Last year it was Bar Shu in Soho & now the eccentrically decorated Snazz Sichuan is the latest restaurant out to show Londoners there’s more to Chinese cooking than Cantonese. Sichuan cuisine is most famous for its liberal use of chilli & peppercorns & the hot & numbing experience these induce. Pig’s ear with Sichuan chilli is slightly musky in flavour & has a satisfyingly resistant texture. Ma po dou fu is silky tofu set off by finely minced beef, & a vast pile of king prawns (typical of the huge portions) lies atop a heap of peppers & dried chillies. Meanwhile, a side order of sliced cucumber with sesame acts as a cooling agent. The insistent hit of chilli in the majority of dishes means there’s a somewhat one-dimensional quality to the cooking & there will be many who find a meal here interesting rather than enjoyable. Nevertheless, when Eurostar rolls into nearby St Pancras, epicurious Parisians won’t be able to find a better example of London’s famously diverse restaurant scene than Snazz Sichuan.

Squaremeal.co.uk