It’s hard not to order dan dan noodles or mapo tofu when visiting a Szechuan restaurant. Those are two familiar dishes that almost always hit home, but I have had them so many times and menus at restaurants like this are often pages long.
I came to Shan, a welcome addition to Cobble Hill, during their weekday lunch special, which was a pretty great deal and featured some of the usual offerings. My eye was drawn to the fish filets since I know Szechuan restaurants bring out the flavor when it comes to fish and I wanted to try something a little different.
The waiter steered me toward the fish cooked in a chili sauce and I would like to publicly thank him for his recommendation.
Chunks of white meaty fish (possibly sole) allowed the dark spicy sauce to infiltrate every morsel. The same thing happened to the plump bok choy and cabbage.
This rustic dish was spicy, but not overwhelming with the numbness or burn. There was a balanced sweetness and also a heady aroma of garlic.
The sauce was good enough to slurp as a soup, but I preferred it in conjunction with the rice once the other ingredients were gone.
This came with a side of hot and sour soup and pickled vegetables, which made for a satisfying warming meal.
The menu here goes well beyond the lunch specials, so I know I’ll be back. And I’ll do everything I can to resist the temptation of the mapo tofu and dan dan noodles. But sometimes resistance is futile. Price: $17 (lunch special), $24 (dinner)
| SHAN |
| 191 Smith Street (between Warren and Baltic Street), Cobble Hill, Brooklyn (347) 294-4660 |
| shannyc.com |
