Chilli Fagara – best restaurant for fiery Sichuan Chinese food in Hong Kong’s Soho district
This chic Sichuan restaurant promises to take the palate on an adventure – Fagara in the name refers to lightly roasted, dried Sichuan pepper, and the menu has sections reflecting the different flavour concepts of Ma (numbing), La (burning) and Tang (neutral).
We mainly focused on the burning La offerings, but the chef is happy to fire it up or tone it down to suit each table. Some of the meat dishes can be ordered as plant-based instead, too.
As we were choosing a nice bottle of house red ($488), some vibrant snacks arrived. They included infused peanuts, finely chopped raw green beans with numbing (Ma) chilli, and some cold chilli glass noodles. It was a nice gentle introduction before the twists and turns that awaited. DEC 22-FEB 23 101 The shredded chicken salad ($108) was an absolute delight, with an indulgent peanut sauce beautifully balanced with the sharp note of pickled cabbage – we were tempted to order another one despite the many more dishes that were headed our way! Also good were the tender cumin lamb skewers ($188) with a spicy dipping sauce.
General Tso’s Chicken ($168) was very tender, served in a sweet spicy sauce – it would have been even better with a crispy outer. Sichuan-style string beans ($148) were coated in a fine minced pork in chilli sauce and were delightfully fresh, the perfect side dish.
From the neutral Tang menu, we were intrigued by the homestyle shredded potatoes ($138) and they were different in a good way – refreshing and interesting. The juicy shreds of al dente potato had a delicate crunch and full-on potato flavour. We also ordered jasmine rice but the exciting main dishes didn’t warrant it.
We didn’t think the satay-style salad earlier could be beaten but the total showstopper of the night was the caramelised beef ($188). When it arrived, it just had that look of perfection – crispy shards of beef with fine ribbons of carrot and onion in a sticky garlic and ginger sauce. The delicate beef comes with a crispy, slightly sugary crust and features heat from the chilli, freshness from the ginger and a quiet zing of vinegar – the most perfectly balanced sweet, sour, spicy, fresh morsel. Again, we wanted to order another one, maybe two!
Chilli Fagara proved to be a wonderful evening out. The staff were friendly and the dimly-lit dining room with elegant Chinese décor was a joy to sit in.
