<\/p>\n
\nIt’s been an amazing week for Chinese cuisine in the GVRD. <\/span>The Critic’s Choices were finally revealed for this year’s Chinese Restaurant Awards<\/a>, and the first of Chowtimes<\/a>’ “Eight Great Traditions of Chinese Cuisine” dinners took place at Alvin Garden, featuring the food of Hunan. <\/span>\n<\/p>\n \nAs full disclosure, yours truly was part of the organizing team behind the latter. <\/span>There’s a good synopsis by local legend “Fmed” on the regional fare over at Chowtimes<\/a>, so I’ll spare you the details here and defer to his expert opinion. <\/span>Instead, \nOf the double-digit dishes Alvin Garden dished out that night, all but two or three featured chili peppers in some form. <\/span>This isn’t food for the faint of heart, and certainly what those travel sized rolls of Tums will come in handy for. <\/span>Instead
\nI’ll draw your attention to what he starts with: if there’s any one
\ningredient that characterizes Hunan cuisine, it’s the chili pepper.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n
\nof relying on numbing Sichuan peppercorns, this fare features
\nfire-breathing heat balanced against sweet, sour and savoury
\ncounterpoints, making it an interest array of contrasts.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n