The Hungry Chili - Blowers St, Halifax - NS4Sale

Rednecktech · 02-14-2007, 11:08 PM

The food in this little placing is unreal!! Sooo good it's insane!

Here's a link to their menu: http://foodpages.ca/hungrychili?vmenuo=1&item=

And here's a quote from Foodcritic.ca

Quote:

Hungry Chilli
5234 Blowers Street
444 3554

Finally made my way to the Hungry Chilli and all I can say is “Hothothot!” Authentic Szechuan cuisine is promised, and delivers. No holding back, no “dumbing down” of ingredients or heat levels for North American taste buds, the fiery heat is front and center of some of the menu’s best items.
The Hungry Chilli opened last September in the former Thai spot (that mushroomed into Ba’an Thai), and has quickly become a metro favourite for food thrill seekers. At first glance, the Hungry Chilli doesn’t look like much. The décor is Spartan; fancy touches, non-existent. The bathroom, while spotlessly clean, could use a coat of paint.
Once the food arrives, the complexity of flavours explodes against the stark surroundings, and it’s quickly evident that (as it should be), the food is the star of the show.
Not everything on the menu is hot, but everything we sample is delicious; no bland cornstarch laden goopy sauces here. The food is made to order, and the anticipation is heightened by the sizzling sounds and odors wafting from the tiny kitchen in back of the dining room.
Spring rolls (4 for 5.99) are the best I’ve had in the SuperCity. Crisp vegetables and glass noodles are tucked inside wrappers and served with a sweet chilli sauce that set off the rolls without overwhelming the delicate flavours of the vegetables. Jasmine scented rice, available in three different sizes, is the perfect foil for the dishes called “hot numbing”. The aptly named hot numbing chicken (10.49) and hot numbing shrimp (11.99) are, well, hot. Sautéed with whole dried chilies, peppers, onions and sprinkled with nuts, these dishes are not for the faint of heart. But for those who can stand the eye-watering, nose-running heat, they’re an absolute delight. The portions are very large; the shrimp is plentiful (as is the chicken), absolute perfection.
No less remarkable are the tangy pork (9.99) and sweet-sour beef (9.99); somewhat tamer, not quite numbing, these dishes still serve up big taste. The pork shares its not overly spicy sauce with carrots, bamboo shoots and onion; the beef also has chunks of celery, onion and dainty carrot slices with fluted edges. The sweet and sour sauce is nothing like the shiny red glaze prevalent in most Chinese restaurants. This sauce is a delicate blend of not-too-sweet and more-hot-than-sour, absolutely fabulous and a nice middle ground between the “numbing” dishes and the spring rolls, say.
The thin egg noodles that accompany these dishes are cooked expertly, no mushiness here. Not surprising, as co-owner Yan Huang began cooking at a very young age with her mother, and spent 15 years in South China honing her skills in Szechuan cuisine.
As well as the main items, there are some desserts available, and cooling treats like mango smoothies and iced tea; the menu offers combos that allow guests to sample a wide variety of food without committing to one dish. We leave, waving thanks to our gracious hostess and burping tiny flames.
Portions are big, cheap and very filling, and the cooking is distinctly home-style--like a Southern China diner. Bring cash, as the Hungry Chilli doesn’t have an Interac machine yet (they’re working on that), bring a sense of culinary adventure, and be prepared, as the menu says, “to let chili dance on your tongue”.