Yu

First review of 2016 (Time to do another 2016 100 review challenge I guess?!).
I really should review this place as I’m there almost once or twice a week.
So what was the big attraction of this place? For me it was the Sichuan Dan Dan Noodles (四川擔擔麵) which tastes quite authentic according to many sichuan friends (I haven’t been to Sichuan province yet, but it is on my list. Maybe this year is the year who knows?!).
You know its so good that they’ve got a write up on the dish and have put up the prices multiple times in the last 6 months. Also it’s not very expensive so you that also warrants multiple visits in a week — lets hope the prices don’t go up too much.
The levels of spiciness is also quite authentic (on par with sichuan restaurants on the mainland, which I guess is close enough to the real deal. For my frame of reference — I’ve been to Sichuan restaurants in Shanghai which was recommended by Sichuan friends so I guess I know what I’m tasting). For the real deal, get 3 or 4 chillies, and then wash it down with some soy juice (豆奶).
Though I guess if you were going in a large group, you might have to wait a little as the place is small. If you go on your own, you can almost walk in without waiting.

The space is small and seating can be a bit cramped, but the food makes up for it. The spice levels are fairly authentic here, and your meal can be tailored according to your preference — from 1 chili (BB spicy) to 4 chilies (extra spicy). You can also request to have your food not spicy. I typically alternate between 1 and 2 chilies.
For lunch, I usually get the Yu’s Tasting Set Menu and share it with a friend, adding an extra bowl of noodles on the side. The set menu comes with:
— Chilled Sichuan spicy chicken: there’s definitely a mouth-​numbing effect, but the chicken is oddly addictive
— Marinated black fungus: non-​spicy, they are great for when you need to temper the heat from the other food
— Marinated beef tripe: truth be told, I’ve never had this because I’m not a fan, but PRO TIP: you can ask for it to be replaced with lotus root when putting in your order (non-​spicy)
— Chongqing hot and sour potato noodle: MUST ORDER. The noodles offer a good bite and the flavorful soup includes peanuts, preserved vegetables, and soy beans
— Dessert: this is the only part of the set menu I don’t enjoy. I can’t even remember what they offer.
A cold glass of soy milk always saves the day if the spice becomes a bit too much.
Prices are reasonable, with the tasting set menu costing HK$ 98.

This place is highly recommended for its dan dan noodles — spiced at request from 1 to 4 (!!!) chilis (I personally select 2 or 3, never got the 4). Sichuan chicken is also a delight, and the dumplings interesting too but then… Too full !

This is a small hole in the wall place but feels very clean. I came alone during a work trip and I ordered the dan dan noodles, the spicy chicken and the vegetable trio. All were very good but a little too heavy on the grease for me. Everything tasted very similar. The service was great and the meal was reasonably priced.

The dan dan noodle is definitely incredible. Instead of the traditional dan dan soup base, the dan dan sauce is a paste, so this is a mixed noodle. With different levels of spice, I love the level 1 spice the best with the right balance of spice and numb.

Absolutely delicious is how I would describe this food! No wonder the place is always packed. I came with a group, so I got to try a lot. I personally ordered the fried egg with noodles in tomato soup, spicy. The noodles were thin and perfectly cooked, thankfully not falling apart after sitting in the soup for a while.
Friends got the chilled sichuan spicy chicken, pork wontons in spicy soup, sichuan vegetarian sampler, and sichuan spare ribs with noodles in soup. All of those were superb. In fact, I even paid $ 2 for a take away container just so I could bring all the oily, peppery sauces home and have them over fresh noodles later! That’s how good it was.
I also drank a cucumber soy milk. I’m a fan of cucumber — I dig it in salads, cucumber-​flavour soda, and its scent in body sprays — so I thought it was delicious. The reviewer below me says it is «weird» and a few of my friends who tried it thought so too, but I like it. Guess this one is hit-​or-​miss.
I was too full for dessert but my table-​mates tried the black sesame in glutinous rice balls. The soup they came in was odd, more like sugar cane juice mixed with barley tea than the sweet, gingery soup we were all expecting. It was pleasant though.
Yu doesn’t get 5 stars because I ordered my noodles spicy and but they weren’t fiery enough, because it was so crowded I got bumped a bit by people going in and out, and because my friend’s dan dan noodles weren’t fantastic.