I returned for a starch-less dinner to try some of the snacks - sweet/sour ribs, mouth-watering chicken, and lamb skewers.
Ribs were served between cold and room temp, not too sweet, a sprinkling of sesame seeds and sliced scallions. Portion is about a dozen riblets - inch wide or so. Texture was a bit stringy as this dish tends to be when served as a cold snack. Not horrible but pretty meh snack, would not order again.
Mouth-watering chicken was much better, about a dozen pieces of poached chicken swimming in a large pool of chili oil, darker than I normally expect but perhaps that’s because the bowl is dark as well. Chicken was tender, though missing some heat. A few peanuts scattered here and there, and everything rested on a bed of bean sprouts. Not a bad deal for $5 given that the other Sichuan joints in the hood charge $8 for this.
Lastly, lamb skewers - some cumin fragrance, a slight whiff of gaminess, just a bit of char on the corners here and there. Pieces were about 3/4" cubes stretched out a bit. Meat was tender, fatties pieces were juicy, not enough cumin or spice unfortunately. At 4 for $10, this was not a great deal in my book given the skewer carts in NY Chinatowns. No need to rehash a SF v. NYC discussion, promise. Just did not hit the right value ratio for me.