Chinese Corner: Maurya

What: An authentic taste of spicy Sichuan

Where: 75 Mengzi Dong Lu. Tel: 3307 0770

Why: Mouth-numbing morsels that are all dressed up

Too often in Shanghai, Sichuanese cuisine is watered down for the locals – both Shanghainese and expats. But for those who don’t pa la, then Maurya will be a welcome relief from bowls of mild dan dan mian and plates of la zi ji that seem to have misplaced the la. While the restaurant has only been open for two months, it already stands head and shoulders above most of its other, meeker counterparts around town.

Not just one to bring good ol’ homestyle Sichuan food to the big city, Maurya’s founders, the guys behind the FCC restaurant group, have brought a peacock fetish along with traditional dishes. Tiffany blue walls, Baccarat crystal goblets and glazed pottery from the Tang Dynasty set the scene for a decidedly upscale Chinese dining experience.

While the design might be a fusion of east and west, the menu doesn’t falter from its Chinese roots. Sure, there’s a few Cantonese options to choose from, but the owners didn’t cherry pick Chef Zhan from a restaurant in Sichuan for his dim sum skills. The man knows his way around a mouth-numbing chili pepper and he’s not afraid to prove it. Sample the stewed rabbit head with hot sauce (RMB 46) for a taste of what we mean – rarely do you find this ingredient on menus around town, but Zhan doesn’t shirk from the piquancy or offal. If you can get over the visual impact of the dish, you’ll sample some seriously tender rabbit meat. And the brain ain’t half bad either. If skulls aren’t your idea of leftovers, then the boiled rabbit with spicy sauce (RMB 47) is a smart alternative.

The chef adds a little playfulness into his dishes, like the stir fried sliced king prawns (RMB 85). Served with chili and vegetables, the shellfish are smacked until almost transparent, rendering their meat into an elastic texture that can easily be mistaken for thinly sliced pork. If you need a respite from all that spicy cooking, try the Cantonese stews. The palatable and hearty stewed meat ball mixed with mashed codfish (RMB 56) balances out the fire. Those who like to walk on the wild side of a mouth-numbing pepper and aren’t afraid of a potentially devastating morning after should sample the hot shredded pork with minced chili (RMB 79). Finish the whole dish and it’s on the house. Even in the name of journalistic integrity, you couldn’t tempt us.