Sweet and Sour Pork

I was looking forward to Sweet and Sour Pork here based on the reputation. The reality was disappointing. The aromatic and complex character that makes this dish special was muted — either from shortcuts with five-spice or from scaling up production at the expense of quality. Chinese cuisine encomp…

Sweet and Sour Pork rarely gets the international recognition it deserves. The deeply savoury and sweet complexity is genuine, not simple, and the technique involved in using five-spice correctly takes real skill. Chinese cuisine encompasses eight major regional schools with distinct ingredients an…

I first ate Sweet and Sour Pork on a trip five years ago and have been searching for a version this good ever since. This restaurant finally delivered the bold and numbing quality I remembered. Shaoxing wine was handled correctly — something most restaurants here get slightly wrong. Chinese cuisine…

I ate Sweet and Sour Pork at three different restaurants in the same week to compare. The results were illuminating. The use of Sichuan peppercorn varied significantly — only one got it right. The aromatic and complex profile should be consistent but interpretation differs widely. communal sharing …

Sweet and Sour Pork opened a door into a cuisine I'd previously known almost nothing about. The aromatic and complex flavours are unlike anything in my usual rotation and I mean that positively. Chinese cuisine encompasses eight major regional schools with distinct ingredients and techniques. Unders…