Foodhoe's Foraging

655 Jackson Street SF, CA  94133 | 415.981.8988 | website

My frequent dining companions Daisy, P and JT raved about the kick-ass food at Z & Y Restaurant, which features the spicy cuisine of Sichuan, most known for its numbing (ma) and burning (la) ma-la qualities that comes from the use of sichuan peppercorns.  JT’s tolerance for spicy and hot foods is not much better than mine, and when she said that the Chicken with Exploding Chili Peppers was a dish not to be missed, I decided to put caution aside and give it a go.  I’ve been there for several occasions and have determined that I love the burning sensation and that love hurts…  The restaurant is smack in the middle of Chinatown and attracts both tourists and locals alike, which must be why the menu offers so many generic standards along with the Sichuan specialties.  After several visits, the increasingly friendly waitress seemed to recognize us and dropped off a refreshing dish of pickled cucumber with roasted peanuts.

Here are the dishes we have enjoyed so far.  The Scallion Pancake ($5.95) is very worthy, layers of flaky dough, golden-brown and crisp on the outside, and the tender interior is bursting with the flavor of fried scallions.

We shared an order of Potstickers ($5.95), which had delicate thin wrappers that were cooked very crisp on the bottom, similar to Japanese gyoza.  These were so good we got another order, they are well proportioned and executed.

The Spicy Numbing Beef Tendon ($7.50) appetizer is marinated in bright orange chile oil, five-spice powder and Sichuan peppers.  The combination creates a riot of numbing and tingling sensations in your mouth because the paper thin slices of tendon are unctuously soft and velvety and infused with bold flavors that build up to a slowly burning inferno.  Alexson said this was his favorite dish of everything and I agree, although I can only eat a few pieces at a time.

We had this very interesting Pancake with Beef Niu Ruo Shao Bing ($6.95) The crunchy sandwich features a flaky, crisp golden crust that is slathered with a hoisin-like sauce, rolled up with tender slices of beef and thinly sliced vegetables.  Oops, according to Kirk at mmm-yoso!!!, this is a Niu Rou Chuan, the other being a flat version.

The  Chicken with Explosive Chili Peppers ($10.95) is served with an intimidating pile of dried chili peppers interspersed with nuggets of addictive dry-spiced chicken.  There’s no doubt that this dish is spicy as the chili peppers infuse the chicken with heat, but it’s not the blazing fireworks that I feared.

And we left a  rubble of chili peppers after finshing off all of the chicken…

Spicy Fish with Flaming Chili Oil ($18) was another dish that was primarily chili pepper pods that you do not eat, so that you had to dig through the bowl to find the flaky morsels of spicy fish.  Most of it was at the bottom, so it was fun to search for sunken treasure.

You can see the sichuan peppercorns floating in the broth along with the chili peppers.

In comparison, the Eggplant with Spicy Garlic Sauce ($8.95) seems wimpy as far as the heat levels go.  It is however, a huge serving and piled high with minced pork, bamboo shoot slices and quite savory.

Sauteed Tofu ($8.95) was a pile of firm smoked tofu strips and refreshingly not spicy.   Lightly seasoned and tossed with sliced mushrooms, green onions and thin strips of pork.

Kung Pao Chicken ($9.95) was quite good, you can see flecks of the red peppers throughout the dish.  This dish is good for beginners, but really can’t hold up to the exploding chicken or fish in flaming oil…  I don’t suggest ordering this in the same meal, unless you are ordering for diners who aren’t partaking in the fireworks!

Pan Fried Sliced Pork with Leeks ($9.50) seems more of a Hunan style dish was mildly spicy but very savory, a good match for the rest of the meal.

Each time we ordered the Tan Tan Noodles ($6.95), a Sichuan classic. The noodles are fat and springy and tossed with a complex and spicy dressing of soy sauce, sesame paste, chopped peanuts, chile oil and bits of pork.

The sauce is spicy and coats the noodles with more of that numbing spicy heat that is so compelling.

The Smoked Pork with Rice Cake $8.95) was really delicious, better than the undercooked version we had at Bund Shanghai (across the street). The rice cakes are tender and chewy, lightly coated with a rich savory sauce along with chives that goes perfectly with the thin slices of salty pork.

Another visit, we had the Green Beans with Smoked Pork, which was a satisfying combination of dry fried green beans combined with thick, chewy pieces of salty bacon.  I loved this dish!

The Sauteed Pea Sprouts with Garlic ($8.95) was a clean tasting vegetable that goes really nicely with all of the spicy dishes.

House Special Fried Rice ($8.95) was fragrantly mounded and full of delicious meat.

According to this article, the restaurant recently changed hands and the new chef-owner, Han Li Jun, presided in the kitchen at SF’s Chinese Consulate and before that was the chef for Chinese President Hu Jintou and former President Deng Xiaoping.  I hope to sample some more of the specialties of the house.  Z&Y Restaurant is across the street from ABC Cafe and Restaurant, and I am always confusing Z&Y with XYZ…