, corn and garlic also decorate the place.

In English, the owner calls it Szechuan First – but the Chinese characters translate differently.

Some Chinese restaurants in the Seattle area fall short with mapo tofu because they provide little chili oil. Or the cook might not be from Sichuan. Or the dish lacks key ingredients or something. But this place comes through.

 

 

There are three Old Sichuan restaurants that I’ve seen in the Seattle area. One is in Seattle’s International District at 1048 S. Jackson St. It’s more down-home. It’s obviously closer for Seattle residents and office workers. And the prices look competitive.

The other is in Redmond, Wash., closer to Microsoft, at 15005 NE 24th Ave. It’s near a Sears.

These two restaurants share a Web site, which talks of how chef Kao Hsiao-Sung missed homestyle Sichuan cooking and opened his Seattle place in 1994. Both offer delicious food.

Word of advice: If you’re trying to impress friends who aren’t adventurous, go elsewhere. Or order something else. 

Ditto goes for eating the dish if you need to win over clients or close a business contract.

There is a chance you’ll hear the polite comment: “Yes, this meal is a bit odoriferous.”

But if your friends or guests are adventurous or have visited Asia, then tell the cook: “Load up those chili peppers. We’re on a taste test.”

Mapo tofu, though, needs to be prepared just right to awaken your senses. Over at the blog, Hunger Hunger (A Daily Obsession), writer Terri talks about her experience with the dish. She includes a recipe and photos of ingredients.

The Boston Globe also published a recipe recently.

If you enjoy reading restaurant menus, I’ve included an image from Old Sichuan in Kent.