Chilli Fagara Sichuan Central

This is post #26, part of my #50PostsIn50Days personal challenge to document my first 100 days in Hong Kong. Other posts in this series may be found at the bottom of the original post.

Chilli Fagara is a family-owned restaurant from third-generation restaurant owner Tracy Wong. Tracy grew up in Vancouver where her family ran several restaurants in the city. In 2005 she decided to open up a restaurant focused on the cuisine of her heritage. The dishes are based off of her mother's recipes, and focus on the flavor profiles of "ma" (numbing), "la" (spicy), and "tang" (neutral).

The restaurant received a Michelin star in 2011 and maintained it through 2013. The restaurant re-appeared in the guide as a recommended restaurant in 2017 and 2018.

The menu is divided up into three main sections: "ma" (numbing), "la" (spicy), and "tian" (neutral). Additionally, there is an entire section in the back devoted to vegetarian dishes, also with the same three categories. It's easy to recognize which section is which. In short, the green text denotes vegetarian, the red text denotes the regular menu.

For fun we decided to try something from each section in order to get a sense of the entire menu.

"Ma" (Numbing)

The salad of crunchy wood ear and Chinese celery ($68 HKD) comes with fresh wood ear mushroom and celery lightly tossed with white sesame oil and infused Sichuan peppercorn oil. I really enjoyed the fresh wood ear, which is something I don't get as often in the US. Though the dish was on the "ma" section of the menu, the flavors were more "la" and not as "ma" as we had hoped.

The mapo tofu ($118 HKD) was a lovely dish, topped with a generous dose of Sichuan peppercorns (my favorite!) to give it a nice, "ma" flavor along with the house made chili sauce.

The server suggested that we try the Chilli Fagara Chicken, a signature dish from the "La" (spicy) section that consisted of boneless chicken pieces stir fried in a dark soy sauce and topped with deep fried basil leaves. In all honesty, this dish tasted quite "westernized" in style, with its soy-based, thick gooey sauce and boneless chicken pieces. The dish itself was quite salty yet didn't really have the strong, fragrant, chili aromas I associate with fiery Sichuan cuisine.

"Tian" - Neutral

Surprisingly, I ended up liking the restaurant's non-spicy food a lot better than the spicy ones.

One of their most popular dishes is the Crispy Caramelized Shredded Beef ($108 HKD) made with thin slices of beef that have been caramelized with a garlic and ginger glaze. I loved the sweet and savory caramelized edges. I swear it's almost like eating beef as a candy.

We also enjoyed the intense flavors of the Jasmine Tea Smoked Duck ($168 HKD for a half portion). The flavors were rich, smoky, and perfectly seasoned. The skin was crispy, though the duck meat itself was a bit dry.

I think the best dish of the night was the simple Potato Starch Noodles stir fried with egg and cabbage, a dish from a separate card featuring Chef's Recommendations / Specials. It was a simple dish, but the texture of the potato starch noodles was so fun to eat, and the flavors were nicely balanced.

Stir fried bok choy with garlic was solid and provided nice balance to the spicier, more intensely flavored dishes.

General Thoughts - Chilli Fagara

Purists will argue that the food at Chilli Fagara does not reach the searing spice levels of authentic Sichuan food. Most customers would be relieved to hear that, since the slightly modified spice levels still pack a major punch for most. As a foreigner, I certainly thought the spice levels were fine, and I happily ate most of the dishes without having to stop completely. {I contrast that to House of Qi in Wan Chai, which was suuuuper spicy. Our friend from mainland China loved it while I struggled to taste anything in my fiery mouth!}

Still, our experience at Chilli Fagara was mixed. On the one hand, there were some really enjoyable dishes, like the potato noodles or crispy caramelized shredded beef. At the same time, execution for certain dishes, like the Chilli Fagara chicken and the tea smoked duck, could have been improved. Prices are quite high for the portion size, so this place definitely caters more for business wallets.

My general take-away impression is that this place caters to foreigners. The space is beautifully decorated, the menus are in English, and the food is modified to suite western tastes. Interestingly, the day we went, every single person in the restaurant was a foreigner (we heard tons of English being spoken). It was clear this was a popular expat hangout.

If I'm looking for good, authentic Sichuan food, this would not be my first choice. However, if I'm looking for a foreigner-friendly restaurant with enjoyable food and nice ambiance (and I don't mind paying more for that), this is still a perfectly fine choice.

Chilli Fagara
7 Old Bailey St, Central
HONG KONG
2893 3330