Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76 Page 77 Page 78 Page 79 Page 80 Page 81 Page 82 Page 83 Page 84 Page 85 Page 86 Page 87 Page 88 Page 89 Page 90 Page 91 Page 92 Page 93 Page 94 Page 95 Page 96 Page 97 Page 98 Page 99 Page 100RestauRant Review F e b r u a r y / M a r c h 2 0 1 7 7 7 FroM top: exclusive tours; diane hudson Sichuan Kitchen brings the heat to congress street. By Diane HuDSon E nticing, spicy Sichuan Kitchen is now pulsing on Congress Street. In this daughter-father act, Qi Shen (Qi meaning “life” or “breath” in Man- darin) brought her dad, Shang Wei Shen, from his native Sichuan Region of southwest China to dazzle din- ers here. As head chef, “He speaks no English,” Qi says. “We translate each order to him in Mandarin.” We begin with the seaweed salad ($7). Crystal vermicelli noodles, ju- lienned daikon, and savory seaweed combine to create a stunning fresh sal- ad dressed with roasted chili oil, which gives the dish a smoky heat. It’s spiced, not spicy: the kick of the chili is tamed by black vinegar and a generous garnish of fresh cilantro. If the heart of Sichuan cooking beats with “four taste sensations: spicy, hot, fresh, and fragrant,” according to the menu. This opener delivers on all four. pairs beautifully with the subtle, dry heat of the seaweed salad. Following tradition, we sip cups of fragrant tea from a white ceramic teapot between courses, cleansing our palates before the next round of indulgence. Shen’s specially selected E-Mei Kai- fengt tea ($5) is made from a del- icate blend of floral jasmine and green loose-leaf tea shipped from China. Our draught of Peaks Fresh Cut Pilsner ($6) hasn’t traveled quite as far to our table–but certainly de- Seeking robust sensuality, we enjoy an ap- petizer of savory Sichuan-style ribs ($12). Made of slow-braised, tender pork ribs smothered in a dark syrupy sauce, this Next Stop Chengdu “The heart of Sichuan cooking beats with ‘four taste sensations: spicy, hot, fresh, and fragrant.’”