Little Sichuan @ San Mateo

168 E 4th Ave.
San Mateo, CA 94402

This is a Chinese restaurant, I am Chinese. I’ve been here several times with different types of crowds. It’s a quite famous restaurnat among Chinese people for their “Sichan” style crusine, namely, spicy food. I was always hesitant going to this restaurant with other Chinese friends – for Chinese people going there, they tend aiming for the SPICY dishes. And, at times those food do not agree with my stomach.

This time it’s a crappy weather day and I just got out of a total 4 hours intensive workshop. Rainny outside and I was all exhausted and sweaty. I was up for some comfort and filling food.

薺菜豆腐羹
Shepherd’s-purse Tofu Soup

Ratings: 3 out of 5

Shepherd's-purse Tofu Soup

Shepherd’s-purse, a type of vegetable that has triangular, purse-like pods with the Latin name Capsella bursa-pastoris. It added a special flavor to this tofu soup. And I enjoyed the color and texture of the vegetable very much. The tofu was very tender and smooth. A bit pork enhanced the whole flavor to the already very savory soup. I am sure the soup had some starch to make it slightly thicker but not too thick. This was a very comforting soup in a rainy and exhausting day like that day.

Pickle Lamb with Clear Noodle

酸菜羊肉冬粉
Pickle Lamb with Clear Noodle

Ratings: 4 out of 5

How should I address this dish? Well.. how about this, everytime I think about this dish my mouth starts watering.. yeah, like right now! The pickle lam is always one of my favorite dishes that is often found in Muslim Chinese restaurants. The pickle is not the typical American pickle. It’s the similar kind of process but using cabbage instead. For some reason I am never fond of the regular pickle but really have this special tooth for the pickle cabbage – in a dish of course. I am normally not a big fan of sour/vinegar food but this one I love <3. I enjoy the special flavor of the lamb with the strong sour savory taste of the pickle cabbage combination. It does have quite strong flavors I have to say – that’s where the clear noodle is highly appreciated. No secret, I am a big fan of noodles. Any kind. Even this one that’s made out of bean starch. It’s very smooth and has the very chewy testure than the regular noodles. My theory is that the noodles are extra flavored because it’s quite thin and easier to absorb the sauce from the dish – it’s a very good compliment to the bold taste of this dish. Last note, this is a GREAT dish to pair rice with… YUM!