Szechuan Feast in Manila

It was a scorching Wednesday afternoon, when I found myself traveling from my abode to  somewhere near MOA called the W Mall.

My mission? To find Kuanzhai Alley and discover its eats.

Here's what I found

14 dishes of varying heats and  authentic


Eggplant Cookie Teppanyaki

Braised Pork in Brown Sauce

Baby cabbage in chiken sauce

Vegetable with talong

home grown
 its a province and a regional cuisine

 Baby Cabbage Soup

So simple a name for a complex-flavored soup. One of my favorites, the broth was  was really scrumptious.

I do not know what the equivalent of this dish was in the restaurant's menu. But the diced chicken in the sweetish sauce and its crunchy green and bell pepper were quite delicious.

This cold chicken appetizer  just had the right kick to whet the appetite.

A really spicy broth with tripe and some innards, this was an intriguing dish.

This fish dish was one of my favorites. Reminiscent of  our more familiar sweet and sour fish but less saccharine and more spicy,  I can not help but return to it several times. Turned out it was indeed fish wrapped in eggplant. So good.   You would need bowls of rice for this.

Are you ready for crisped chicken that were diced so small and deep fried, you can eat them like chicharon. Perfect for foodies who have a high threshold for spicy dishes.

That is jelly smothered in spicy sauce. A good starter to wake up your taste buds.

  I love mushrooms so this was  an enjoyable dish for me.

Spicy and flavorful, this noodle broth was a joy  to indulge in. A little too hot for me though

Think ceviche pig's ears . My first thought when I saw the dish-- kilawin. 

 One of the most memorable dish in the spread for me.  Vegetables especially the egg plant where still recognizable, fresh and really delicious

Reminiscent of our local adobo or patatim, this was easily one that is familiar and delicious

Overall, it was a lunch spread that demanded the attention of all the senses.

The predominantly warm colors of red and orange, the  pungent smell of garlic and szechuan pepper , the  exotic sounding names of the dishes that was pronounced as each plate landed on the table , the mouth feel of  the potpourri-like dry combo of chicken and dehydrated peppers - were harbingers of the spicy road that awaited our palate.

After all Szechuan is a cuisine that its famous for   making  the eyes water and sinuses to clear .

Just to be clear though,  their food were quite delicious albeit really hot. At any  rate my favorites were the fish, the vegetables, the baby cabbage soup, the cold chicken  and the pork-adobo-like dish.

Highly recommending you try Kuanzhai, at least once