Snazz Sichuan

King’s Cross might be a long way from Soho’s Chinatown, but there’s no doubting the authenticity of the Szechuan cooking here. Let the friendly staff usher you into the dining room – traditionally furnished with cloth-covered banqueting chairs & round tables, plus booths at the back – & you’ll be seduced by exotic aromas from the kitchen. Chilli is the standout flavour on a menu that’s strong on lesser-known cuts & hyperbolic dish descriptions: witness ‘fire-exploded kidney flowers’, ‘hot & numbing boiled fish’ or the signature hotpot, where duck tongues or raw strips of pork colon (alongside shrimps or chicken) are dipped into simmering stock. If obscure offal & dry-fried intestines with peppers aren’t your thing, try the tamer repertoire of hot & sour soup, steamed spare ribs, & chicken with crispy lotus root. Snazz Sichuan is popular with high-ranking Chinese officials, who seem to have no trouble handling the fearsome heat.