Hidden away on a narrow, steep street in a non-descript commercial building in Central is a long-time tenant that serves spicy Sichuan cuisine. Sichuan Da Ping Huo is a private kitchen that is well-known to many in Hong Kong as the restaurant where the meal ends with a song from the chef.

Started by a husband-and-wife team of artist and opera singer from Sichuan, a private kitchen would not seem to be an obvious next career move. However, the duo have managed to make their establishment one of the must-try places when it comes to Sichuan cuisine. The Wangs have been able to put their talents to good use here at Da Ping Huo. The husband, Wang, loves entertaining and being around people; and the wife loves to cook.

Sichuan Da Ping Huo has been serving diners for 12 years now, and though it's fairly centrally located, it isn't always easy to find for first-time visitors. There is no large light-box outside the door beckoning you to enter. The entrance has a very simple white wall with the name in Chinese calligraphy to indicate that you are at the right place. You enter through a heavy, dark-colored door and step into the smallish dining area that looks a lot like an art gallery that seats about 30.

The space is simply decorated with a lot of gray and white. What makes the dcor special is the art that appears around the room. Wang is the creator of many of the pieces, but you will also see a few ink paintings done by a classmate of his. He says that they didn't try to change the space, but to use what was there and not to overwhelm the room with too many embellishments. It is a very comfortable room to dine in.

Sichuan Da Ping Huo serves a set menu each night with two seatings - one at 6:30 pm and a second at 9:10 pm. Diners are usually served a spicy dish followed by a non-spicy dish, then spicy, then non-spicy - well, you get the idea. The menu hasn't changed much over the years. To start, there are three Sichuan appetizers (served cold), followed by seven main courses, a dumpling dish, and then dessert. The set menu is HK$280 ($36) plus 10 percent service charge per person and has actually been unchanged for many years. There is a wine list, but you can also bring your own wine and pay for corkage.

When asked what his favorite dishes were, Wang responded with a hearty, "They are all my favorite dishes. I love to eat everything that my wife cooks." How sweet!

As for me, I love the appetizers (especially the spicy clear noodles with crunchy soy nuts), the braised diced bean curd with minced beef in hot chili sauce, the Sichuan dumpling and the sauteed assorted mushrooms and white cabbage with minced chicken. (I am actually not a big spicy food enthusiast, but my husband loves hot dishes - so for him this dish seems a bit bland.) For those not used to eating spicy food, it can be challenging to enjoy an entire meal that is full of heat, so it's great that Da Ping Huo has adopted the "spicy, not spicy" way of serving their dishes.

With no marketing and only word-of-mouth advertising, this little eatery is fully booked almost every night. It is definitely a "must-try" place.

For China Daily

(China Daily 12/26/2010 page13)