In Mr. A’s opinion, the Mapo Dofu
(麻婆豆腐) at Szechwan Restaurant CHEN was superb.
The dofu dish came with a bowl
of steamed rice and small plates of Szechwan pickle slices and mahogany-colored
honey and sesame glazed walnuts. Captivated
by the spicy fragrant aroma and red hot look of the dish, Mr. A sampled it immediately.
He was pleased with the complex flavor of the sauce, which was made with
doubanjiang (豆瓣醬) and small
amounts of sweet sauce, chili paste, fermented black beans, red chili oil and
Szechwan peppercorn oil. Fine Szechwan
peppercorn flakes were sprinkled over the dish as the final touch. There was plenty of “ma 麻” (the
numbing effect from Szechwan peppercorn) and “la 辣” (spicy
heat from doubanjiang and chili) to
stimulate his taste buds without overwhelming them. The mild dofu and sweet minced pork formed a perfect stage for the intense sauce. Mr. A was hooked by the spicy, salty and umami flavors that filled his mouth. These flavors came together in harmony and showed off the depth and dimensions of the Mapo Dofu dish. He ate spoon after spoon until it was all gone. Indeed, the Mapo Dofu at Szechwan Restaurant CHEN was superb.
That the Mapo Dofu is so good at Szechwan Restaurant CHEN is expected as the restaurant is named after the famous Chinese Iron Chef, Chen Kin’ichi (陳建一), whose signature dish is Mapo Dofu. Chef Chen does not cook at the restaurant. The executive chef is Komoda Kinya (菰田欣也) who began his career in 1988 in another Chen restaurant. Szechwan Restaurant CHEN is at the Cerulean Tower in Shibuya, Tokyo. It also has branches in Nagoya and Takamatsu.
