23 | September | 2011 | The Whimsical Palate

A fruitful stroll

During a post-dinner stroll, we stumbled upon the backdoor of Forty Hands. It’s already past 10pm and seemed like the staff bringing out garbage was preparing to close. We decided to follow and take a peek. Lo and behold, the cafe was still bustling with activity. In fact, it’s a full house!

Turned out that last order for drinks was 10.30pm on Friday, but seeing there weren’t any available seats K decided to use the restroom while I scrutinized the display counter. A few minutes later, a table was freed up and we promptly took it.

While K’s iced latte ($7.50) was refreshing, we thought it’s a tad pricey. It’s also not as fragrant as my latte ($5), which was smooth and robust with a pleasant aftertaste. The house blend might be better as a hot drink after all, churned out by the prominent Synesso espresso machine.

I ordered scookie ($2.80) purely out of curiosity, which interestingly was a hybrid of a scone and cookie. Studded with chocolate chips, hazelnuts and orange peel, it’s very crumbly and crispy. However, it’s best eaten with coffee since it’s also rather dry.

The tau sar pau ($2.50) was enjoyable for its fluffy bun with a smooth and rich filling. Not a cheap bun considering it’s size but it definitely stood out amidst the offering of typical cafe fare.

Too bad we weren’t able to linger and immerse ourselves in the warm and inviting ambience, but certainly hope to do so in another visit. The staff were friendly and efficient though we were charged an extra item. Luckily I spotted the error and helped K save some moolah. Instead of being thankful, I was chided for eating again when the stroll was meant to aid digestion in the first place.

Note: Prices are nett. HSBC cardholders are entitled to 10% off total bill.

Forty Hands sourced its coffee beans from Five Senses Coffee based in Perth.

Sadomasochistic!

The inside cover of the menu is dedicated to chef 唐德海, who once helmed the now defunct 巴渝人家 at North Bridge Road.

Admittedly, we came with a high expectation, and were glad we made the trip.

Once seated, complimentary pickles (泡菜, 酸菜), cut green chili and roasted peanuts were presented, and we ordered canned drinks ($1.80 each) for some assurance. K suffered a bout of heatiness recently so we decided on a medium spice level, and had our dishes with steamed rice ($0.60 each).

First to arrive was 夫妻肺片 ($8.80). Only sliced beef and tripe were used. There wasn’t any other offal, and certainly no lungs. Topped with crushed peanuts, this dish was kick-ass fiery and the zing from Sichuan peppercorns was unmistakable. The meat was tender and deeply-flavored too.

The 四川回锅肉 (s – $12.80) was essentially sliced pork belly with chives (Chinese leek) and caramelized capsicum. The most exciting way to eat this was to have all three ingredients in a mouthful for that satisfying burst of sweet-savoriness.

For our dose of fibre, the 干煸四季豆 (s – $8.80) was simple yet well-executed. It’s also a great respite from the stinging heat since the stir-fried string beans with minced pork and preserved mustard greens was a non-spicy dish. We totally digged it for its savory goodness.

We ended our scrumptious meal with 四川锅饼 ($6.80). The red bean paste was smooth with just a hint of sweetness though the pancake wasn’t as flaky as we would’ve liked. In fact, the layer of solid dough just below the crispy crust was kinda strange (it’s definitely undercooked!).

Our dinner was extremely enjoyable, which had us completely blown away by the wonderful authentic taste. Coupled with helpful and friendly staff, we’d definitely return for more of those mouth-watering, not to mention tastebuds-teasing Sichuan dishes.

Note: Prices are nett.
Total damage: $42.00

Oct 1, 11