Hunanese dinner this evening at 𝗫𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝗫𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝗛𝘂𝗻𝗮𝗻 𝗖𝘂𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲, one of the busiest restaurants in Gurney Plaza, with a perpetual queue of customers waiting to get in. We actually got there at 5.30pm, just so we can avoid the dinner crush at this first-come-first-served, strictly-no-reservations eatery.
Hunan or Xiang cuisine, with its explosive, incendiary flavors, is categorised as one of China’s 8 definitive regional cuisines. Hunan’s most famous son was, of course, Communist China’s Great Helmsman, Chairman Mao himself. One wonders if the Hunanese’s explosive, fiery diet contributed to Mao Zedong’s harsh, ruthless personality.
Our dinner spread this evening:
Hunan-style aubergine-century eggs-green peppers - this is a luscious cold appetiser of char-grilled aubergines, slivers of century eggs and green peppers, mashed table-side by our waiter, together with garlic, soy sauce, vinegar, and sesame oil. Eaten with hot, steamed rice, it was literally to-die for. There also seemed to be some Sichuan peppercorns worked in, because my mouth had that familiar numbing sensation, albeit a very mild one.
Chicken with deer antler mushrooms and two types of peppers - aggressively-flavored dish, with a distinct numbing sensation from the Sichuan peppercorns used. The brown-hued dried deer antler mushrooms were rehydrated before being stir-fried with the boneless chicken cubes and copious amounts of whole garlic pips. Tasty, but much spicier than I could handle.
Duo of chopped red and green peppers on a whole seabass. - one of the most recognisable Hunanese dishes: it blends ultra-spicy with sour flavors which cut into the fishiness of the dish. As with all seafood in Penang, the seabass is ultra-fresh - we virtually picked the bones clean.
Signature Hunan-style stir-fried pork with shredded capsicums. - one of Xiang Xiang’s house specials - it had all the hallmarks of Hunan cuisine: the use of simple ingredients is characteristic of the province’s harsh, arid landscape. These basic meat & vegetable components are then carefully cooked to draw out the natural sweetness and flavors. The capsicums were cut into broad ribbons, flash-fried to soften them, then stir-fried with slivers of pork and whole pips of garlic and a blend of secret condiments till everything melded together. Very basic, yet so very tasty.
Table-top brazier keeps the dish sizzling-hot.
Stewed taro with pork spare-ribs - very flavorsome stew of cubed taro with pork spare-ribs, topped with wolfberries. Perfect balance of flavors - earthy, savory, and garlicky. The pork-ribs, cut into short-lengths, were fall-off-the-bone tender.
Tangy young bamboo shoots stir-fry. - another straightforward and simple stir-fry, but which was absolutely delicious: finely-chopped young bamboo shoots, garlic, ginger, and fresh green & red chilies. Condiments consisted of light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sugar, and fermented black beans.
Pumpkin, ham and tofu stew. - this is the only non-spicy dish we had: a creamy, delicate, chowder-like stew with delicately cubed ham and tofu, combined with carrots, peas and corn kernels. I’d come back here for this.
Dessert: Mochi croquettes with molten brown sugar filling. - a rather modern send-up of an old Chinese dessert. Glutinous rice dumplings have been around for 2,000 years, with early mentions of it in Han Dynasty (206 B.C.E.–220 C.E.) writings. But deep-fried croquettes is a rather more recent creation (perhaps a couple of decades old), and done very well here.
We need to come back to try the other Hunanese staples that our tummies simply could not accommodate in a single meal. 
Xiang Xiang Hunan Cuisine was founded in Singapore’s Chinatown back in 2009 by two Hunanese emigrants, James Chao and Stella Tang. They had met as foreign college students studying in Singapore, and thought of bringing authentic Hunan flavors to their adopted country. The restaurant was a roaring success. Formerly known as Mi Si Xiang Cai Guan, it was rebranded as Xiang Xiang Hunan Cuisine in 2023 after it was bought over by Mainland Chinese F&B giant, Haidilao.
Address
Xiang Xiang Hunan Cuisine
170-060 12/13/14, Gurney Plaza, Gurney Drive, 10250 George Town, Penang, Malaysia
Tel: +604-240 0643
Opening hours: 11am to 10pm daily
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