Growing up in Boston, my family was accustomed to eating authentic Chinese cuisine weekly, so my palate has been well trained. My expectations were high for my first visit to Spicy House Chinese Restaurant, the newest food venue in Coronado. To my delight, I was not disappointed and my fifty year mission to find something comparable to my boyhood fascination with Chinese food ended.
We were greeted at the front door by the manager. (Clearly, they knew I was coming). While I was a little taken aback by the incongruence of John Mellancamp blaring overhead, we were seated immediately at a table of our choice. No sooner did we sit down than a very pleasant duo of waiters asked if we wanted to start we anything. This question was easy: spareribs, my childhood favorite. While my selection was not on the Spicy House menu, it was available through Shima’s offerings, one of the benefits of the two restaurants being housed under one roof. Even before we had a chance to peruse the expansive menu, the ribs arrived. One indication for me that I had found what I was looking for was that the meat began to fall off the bone before I had a chance to draw them to my mouth. Forgive the pun but I was in hog heaven.
(It is important to point out that I am, for the most part, a vegan. Yes, it does seem contradictory to devour pork in light of this fact but I decided to indulge myself in the spirit of journalism and to provide unfettered feedback from someone who does not regularly eat meat or animal products. My hope is that sharing this information will make this review even more telling.)
My eating habits notwithstanding, we decided to continue our culinary adventure with something more in line with our fascination with vegetables: seaweed salad as well as smashed cucumbers with garlic. The seaweed I’ve had in the past, mostly in Japanese restaurants, has been sweet. In contrast, this was spicy (not a big surprise given the name of the restaurant). It had the perfect mixture of sesame oil, garlic, a little chili and salt. A pleasant change from what I am used to. If you like garlic, the smashed cucumbers are a must.
At this point, I was already getting full but I wasn’t about to end my feast. The menu is voluminous, making the selection process of what to eat next a bit arduous. Instead of selecting something that was more in line with my own food biases, I did something unusual and asked for help from the waiter. He eagerly volunteered a few dishes that the chef considers Spicy House specials. As we allowed our starters to settle, we awaited the entrees. And then they arrived….Szechuan veggies with lotus root, sautéed bok choy, pork dumplings and fried shrimp and walnuts (without the walnuts since I am allergic).
Obviously, we are partial to vegetables so those dishes hit the spot. Just the right amount of spices and olive oil (rather than sesame oil at our request). What really surprised me, though, were the dumplings, which kind of reminded me of my mother’s classic matzo ball soup (although Spicy House’s were much more tender). Steamy hot and, in one bite, a nice mixture of textures and spice. It probably wasn’t smart to end our meal with the heaviest selection possible in the fried shrimp. That said, it was still lighter than I expected and better than I had hoped. Unlike many batter-dipped dishes, these shrimp were covered in a pleasant covering that wasn’t too doughy.
It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words so for those who agree with the adage, I will refrain from overstating the obvious. Suffice to say that the aesthetics of the beautiful presentation were surpassed only by the taste of the dishes. Given my fascination with Asian food, specifically Chinese, it is safe to say that the next time I decide to stray from my new vegan lifestyle, I will be dining in or ordering take out from Spicy House.
