Randomness Guide to London - Differences between Version 25 and Version 22 of Red And Hot, NW1 1JD

Version 25 Version 22
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Sichuan restaurant just off Euston Road, between [[Euston Station]] and [[King's Cross St Pancras Station]]. Previously known as Snazz Sichuan <small>[http://flickr.com/photos/kake_pugh/577935924/ photo]</small>, it joined the Red &amp; Hot group in early 2010.
 Sichuan restaurant just off Euston Road, between [[Euston Station]] and [[King's Cross St Pancras Station]].
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[[Kake]], [[bob]], [[Sarah]], Mr Noodles, and Bellaphon first visited on a Wednesday evening in June 2010. We hadn't booked, but there was no problem finding us a table when we arrived a little after 7pm, as we were the first customers of the evening. Service was very friendly and helpful, with staff happy to take the time to place our dishes in the optimal positions for photography.
 <b>Note:</b> Red &amp; Hot is closed for renovations until 12 December 2010.
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Previously known as Snazz Sichuan <small>[http://flickr.com/photos/kake_pugh/577935924/ photo]</small>, this restaurant became part of the Red &amp; Hot group in early 2010. Although the management and other staff changed, and the menu also changed in line with that of the other restaurants in the group, the chef stayed on. The ambience is also similar, with tables covered in fresh white linen.

[[Kake]], [[bob]], [[Sarah]], Mr Noodles, and Bellaphon visited on a Wednesday evening in June 2010. We hadn't booked, but there was no problem finding us a table when we arrived a little after 7pm, as we were the first customers of the evening. Indeed, we've never previously had trouble getting a table when it was Snazz Sichuan, even on a Friday evening, and never saw it full &#8212; however, we were given to understand on this visit that the new management hope to be able to fill the place up a bit more, so this situation may not persist.
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On another visit by [[Kake]] and [[Sarah]] in October 2010, the chicken with chilli sauce starter (&#25104;&#37117;&#21475;&#27700;&#38622;/Ch&eacute;ngd&#363; k&#466;u shu&#464; j&#299;; &pound;7.80) <small>[http://www.flickr.com/photos/kake_pugh/5159037535/in/set-72157624077781991/ photo]</small> and the preserved eggs with tender bean curd (p&iacute; d&agrave;n d&ograve;u fu hu&#257;; &pound;7) <small>[http://www.flickr.com/photos/kake_pugh/5159963984/in/set-72157624077781991/ photo]</small> were both very good. The chicken was served off the bone, but the flavour didn't suffer from this.
 Sadly, one of the casualties of the menu change was a dish we'd enjoyed before and been hoping to order this time &#8212; the strange-flavour rabbit (&#24618;&#21619;&#20820;/gu&agrave;i w&egrave;i t&ugrave;).
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In February 2015, [[Kake]], [[Sarah]], [[bob]], Mr Noodles, and Pete visited for a hotpot session. It was Chinese New Year, and we hadn't been able to book as they were keeping half of the tables for walk-ins; we didn't have to wait for a table as we arrived quite early (6:30pm), but they did ask us to give the table back by 8pm. We weren't asked to choose our hotpot ingredients &#8212; it's all-you-can-eat, and they'll bring a selection of things to start and more if you request them (we found the initial selection was plenty).
 Service on this visit was very friendly and helpful, with staff happy to take the time to place our dishes in the optimal positions for photography &#8212; something of a contrast to the often less-than-accommodating service under the old management (for one thing, the refusal to serve tap water is well in the past).
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[[Kake]]'s verdict: I've been here three times and would happily come back. The obvious comparison to this place would be [[Chilli Cool, WC1H 9EW|Chilli Cool]], another Sichuan restaurant in the same area &#8212; however, despite the similarities in style and competence of cuisine, the ambience in the two places is utterly different, so my mood would dictate which of the two I'd prefer on any given day.
 Dishes [[Kake]] has previously enjoyed here when it was Snazz Sichuan include fish-fragrant aubergine, ma po tofu, and dry-fried green beans, all of which were among the best renditions that I've tried, and the fire-exploded beef tripe, which turned out to be a good contrast to the "slick of fierce-looking red oil" present in many of the other dishes. [[bob]] also puts in a word for the hot and numbing pork (sliced pork in broth, sampled in December 2009); pretty good, with the pork not overcooked and certainly hot and numbing as described.
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[[Kake]]'s verdict: I'd definitely like to come back and try more of the menu. The obvious comparison to this place would be [[Chilli Cool, WC1H 9EW|Chilli Cool]], another Sichuan restaurant in the same area &#8212; however, despite the similarities in style and competence of cuisine, the ambience in the two places is utterly different, so my mood would dictate which of the two I'd prefer on any given day.
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* [https://www.flickr.com/photos/rjw1/sets/72157650719286608/ bob's photos of our 2015 hotpot visit]
* [http://bellaphon.blogspot.com/2010/06/red-n-hot-euston.html Bellaphon's review of our 2010 visit]
 * [http://bellaphon.blogspot.com/2010/06/red-n-hot-euston.html Bellaphon's review of our visit]
* [http://www.timeout.com/london/restaurants/reviews/10620.html Time Out review] (of Snazz Sichuan)
* [http://www.independent.co.uk/living/food_and_drink/reviews/article2579282.ece The Independent review] (of Snazz Sichuan)
* [http://www.chowhound.com/topics/405836 Chowhound thread] (of Snazz Sichuan)
* [http://majbros.blogspot.com/2007/06/snazz-sichuan.html Dos Hermanos review] (of Snazz Sichuan)
* [http://valkyriekaren.livejournal.com/983312.html?style=mine Valkyrie Karen's review] (of Snazz Sichuan)
* [http://lizzieeatslondon.blogspot.com/2009/11/snazz-sichuan.html Hollow Legs review] (of Snazz Sichuan)
* [http://helengraves.co.uk/2009/12/snazz-sichuan-kings-cross/ Food Stories review] (of Snazz Sichuan)
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<div class="last_verified">Last visited by [[Kake]], [[Sarah]], [[bob]], et al., February 2015. Opening hours taken from a takeaway menu collected in June 2010.</div>
 <div class="last_verified">Last visited by [[Kake]], [[bob]], [[Sarah]], Mr Noodles, and Bellaphon, June 2010. Opening hours taken from a takeaway menu collected on that visit.</div>
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category='Chinese Food,Featured Article,Hotpot,Restaurants,Sichuan Food'
 category='Chinese Food,Featured Article,Hotpot,Restaurants,Sichuan Food,Temporarily Closed'
== Line 27 == == Line 39 ==
formatted_website_text='rednhotgroup.com'
host='81.187.166.218'
 formatted_website_text='http://www.rednhotgr...'
host='81.2.102.215'

Sichuan restaurant just off Euston Road, between Euston Station and King's Cross St Pancras Station.

Note: Red & Hot is closed for renovations until 12 December 2010.

Previously known as Snazz Sichuan photo, this restaurant became part of the Red & Hot group in early 2010. Although the management and other staff changed, and the menu also changed in line with that of the other restaurants in the group, the chef stayed on. The ambience is also similar, with tables covered in fresh white linen.

Kake, bob, Sarah, Mr Noodles, and Bellaphon visited on a Wednesday evening in June 2010. We hadn't booked, but there was no problem finding us a table when we arrived a little after 7pm, as we were the first customers of the evening. Indeed, we've never previously had trouble getting a table when it was Snazz Sichuan, even on a Friday evening, and never saw it full — however, we were given to understand on this visit that the new management hope to be able to fill the place up a bit more, so this situation may not persist.

Hot and numbing beef (水煮牛肉/shuǐ zhǔ niú ròu; £8.80) photo was good, with tender and well-spiced beef. Fire-exploded kidney flowers (火爆腰花/huǒ bào yāo huā; £7.80) photo managed to avoid the unpleasant smell/taste that kidney can often have. Sichuan-style pig's blood mix (富貴毛血旺; £12.80) photo was interesting and quite tasty, incorporating luncheon meat (which worked quite well — don't be put off by this) along with the congealed blood. However, the pieces of squid also included in the dish were overcooked and rubbery.

Special fried chicken with dry chilli and cumin (飄香辣子雞; £12) photo was very good — tender but not mushy chicken in a crispy coating, not overcooked or greasy at all, and with a good flavour imparted by the dried chillies. Fish soup with pickled vegetables (風味酸湯魚/fēng wèi suān tāng yú; £12.80) photo was also good, with tender fish fillets bathed in a rich and fairly spicy broth. Pea shoots in rich broth (上湯豆苗/shàng tāng dòu miáo; £8.80) photo came garnished with century egg and a couple of peeled prawns. Opinions among our party were divided on this one; some felt the pea shoots were a little undercooked, while others liked them like this.

Dan dan noodles (擔擔麵/dān dān miàn; £5.60) photo were OK, but nowhere near as good as the ones we've had from No. 10 in Earl's Court (bob also tried these on a previous visit before the change of management, and noted that the noodles were really soft, and there was less meat than at No. 10). Zhong's crescent dumplings (鐘餃子/Zhōng jiǎo zi; £4.80 for eight) photo were very good; smooth, silky-skinned dumplings enhanced with a coating of a deeply savoury chilli oil.

Sadly, one of the casualties of the menu change was a dish we'd enjoyed before and been hoping to order this time — the strange-flavour rabbit (怪味兔/guài wèi tù).

Service on this visit was very friendly and helpful, with staff happy to take the time to place our dishes in the optimal positions for photography — something of a contrast to the often less-than-accommodating service under the old management (for one thing, the refusal to serve tap water is well in the past).

Dishes Kake has previously enjoyed here when it was Snazz Sichuan include fish-fragrant aubergine, ma po tofu, and dry-fried green beans, all of which were among the best renditions that I've tried, and the fire-exploded beef tripe, which turned out to be a good contrast to the "slick of fierce-looking red oil" present in many of the other dishes. bob also puts in a word for the hot and numbing pork (sliced pork in broth, sampled in December 2009); pretty good, with the pork not overcooked and certainly hot and numbing as described.

Kake's verdict: I'd definitely like to come back and try more of the menu. The obvious comparison to this place would be Chilli Cool, another Sichuan restaurant in the same area — however, despite the similarities in style and competence of cuisine, the ambience in the two places is utterly different, so my mood would dictate which of the two I'd prefer on any given day.

Accessibility: Two steps up to get in. Two steps down to get to the rearmost dining area and to the toilets. The ladies' toilet doubles as an accessible toilet, but in addition to the barrier of the steps, as of June 2010 the toilet chain is high up in a corner and would be hard to reach from a wheelchair.

See also:

Last visited by Kake, bob, Sarah, Mr Noodles, and Bellaphon, June 2010. Opening hours taken from a takeaway menu collected on that visit.

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