9 reasons we love ChiliSpot in University City

We can argue about which of China’s regional cuisines is the greatest, but there’s no doubt that the spicy but deeply nuanced food of Southwest China’s Sichuan province demands a prominent place in that conversation. When we want good Sichuan cuisine — and Chinese homestyle classics too — in St. Louis, we head for ChiliSpot. Here’s why.

1. The atmosphere here is sociable and approachable: It’s neither hushed and restrained nor overwhelmingly noisy, and the crowd includes everyone from college students to families with grandparents and grandchildren in tow. Whether you’re dining in a larger, more rambunctious group or dining alone and people-watching, you’ll feel right at home.

 

 

2. The portions are large, so it pays to bring friends. And of course, the larger your group, the more you can order. Gather around one of ChiliSpot’s round tables, load up the lazy susan and spin it to grab more of the dishes you love before they’re all gone.

3. The enormous menu not only guarantees there’s always something new to try, ChiliSpot also makes ordering easier by providing photos of many of the dishes: If it looks good to you, get it.

4. The “dry pot” section of the menu shows off a Sichuanese approach to cooking that’s similar to hot pot, just – as the name suggests – minus the broth. We return regularly to the cauliflower dry pot, which is spicy and rich, infused with aromatics and red and green chiles. You can also take this a step further and go for the build-your-own dry pot option.

5. Fish stews and soups served in huge portions as a centerpiece for the table are something China takes very seriously, and these dishes are a recurring theme at ChiliSpot. You need to try each of these once to sample their diverse flavor profiles, so plan visits around the spicy grilled fish (kaoyu), a whole fish served in a shallow, spicy broth and topped with a mound of chile peppers, peanuts, cilantro and scallions; the boiled sliced fish in hot sauce (shuizhu yu), which features fish in a sharp, spicy and oily broth; and the fish fillet with pickled soup (suancai yu), a fish broth that shows off Sichuanese cuisine’s ability to blend sour and savory notes effortlessly while still retaining that signature kick of spice.

6. The boiled fish with Chinese green pepper is distinguished by its use of green huajiao (“flower pepper”). These peppercorns impart herbal, floral notes alongside the tingle of numbing spice that diners familiar with this pepper’s red counterpart will recognize. The smooth, flaky texture of the fish is a perfect foil for the silky broth, which also includes green peppercorn oil.

8. ChiliSpot supplements its more unique offerings with best-in-class versions of classic staples. The kung pao chicken is a case in point: boneless chunks of chicken, peanuts, scallions, scorched dried chile peppers, garlic, ginger and more, all doused in a sweet, tangy and slightly spicy sauce.

9. Liangcai, or cold dishes, are an essential part of any meal in China, and ChiliSpot has a number of excellent examples. Don’t miss the chewy texture of the wood ear mushroom salad, the handmade green bean jelly in chile sauce (mung bean shaped into strips of jelly-like noodles topped with a deep-red chile oil), or the Sichuan cold noodles, which are spicy, sweet and – thanks to a little Chinese black vinegar – a little sour.

7930 Olive Blvd., University City, 314.925.8711, chilispotusa.com