On the site of the Empress of Sichuan, Er Mei continues to fly the flag for lip-numbing Szechuan cuisine in a setting that is quite sleek and formal by Chinatown standards – although this is no high-end eatery. A garish pictorial menu posted outside tells its own story, with a contingent of cold and hot starters giving way to peasant-style stews, hotpots and stir-fries often packed with esoteric ingredients and anatomical titbits. Kick off proceedings with a plate of beef tripe and mashed garlic, marinated jellyfish with chicken or chilli octopus with dried orange peel, before tackling boiled sea bass with tofu and blood pudding, crab baked with salted egg yolk or hot-and-sour ‘pig’s joint’ with chilli and pea shoots. Noodles, dumplings and buns satisfy the lunchtime crowd, while soothing drinks range from Sun Lik draught beer and various teas to cold soya milk. Karaoke facilities available.