I’M all for Szechuan cuisine if it’s not too “mala”, or numbing hot, from the liberal use of Szechuan peppercorns and chilli peppers.

Chuan Xiang Dynasty in Kuala Lumpur strikes the right balance with these two spices in the Ma Po Tofu, and Sliced Fish with Pickled Cabbage and Chilli.

The signature tingle from the peppercorns is apparent in the Ma Po Tofu, which has cubes of soft, silky bean curd cooked in a chilli bean sauce with minced pork. I welcomed the sensation because it doesn’t paralyse the palate.

The heat from the chilli is just right, and the garlicky sauce absolutely slurp-worthy.

The Sliced Fish with Pickled Cabbage and Chilli is a menu item at most Szechuan eateries.

Here, it’s a tangy soup with pickled cabbage – different from the usual local salted vegetables – and glass noodles. I would’ve preferred another type of fish, but was assured that high-grade tilapia farmed in clean waters is used.

True enough, the fish is fresh and sweet, but more importantly, the soup is full-bodied and appetising, going so well with the noodles.

We shared a big bowl of soupy Egg and Tomato Noodles, which turned out quite bland. The sour fish soup would’ve done this justice.

At Chuan Xiang Dynasty, I encountered “wosun”, also known as celtuce. It’s a cultivar of lettuce known for its thick, scaly stem with leaves at the top – somewhat resembling asparagus.

The thinly sliced celtuce, stir-fried with garlic and ginger, is sweet, and retains its colour and crunch.

It’s popular in Szechuan cuisine, and usually cooked with Szechuan peppercorns, too. The vegetable is high in manganese, which is good for regulating metabolism and blood-sugar levels.

The Crispy Fried Eggplant with Pork has thin pieces of the vegetable sandwiched with a layer of minced pork, coated in a light batter and deep-fried. Marvellously moreish, one can’t get enough.

The Xiao Chao Ruo, or pork belly fried with green and red chillies, is almost boring compared to the other dishes we had. Nevertheless, the meat, wonderfully tender, packs a punch.

As it was a birthday lunch, we orderd the Rice Wine Mash Soup with Dumplings for dessert. Some osmanthus in it would’ve been lovely.

The restaurant serves dim sum from 9am to 3pm daily. We had two items as a prelude to our meal – the Lo Mai Kai, or glutinous rice with mini abalone, and Fried Bean Curd Skin with Prawns.

Skilfully prepared, the Lo Mai Kai has grains that are almost separate, and infused with the flavours of abalone and Chinese sausage.

As for the latter, fried bean curd skin crumbles at the bite, giving way to bursty prawns.

The Ma Po Tofu is RM28, Sliced Fish with Pickled Cabbage and Chilli (RM46), Xiao Chao Ruo (RM26) and Fried Wosun (RM18). You can have eight baskets of dim sum for RM50+.

There are lots more Szechuan dishes to try here, such as the Handmade Dumplings, Hunan Flavour Steak, Deep-fried Lamb with Cumin and Spices, Stewed Pig’s Feet with Taro and Peanuts, and Wanzhou Roasted Fish.

Chuan Xiang Dynasty is located at 110-112, Jalan Loke Yew in Kuala Lumpur. It can be reached at 03-9226-0209 or +6018-213-7728 (Alex). – February 29, 2020.

* Eu Hooi-Khaw has been writing about food for the longest time, covering all aspects, from restaurant reviews to cooking and recipes, as well as the healthy side of it. She has written for major newspapers and magazines, published the cookbook Fresh Ingredients, and also writes for her website hooikhawandsu.com.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.