Slurp-worthy Sichuanese dishes and it’s not just noodles
This humble restaurant in a nondescript plaza doesn’t even have a website, but is thriving through word-of-mouth. The draw is their authentic and tasty Sichuan food.
Sichuan cuisine is the second most prevalent Chinese cuisine in the world, after Cantonese. It’s no exception in Toronto. Many Chinese restaurants here have a token Sichuan dish or two. The cuisine’s signature ingredient is Sichuan peppercorns, which has a numbing effect on the tongue. It might be a good thing because it distracts from the burn from the thick layers of chilli oil and slew of dried chillies.
Sichuan dishes are easy to make but hard to do well, so one has to travel out of the Toronto core to get good Sichuanese food. The best places are cheap and cheerful establishments, like Szechuan Noodle Bowl.
The food
As their name suggests, noodles are their specialty. They are hand-made and are blanched in a tantalizing red chilli oil.
For first-timers, I recommend the dan dan noodles (担担面). It’s an iconic dish that has spawned Taiwanese and Japanese versions. The ingredients are quite simple, really. Noodles and a viscous meat sauce spiked with Sichuan peppercorns. The difference between restaurants lies in the recipe for the sauce.
At Szechuan Noodle Bowl, the sauce was unctuous and moderately spicy. The noodles were thick and bouncy. A thin film of chilli oil clinged to the noodles, giving a spicy fragrance. The bowl was a heaping portion for its price. 8/10.
It’s not just noodles that they are good at. They have a variety of Sichuanese specialties. Take their shui zhu yu (水煮鱼; literally water-cooked fish), for instance. This is a traditional dish of poached fish, a base of vegetables, and finished with a thick layer of chilli oil and dried chillies.
It had a fragrant spicy taste that Sichuanese cuisine is famous for. It was very spicy but not unbearable for me. The fish pieces were tender. Not the best in Toronto but near the top. One bonus is that they give both bean sprouts and bak choy unlike other restaurants that only lets you pick one. 8/10.
The place
For COVID-19, they have set up a small outdoor tent that can sit around 8 diners. Inside, there is space for around 20.
Furnishings are plain and simple. It’s a no-nonsense place to eat and go.
Verdict
Everyday Sichuanese dishes done to standard or better. Cheap and satisfying. 8/10.
Practical information
- Name
- Szechuan Noodle Bowl
- Rating
- 8/10
- Recommended dishes
- Dan dan noodle
Shui zhu yu - Prices
- Dan dan noodle: $10.72 ($9.49 excluding tax)
Shui zhu yu: $15.76 ($13.95 excluding tax) - Address
- 400 Dundas Street East, Mississauga
- Hours
- Monday to Thursday 1100h – 2130h
Friday to Saturday 1100h – 2200h
Sunday 1100h – 2100h - Date of visit
- September 2020, June 2021