Randomness Guide to London - Differences between Version 19 and Version 5 of Chilli Cool, WC1H 9EW

Version 19	Version 5
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Cheap and cheerful cafe-style Sichuan restaurant in [[Locale Bloomsbury\|Bloomsbury]]/[[Locale St Pancras\|St Pancras]]. Its Chinese name, Lǎo Chéngdū (老成都), translates as "Old Chengdu".	Cheap and cheerful cafe-style Sichuan restaurant in [[Locale Bloomsbury\|Bloomsbury]]/[[Locale St Pancras\|St Pancras]]. (Its Chinese name, lao3 cheng2 du1, translates as "Old Chengdu".) It's located in a fairly studenty area and has ambience to match.
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Note: Chilli Cool was refurbished in late 2011, so some of our comments below may be out of date.	[[Kake]], [[Sarah]], [[Ewan]], and friends visited on a Wednesday evening in January 2010. We hadn't booked, but our party of five was seated immediately when we arrived a little before 7:30pm (though the place was full by the time we left, and other reviewers have mentioned having to queue for a table).
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It's located in a fairly studenty area and has ambience to match. One side is dedicated to [[Category Hotpot\|Chinese hotpot]], while the other serves a menu of Sichuan food. The furnishings are basic, and the seating in the rearmost of the dining areas is quite cramped (the front rooms are a bit better).	Dry-fried green beans with minced pork (charmingly translated on the website as "stir-fried before stewing the jack bean dry", £6.80) <small>[http://www.flickr.com/photos/55935853@N00/4318447170/ photo]</small> arrived very quickly; although some reviewers have complained of saltiness in this dish, we didn't think it was excessive, and the flavour and texture were both good. Dongpo-style braised belly pork (£8.80) <small>[http://www.flickr.com/photos/55935853@N00/4318455302/ photo]</small> was enjoyed by all; a large chunk of tender, long-cooked pork in a flavourful, slightly sweet gravy. Beef and ox tripe in chilli sauce (served cold; a dish known elsewhere as "man and wife lung slices", £6.90) <small>[http://www.flickr.com/photos/55935853@N00/4317716397/ photo]</small> was a good rendition, with a good texture to both beef and tripe. Ma po tofu (£6.80) <small>[http://www.flickr.com/photos/55935853@N00/4317717705/ photo]</small> was also a good example of its type.
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[[Kake]] has visited three times now, all in the first half of 2010. We didn't book on any of these occasions, but our party of five was seated immediately when we arrived a little before 7:30pm on a Wednesday, as was our party of two, arriving a little after 7pm on a Tuesday (though both times the place was full by the time we left, and other reviewers have mentioned having to queue for a table). On our Tuesday lunchtime visit, arriving at 12:30pm we were the only customers aside from two others who arrived after us.	Perhaps the most impressive-looking dish of our meal was the fish hotpot (£15.80 for the "medium" size) <small>[http://www.flickr.com/photos/55935853@N00/4317720917/ photo]</small>, which arrived covered in a blanket of dried red chillies. This dish is less scary than it initially appears; the chillies are there to provide flavour, rather than to be eaten, and the slices of fish and cubes of tofu buried underneath proved to be perfectly-cooked, with the fish retaining its texture right through to the last slice. (Note that although this wasn't "hotpot" in the [[Category Hotpot\|steamboat]] sense, they do offer steamboat too.)
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Everything we tried on all three occasions was very good, with the only exceptions being the dan dan noodles (擔擔麵/dàn dàn miàn) and the fish-fragrant aubergine (魚香茄條/yú xiāng qié tiáo) — further details are below.	Minced pork dumplings with chilli oil (£5.80) <small>[http://www.flickr.com/photos/55935853@N00/4318452102/ photo]</small> were pleasant enough, with their slippery, silky-soft skins and modest size meaning a decent number in the portion. Dan dan noodles (£5.80) <small>[http://www.flickr.com/photos/55935853@N00/4318451172/ photo]</small> were a little bland, less flavourful than the ones [[Kake]] had a few months back in [[No. 10 Restaurant, SW5 0QT\|No. 10]]. Steamed rice (£1.50/portion according to the out-of-date website prices) was fine, though [[Kake]] wished for slightly bigger portions; however, looking at our bill <small>[http://www.flickr.com/photos/55935853@N00/4333887159/ photo]</small> later, they seem not to have charged us for it.
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Crushed cucumber in garlic sauce (蒜泥黃瓜/suàn ní huáng guā; £5.80 in May 2010) <small>[http://www.flickr.com/photos/kake_pugh/4621916514/ photo]</small> was nicely refreshing, and enlivened by its dressing of chilli oil and Sichuan pepper. Beef and ox tripe in chilli sauce (夫妻肺片/fū qī fèi piàn; £6.90 in January 2010) <small>[http://www.flickr.com/photos/55935853@N00/4317716397/ photo]</small> (a cold dish) was a good rendition, with a good texture to both beef and tripe.	We ended up paying £20/head for ample food and wine, including the auto-added 10% service charge. Service was quick and efficient, though we did have to ask for enough serving spoons. There was no problem bringing us tap water. Bland pop music was playing throughout our visit, though not annoyingly loudly.
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Perhaps the most impressive-looking dish on any of our visits was the fish with fresh chilli and chilli powder sauce (麻辣冷鍋魚/má là lěng guō yú; £15.80 in January 2010) <small>[http://www.flickr.com/photos/55935853@N00/4317720917/ photo]</small>, which arrived covered in a blanket of dried red chillies. This dish is less scary than it initially appears; the chillies are there to provide flavour, rather than to be eaten, and the slices of fish and cubes of tofu buried underneath proved to be perfectly-cooked, with the fish retaining its texture right through to the last slice.	Accessibility: No step to get in (just a ridge), but half of the seating is down three steps at the back, and the toilets (which were lacking both loo roll and a working handdryer on our visit) are down a narrow, sharply-bending, low-ceilinged staircase.
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Dongpo-style braised belly pork (東波肉/dōng pō ròu; £8.80 in January 2010) <small>[http://www.flickr.com/photos/55935853@N00/4318455302/ photo]</small> comprised a large chunk of tender, long-cooked pork in a flavourful, slightly sweet gravy. Quick-fried chicken with cumin and chilli (飄香辣子雞/piāo xiāng là zi jī; £8.80 in June 2010) <small>[http://www.flickr.com/photos/55935853@N00/4689073244/ photo]</small> was deftly done, not too greasy, and with plenty of flavour. Hot and chilli crispy pork intestine (香辣豬脆腸/xiāng là zhū cuì cháng; £8.80 in May 2010) <small>[http://www.flickr.com/photos/kake_pugh/4621346935/ photo]</small> was not entirely to [[Kake]]'s taste, though [[bob]] thought it was pretty good (if less good once it got cold). Tea tree mushrooms with cured meat (茶樹菇炒臘肉/chá shù gū chǎo là ròu; £8.80 in May 2010) <small>[http://www.flickr.com/photos/kake_pugh/4621872166/ photo]</small> were pleasantly chewy, and permeated with the flavour of the nicely fatty and rather bacon-like Chinese ham. Ma po tofu (麻婆豆腐/má pó dòu fu; £6.80) <small>[http://www.flickr.com/photos/55935853@N00/4317717705/ photo]</small> was a good example of its type. Vermicelli with minced pork, aka "ants climbing a tree" (螞蟻上樹/mǎ yǐ shàng shù; £6.80 in June 2010) <small>[http://www.flickr.com/photos/55935853@N00/4688441929/ photo]</small> was fine, with plenty of Sichuan pepper flavour. Fish-fragrant aubergine (魚香茄條/yú xiāng qié tiáo; £6.80 in June 2010) <small>[http://www.flickr.com/photos/55935853@N00/4688444417/ photo]</small> was a little too sweet, and lacking sufficient chilli heat. Dry-fried green beans with minced pork (干煸四季豆/gān biān sì jì dòu; £6.80 in January 2010) <small>[http://www.flickr.com/photos/55935853@N00/4318447170/ photo]</small> were among the best [[Kake]] has tried; although some reviewers have complained of saltiness in this dish, we didn't think it was excessive, and the flavour and texture were both good. Mixed vegetables in white soup (耙耙菜/pá pá cài; £6.80 in May 2010) was a stew of carrots, daikon, and Chinese leaf in a thin stock with a dish of spicy oil on the side to mix in to taste <small>[http://www.flickr.com/photos/kake_pugh/4621366165/ photo without spices]</small>, <small>[http://www.flickr.com/photos/kake_pugh/4621383887/ photo with spices</small>]. This was really quite pleasant, though vegetable-loving [[Kake]] perhaps enjoyed it more than meat-loving [[bob]]. Dan dan noodles (擔擔麵/dàn dàn miàn; £5.80 in May 2010) <small>[http://www.flickr.com/photos/55935853@N00/4318451172/ photo]</small> were a little bland, and less flavourful than the ones [[Kake]] and [[bob]] tried a few months previously in [[No. 10 Restaurant, SW5 0QT\|No. 10]]). Minced pork dumplings with chilli oil (紅油水餃/hóng yóu shǔi jiǎo; £5.80) <small>[http://www.flickr.com/photos/55935853@N00/4318452102/ photo]</small> were pleasant enough, with their slippery, silky-soft skins and modest size meaning a decent number in the portion. Steamed rice (£1.50/portion) was fine, though the five-person portion ordered in January 2010 was somewhat stingy for the number of people it was meant to serve, while the one-person portion ordered in May 2010 was huge. As of June 2010, the entire menu is translated into English (the old one had a single Chinese-only page) — see [http://www.flickr.com/photos/kake_pugh/sets/72157623970318437/ Kake's Flickrset] for photos. As well as a la carte, they also do [[Category Hotpot\|hotpot/steamboat]], though we haven't tried this yet. On our first visit, we ended up paying £20/head for ample food and wine, including the auto-added 10% service charge. Our second visit was more expensive, since there were only two of us and so to get a good spread of dishes we ended up over-ordering. Our third visit, for lunch, worked out cheaper as we skipped the wine; £12/head this time. Service on all our visits was a slightly frustrating combination of quick/efficient and forgetful. Our orders were taken and delivered very swiftly, but they forgot to bring us tap water on the first two visits, and took forever to fill our teapot on the third despite being reminded (and they weren't busy; only two other customers). Trying to pay the bill on the second visit was also a more protracted task than it should have been. [[Kake]]'s verdict: It's kind of cheap-and-cheerful, the seats in the back room can be a bit uncomfortable, and the stairs down to the loo are kind of dangerous at times — but the food is good and I'm very likely to come back. Accessibility: No step to get in (just a ridge), but half of the seating is down three steps at the back, and the toilets (which were lacking both loo roll and a working hand-dryer on both our visits) are down a narrow, sharply-bending, low-ceilinged staircase which is sometimes slippery with oil.
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* [http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?/topic/134846-chilli-cool/ eGullet thread]
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* [http://daggersduck.blogspot.com/2008/07/ads-eats-review-of-chilli-cool-london.html Ad's Rants review]	* [http://daggersdukc.blogspot.com/2008/07/ads-eats-review-of-chilli-cool-london.html Ad's Rants review]
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* [http://www.thegrubworm.com/2010/05/chilli-cool/ The Grubworm review] * [http://greedydiva.blogspot.com/2010/07/chilli-cool-kings-cross.html Greedy Diva review] * [http://www.pigpigscorner.com/2010/07/bring-on-heatchilli-cool.html Wild Boar review] * [http://ilivetoeatandeattolive.blogspot.com/2011/08/alls-cool-chilli-cool.html Live To Eat review] * [https://myannoyingopinions.com/2017/06/20/chilli-cool/ My Annoying Opinions review]
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<div class="last_verified">Last visited by [[Kake]], [[Ewan]], and Marna, June 2010. Opening hours taken from the Chilli Cool website, March 2017.</div>	<div class="last_verified">Last visited by [[Kake]], [[Sarah]], [[Ewan]], and friends, 27 January 2010. Opening hours taken from the Chilli Cool website, February 2010.</div>
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category='Chinese Food,Featured Article,Hotpot,Needs New Photo,Restaurants,Sichuan Food' edit_type='Minor tidying'	category='Chinese Food,Hotpot,Restaurants,Sichuan Food' edit_type='Normal edit'
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formatted_website_text='co.uk/" class="external">chillicool.co.uk' host='81.187.166.218' hours_text='Mon-Sun: 11am-10pm'	formatted_website_text='www.chillicool.com/">http://www.chillicoo...' host='213.165.225.132' hours_text='noon-10:30pm Mon-Sun'
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major_change='0'	major_change='1'
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node_image='https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8074/8268816763_62d0385b16_m_d.jpg' node_image_copyright='bob' node_image_licence='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/' node_image_url='https://www.flickr.com/photos/rjw1/8268816763/' opening_hours_text='Mon-Sun: 11am-10pm'	opening_hours_text='noon-10:30pm Mon-Sun'
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website='http://www.chillicool.com/' website='http://chillicool.co.uk/'	website='http://www.chillicool.com/' website='http://chillicool.co.uk/'

Cheap and cheerful cafe-style Sichuan restaurant in Bloomsbury/St Pancras. (Its Chinese name, lao3 cheng2 du1, translates as "Old Chengdu".) It's located in a fairly studenty area and has ambience to match.

Kake, Sarah, Ewan, and friends visited on a Wednesday evening in January 2010. We hadn't booked, but our party of five was seated immediately when we arrived a little before 7:30pm (though the place was full by the time we left, and other reviewers have mentioned having to queue for a table).

Dry-fried green beans with minced pork (charmingly translated on the website as "stir-fried before stewing the jack bean dry", £6.80) photo arrived very quickly; although some reviewers have complained of saltiness in this dish, we didn't think it was excessive, and the flavour and texture were both good. Dongpo-style braised belly pork (£8.80) photo was enjoyed by all; a large chunk of tender, long-cooked pork in a flavourful, slightly sweet gravy. Beef and ox tripe in chilli sauce (served cold; a dish known elsewhere as "man and wife lung slices", £6.90) photo was a good rendition, with a good texture to both beef and tripe. Ma po tofu (£6.80) photo was also a good example of its type.

Perhaps the most impressive-looking dish of our meal was the fish hotpot (£15.80 for the "medium" size) photo, which arrived covered in a blanket of dried red chillies. This dish is less scary than it initially appears; the chillies are there to provide flavour, rather than to be eaten, and the slices of fish and cubes of tofu buried underneath proved to be perfectly-cooked, with the fish retaining its texture right through to the last slice. (Note that although this wasn't "hotpot" in the steamboat sense, they do offer steamboat too.)

Minced pork dumplings with chilli oil (£5.80) photo were pleasant enough, with their slippery, silky-soft skins and modest size meaning a decent number in the portion. Dan dan noodles (£5.80) photo were a little bland, less flavourful than the ones Kake had a few months back in No. 10. Steamed rice (£1.50/portion according to the out-of-date website prices) was fine, though Kake wished for slightly bigger portions; however, looking at our bill photo later, they seem not to have charged us for it.

We ended up paying £20/head for ample food and wine, including the auto-added 10% service charge. Service was quick and efficient, though we did have to ask for enough serving spoons. There was no problem bringing us tap water. Bland pop music was playing throughout our visit, though not annoyingly loudly.

Accessibility: No step to get in (just a ridge), but half of the seating is down three steps at the back, and the toilets (which were lacking both loo roll and a working handdryer on our visit) are down a narrow, sharply-bending, low-ceilinged staircase.

Randomness Guide to London Menu

Randomness Guide to London - Differences between Version 19 and Version 5 of Chilli Cool, WC1H 9EW