We're making the water-boiled fish today. It's exemplary of Sichuan cooking and of the mala flavor. SETH: So water-boiled fish, I know this dish is going to be a lot tastier than the name might imply.

Water-boiled fish is one of the most impressive dishes in the Sichuan repertoire: an enormous bowl of vegetables and broth bloodied with a half-inch of vivid chile oil.

The version at Szechuan Impression, labeled Boiled Fish With Rattan Pepper, is subtler, the fillets more delicate, the broth almost mild enough to sip (although you will not be provided with a spoon).

The restaurant's fish hotpot features the spicy flavor of Sichuan and the fresh taste of boiled fish. It is spicy, but not excessive. All its spices are derived from natural elements, with no ...

Remember when I brought some Sichuan peppercorns into the office to try out on the rest of the Observer staff? I've been looking for fiery Sichuan cooking on and off ever since. At the end of that ...

During these turbulent weeks, it is fitting that we’ve turned to the spicy, complex flavors of Szechwan food for comfort. On a recent Saturday night, Pleasant Hill’s unassuming Sichuan Fortune ...

Chengdu House juggles multiple roles, but it’s got Szechuan dishes down pat. ... Tea-smoked duck, cold pork bellies, spicy boiled fish in chili oil, lukewarm “mouth-watering chicken. ...

Such gloom seems surprising. Chengdu has a bustling food scene with many thousands of restaurants, from chic newer ones to hole-in-the-wall places called “fly diners.” ...