Rating: ★★★★☆

Address: 1/F, Aubin House, 171-172 Gloucester Road, Wan Chai  灣仔告士打道171-172號安邦商業大廈1樓 

Telephone: 2896 0070

If you are arranging dinner with a group of friends and are not sure what to eat, you can never quite go wrong with Sichuan food. Our friend from Thailand, P, was in Hong Kong for the weekend and K and I decided to take her to Sijie Sichuan Restaurant (四姐川菜) for a spicy dinner on Friday night.

Sijie is definitely one of the most trusted Sichuan restaurants in town, in addition to San Xi Lou 三希樓, another favourite amongst me and my friends. Sijie means “fourth sister” in Chinese, and is a homely, private-kitchen style eatery which serves consistently delicious Sichuan cuisine at friendly prices. There are two Sijie outlets in town – we visited the Wanchai outlet, and the other one is located in Bartlock Centre in Causeway Bay. Dinner will set you back around HK$300 per head (without drinks), they do not impose a service charge and take cash only. If you like, you can pre-order your menu in advance, but ordering upon arrival also works perfectly.

(1) Our first dish is the Sichuan style Kong Pao chicken.  The chicken has a great texture and the sauce is mildly spicy and tangy, without being overwhelming.

(2) The poached fish in hot chilli oil is a classic Sichuan dish, and should not be missed! Do not be intimated by its looks, the dish is actually not as spicy as it appears to be, and the thick layer of chilli oil keeps the dish warm for a long time. The fish is perfectly cooked and ultra tender, but the highlight of the dish is definitely the glass noodles, which are fantastically smooth and springy!

(3) The ox tripe with picked peppers is served, and the flavouring is spot-on.

(4) For something less spicy, the family braised tofu is delightful and satisfying.

(5) We actually forgot to order the Sichuan cold noodles this time! These spicy noodles are gorgeously springy and are nothing short of addictive, and are perfect for rounding up the meal (photo below comes from 畢小姐 on Openrice – link here).