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| - Finally made it to Hunan Bar for a non-hot pot meal and, even knowing I loved this place coming in, it exceeded my expectations.
STEAMED FISH WITH CHOPPED CHILIS: The obligatory order here. Or, at least it ought to be, as one of the signature dishes of Hunan region. I wanted just the fish head, but in the absence of its availability, settled for a whole one. The dish was cooked in much more chili oil than I would have liked--a bit excessive even compared to this dish's usual over-oiliness at typical Hunan places. But, the result was transcendently tender flesh. I do not remember the last time I had cooked fish that was textured so perfectly. The taste of the chili topping was right on as well. I enjoyed the hell out of this dish.
SWEET & SOUR PORK RIBS: A favorite of mine, this dish was done magnificently here. The pork was the perfect amount of chewy (an important texture for this dish cooked authentically), and the sauce was a magical, sweet, sticky elixir that I wanted to drown everything in. White sesame seeds and scallions on top were icing on the cake. I could eat this dish every day.
LAMB SOUP: This was on special, and true to what the server told me, it was nothing but lamb and water, and it was absolutely delicious. As a lamb lover, I really appreciated the deep flavor of the broth. The amount of bone-on lamb included was generous too. This tasted like the ideal of what I would want if I were making it in my home kitchen.
Food-wise, a perfect meal at Hunan Bar. The only downside was the BAR part. I came in expecting to order drinks for my birthday and was sorely disappointed. They had bottled/canned beer and Sutter Home red wine in portion-sized plastic bottles, but that was it. I couldn't even get a shot of vodka in some bubble tea or something. Sad sauce. The bottles behind the bar are apparently "for show." So, please come here for dinner. Please definitely don't expect to get your drink on with it. Order the scary spicy fish. Man up and eat it.
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