[Revisited] Pin Chuan
By Michael O., Oct 31st, 2007 | In Dining
I avoided Pin Chuan at first because a Shanghainese friend derided it as a "place that only foreigners go," alluding that it's not authentic Sichuan food and packaged for tourists. So she took me to other Sichuan restaurants around town and I found most of them disappointing -- including the over-rated South Beauty, and many of the cheaper places that have "Shanghai-ed" the taste with the oily sweetness of Shanghai cuisine, and lacking that ma la (numb spicy -- Sichuan peppercorns and hot chili peppers) flavor that sets Sichuan food apart. One exception, Yu Xin, which is simply the best Sichuan I've had outside of the province itself. Anyway, a couple years ago I was invited to dine at Pin Chuan, and it quickly become one of my favorite restaurants in the city. For two years now I've been lunching and dining at Pin Chuan about once a week.
Even if Pin Chuan isn't the most authentic Sichuan restaurant, it excels above the others with clean, fresh ingredients, well-crafted dishes and, guess what, good service! The prices are also reasonable, and you can put together a fine meal for two at about 100-150rmb.
ADVERTISEMENT
Hassle free ticket purchasing and delivery for Shanghai's cultural and concert events:
No comments yet
Please sign in or register to comment