Sichuan Dining Room Hawthorn
The wildly ornate exterior of Sichuan Dining Room is an appropriate introduction to the decadence within. The gold-fabric-swathed columns that frame the entrance are bedecked with red and gold lanterns, while fierce dragon sculptures guard the kerbside seating on bustling Glenferrie Road. The dining room within is just as richly decorated with stately mahogany dining chairs and an abundance of gold. The friendly waves of maneki neko (lucky cats) add an offbeat twist to all this grandeur.
The menu is a glossy full colour affair, offering a welcome preview of the dishes, which range from traditional Sichuan to modern Asian and even Japanese-inspired sculptures of sashimi. Entrees range from spicy sweet potato chips to ginkgo-infused steamed vegetables with bean jelly, while the mains entice with such dishes as salmon and lobster served on a bed of carved ice; or Sichuan-style sea cucumber stuffed with sweet pork mince. The 'saliva beef' with chilli chicken feet is too curious to pass up, though the name apparently refers to how diners react to the scent and sight of it, rather than to any unsavoury secret ingredient.
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