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Pork / Chicken / Shrimp / Mushroom / Greens / Braised
This dish is a quintessential Sichuan specialty, distinguished by its vibrant green hues accented with delicate touches of white and pink. It was ingeniously adapted by affluent immigrants who brought their chefs to Sichuan, allowing them to acclimate to the region's humid climate and red-hot summers.
The preparation begins with blanching yam leaves, which are then finely shredded to impart a bittersweet flavor that perfectly complements the dish. The meatball features a meticulous blend of 70% fat and 30% lean pork belly sourced from Yunlin's renowned "Happy Pig," combined with shrimp, chicken, king oyster mushrooms, Chinese water chestnut, and bamboo shoots. The exterior is elegantly coated with a slurry of egg whites and cornstarch, resulting in a smooth, tender texture.
Sichuan cuisine is celebrated for its intricate balance of contrasting flavors and properties, such as sour vs. sweet, bitter vs. sweet, and cooling vs. nourishing. This meatball with yam leaves is a prime example of this harmonious interplay of taste and texture, embodying the essence of Sichuan culinary artistry.
Star Garoupa / Longan / Unfermented Broad Bean Sauce / Pickle Chili / Steamed
The fillet of Star Garoupa is expertly steamed at a precise temperature of 104°C to maintain its delicate texture. Once perfectly cooked, it is adorned with a lychee-flavored sauce, expertly thickened with longan fruit, dried longan, aged broad bean sauce, and unfermented broad bean sauce. This sauce provides an initial mild sour and spicy taste that transitions into a gentle sweetness, offering a rich layering of flavors complemented by the subtle aroma of fermented broad bean sauce.
The lychee-flavored sauce itself is noted for its pleasant acidity and sweetness, a hallmark in many hot dishes. It masterfully balances sour and sweet notes on a savory foundation, enriched with aromatic ginger, scallions, and garlic. The sugar content is deliberately kept lower than the vinegar, creating a flavor profile reminiscent of lychee — sweet, sour, salty, and fragrant.
Surf Clam / Scallops / Chili / Green Sichuan Pepper / Wok-Fried
Begin by heating oil in a wok, then introduce fresh green and red chili peppers, dried green Sichuan pepper, dried red Sichuan pepper, dried Kung Pao pepper, chopped scallions, and minced garlic. Stir-fry until the mixture becomes aromatic, then add the scallops and surf clams. The resulting dish is characterized by a fragrant, numbing, and spicy profile, with a subtle hint of sour sweetness.
Taiwanese Abalone / Beef Tongue / Green Sichuan Pepper/ Chicken & Pork Broth / Poached
This dish has been meticulously chosen for its fragrant, numbing, and refreshing qualities. For this purpose, we utilize American Wagyu beef tongue and Taiwanese abalone sourced from the northeast coast. These ingredients are thinly sliced and blanched with green Sichuan pepper, chicken, and pork broth. Just before serving, a drizzle of hot Sichuan pepper oil enhances the fragrance of the green Sichuan pepper, elevating the overall sensory experience.
Chicken / Lobster / Egg White / Stir-Fried
A classic masterpiece in Sichuan cuisine, this dish boasts a pristine white color and a cloud-like form. Known for its exquisite craftsmanship, it is often referred to as "eating chicken without seeing chicken" due to its texture, reminiscent of a delicate chicken tofu pudding. At Chuan Ya, we select premium Taiwan chicken breast, finely chop it with the back of a knife, meticulously remove the tendons, and then mix it with egg whites. The mixture is quickly stir-fried in a hot wok until it is ninety percent cooked, achieving a soft, smooth texture akin to tofu.
The dish is finished with a drizzle of hot chicken oil to enhance its aroma. It is elegantly paired with sweet, fresh lobster and caviar, creating a harmonious balance of saltiness and freshness. Served on a slice of crisp carrot, it adds an additional layer of texture, making each bite a refined and delightful experience.
Beef ‘Collagen’ / Pork & Chicken Reduction / Radish / Chili / Slow-cooked
A traditional Sichuan banquet dish, this culinary marvel was created by the legendary Songyun Zhang. Known for its meticulous preparation, this dish demands significant time, effort, and a selection of premium ingredients, and is now on the brink of extinction. The preparation spans approximately two days, beginning with fresh beef forehead sourced from Tainan.
Initially, the beef is marinated with ginger and scallions to eliminate any unpleasant odors. It is then pressed under a heavy weight and refrigerated overnight to set its shape. Following this, the beef forehead undergoes a six-hour braise in a specially prepared braising liquid. Once removed, it is slowly cooked in a rich broth until the sauce thickens, enhancing its flavor and texture.
The beef head meat is exceptionally rich in protein and amino acids, while the collagen in the beef head skin contributes to its tender and flavorful quality, offering a melt-in-your-mouth texture comparable to top-quality fish maw. This exquisite dish is served atop a bed of radish, which enhances the texture and flavor, providing a refreshing and nourishing complement to the luxurious beef.
Japanese Wagyu A5 / Aged Broad Bean Sauce / Hawthorn
Meticulously selected, the New York strip of A5 Japanese Wagyu from Kagoshima, Japan, is elegantly paired with crisp asparagus, vibrant carrots, and a winter melon ball infused with yellow lantern chili and passion fruit. This winter melon ball offers a delightful combination of crunchiness, sweetness, sourness, and a refreshing tang, tantalizing the palate with each bite.
The Wagyu can be enjoyed as it is, highlighting its exquisite original flavor, or enhanced with a sauce crafted from hawthorn, red wine, and aged broad bean sauce. This sauce imparts a subtly tart taste that perfectly balances the richness of the Wagyu, allowing you to savor each succulent bite fully.
Penghu Lobster / Green Sichuan Pepper Sauce / Steamed
For this dish, we select fresh Penghu Lobster, which is complemented by a base of green Sichuan pepper sauce masterfully crafted by our head chef. The sauce features a blend of green Sichuan pepper, green line pepper, Manganji green pepper, ginger, garlic, and rapeseed oil. This combination creates a fragrant and tantalizingly flavorful foundation, perfectly enhancing the natural sweetness and delicate texture of the lobster.
Fish Maw / Lamb Rack / Fish & Lamb Reduction
During the Republic of China era, the legendary Songyun Zhang created this dish, but its complete and specific method remained a mystery for many years. Through diligent study, integration, and taste adjustment, Yuanfu Zhang, the leader of Song Yun Ze, restored this long-forgotten dish, bringing it back to the state banquet table. Building upon this remarkable restoration, Chuan Ya's head chef has further elevated the dish, which boasts a history of over a hundred years.
The dish features a New Zealand lamb rack, seared to perfection, and paired with dried fish maw. It is then drizzled with a broth made from grass carp and lamb bones, resulting in a juicy, tender, and fragrant taste. What defines freshness? It lies within the perfect combination of fish and lamb, creating an exceptionally fresh and harmonious flavor profile.
Sea Cucumber / Pork / Aged Broad Bean Sauce / 13 Spices / Braised
Drawing inspiration from the traditional dry-braised fish dish pioneered by the esteemed Chinese artist Daqian Zhang, our creation showcases American sea cucumber meticulously slow-braised with pickled peppers and minced pork. This process allows the sea cucumber to absorb the rich flavors fully. Seasoned with an array of aromatic spices and cooked until dry, the result is a fragrant and succulent dish with an intense and indulgent flavor profile.
Half Baby Pigeon / Sichuan Pepper / Roasted
Crafted with a blend of exquisite spices, including Sichuan Hanyuan pepper, green Sichuan pepper, cloves, Tsaoko Amomum Fruits, cinnamon, and bay leaves, a meticulously prepared brine is the cornerstone of this dish. Into this bespoke infusion, a 10-tael baby pigeon sourced from Pingtung is immersed, allowing it to absorb the intricate flavors.
Following its luxurious marination, the pigeon undergoes a meticulous air-drying process, culminating in a crispy, golden-brown skin. Delicately drizzled with oil, the outcome is a symphony of succulent meat encased in a crispy exterior, permeated with the fragrant essence of spices. Each bite reveals a gratifying texture, coupled with a nuanced numbing sensation, creating a culinary experience that unfolds with every slow, savory indulgence.
Tofu / Beef / Blended Broad Bean Sauce / Braised
During the late Qing Dynasty, there was a small eatery near the Wanfu Bridge Pier in Chengdu. The proprietress, Qiaoqiao Wen, was known for her beauty and fair skin, while her husband, Chunfu Chen, was nicknamed "Mazi Chen" by the locals due to his pockmarked face. Consequently, Qiaoqiao Wen was jokingly called "Mapo Chen." The restaurant was renowned for its delicious tofu, thus giving rise to the dish known as Mapo Tofu — crafted with homemade nigari soft tofu, aged broad bean sauce, minced ginger and garlic, ground beef and pork, chili powder, pepper powder, and chopped scallions, the dish is expertly seasoned with a symphony of flavors — salt, sugar, black pepper, thirteen spice powder, mature vinegar, and Sichuan pepper.
Mapo Tofu's distinct allure lies in its multifaceted character — numbing, spicy, hot, fragrant, crispy, tender, fresh, and vibrant — a testament to the culinary prowess and innovation of Chengdu's gastronomic heritage.
Pork / Garlic / Pickled Pepper / Vegetable / Stir-Fried
Fish Flavored Shredded Pork is meticulously crafted using shredded pork from Taiwan's renowned Yunlin "Happy Pig," along with celtuce or cucumber, wood ear mushrooms, and bamboo shoots. Finely chopped pickled peppers and garlic are added to the mix before stir-frying to perfection. This flavorful combination is then paired with a sweet and savory fish-flavored sauce, enriched with aged broad bean sauce and pickled peppers.
Resulting in an enticing aroma that captivates the senses, accompanied by a delightful balance of sweetness, sourness, and refreshing flavors.
Pork / Bamboo Shoot / Blended Broad Bean Sauce / Black Beans / Wok-Fried
Twice Cooked Pork holds a significant position in Sichuan cuisine, often acclaimed as the first of Sichuan cuisine, and is a nostalgic taste for Sichuan locals. When Sichuan cuisine is mentioned, people's thoughts naturally drift to Twice Cooked Pork, evoking mouthwatering anticipation.
This dish presents a true test of a chef's skill, requiring precision knife work and mastery of heat control. It's a symphony of color, aroma, and flavor, perfectly complementing a steaming bowl of rice. At Chuan Ya, we carefully select "Happy Pig" pork from Yunlin, swiftly stir-frying it over high heat to achieve a tantalizing sear and render the fat, resulting in a characteristic inward curl reminiscent of a lantern.
We then add aged broad bean sauce, fermented black beans, sweet bean sauce, chili oil, and garlic sprouts, infusing the dish with an explosion of fragrance. With a flawless balance of lean and fat, each bite offers a springy texture, tender consistency, and just the right amount of satisfying grease, creating an unforgettable home-style dining experience.