Ba Shan is a sister restaurant to Bar Shu (across the street) and Baozi Inn .
The speciality here is xiao chi (small eats/dishes) from Sichuan, Hunan and Shaanxi and like the other restaurants in the group Fuschia Dunlop has acted as a consultant.
The restaurant is divided into several themed sections ranging from a snack seating one at the front to a wonderful shadow puppet theatre and farmers cottage.
My companion and I decided to more or less follow what Helen Yuet Ling Pang (World Foodie Guide, one of my favorite food bloggers in London) had the previous evening but added a few extras:
Five-spiced beef salad with coriander and garlic
Deep fried prawns with chilli sauce
jiamo with cumin-spiced beef
Jiamo with cumin - spiced chicken
Pork chaoshou with spiced soy sauce, chilli oil and garlic
Prawn & water chestnut dumplings served with vinegar
Chicken & shiitake mushroom dumplings served with spicy, garlicky sauce
Shaanxi noodles with pork, beancurd and hot and fragrant sizzling oil
Noodles with red-braised beef and carrot
Braised Aubergine
Dan Dan Noodles
Pot marked old woman’s beancurd
We drank a fairly average Pinot Grigio ,the wine list is very limited and badly chosen just like Bar Shu.
Everything was really delicious as is the food at Bar Shu (currently being refurbished after a kitchen fire).
The dishes that truly stood out for me were all the dumpling dishes (clearly home made) all of which had tremendous flavour and texture – all the ingredients blending in perfectly.
The small bite sized Jiamo were really fresh and satifying.
The Pot marked old woman’s beancurd was actually better that the one I had at Bar Shu and probably the best I have ever had outside China.
However I fund the noodle dishes a bit disappointing probably due to the lack of flavour in the soup This is where Hunan in Pimlico shines, Peng father and son make stocks that are second to none. Stocks in any cuisine are crucial and the more effort , care and attention is taken the better the dish be it a Rissotto , Blanquette de Veau , Avgolemono Soup or Laksa.
I look forward to working my way through the rest of the menu.
2 comments:
I found my meal there over-priced and bland. The 'blogging royalty' didn't agree with me, but at the prices they charge I won't be giving them another chance I'm afraid.
Thanks for dropping by.
You are Royalty too !
I thought the noodle dishes were very bland but really adored all the dumplings - in fact would love to have them for breakfast.
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