TTHP Part II: Lao Hunan

As part of the pre-Thanksgiving festivities, our group of diners decided to try out Lao Hunan for a lunchtime meal. Thinking that there would be a tremendous line due to the dim sum nature of the hour (Sunday at noon), Cathy and JW arrived early and scoped out the joint. The location is hard to miss from the outside with a bright yellow awning adorned with a picture of Mao. There were multiple tables open and so they went across the street to HoyPolloi for some browsing (and to pick up a notebook for TTHP documenting purposes). Liz Lemon and Ryan also arrived most punctually at noon with Levitron not long behind them.
Pepper prep
The restaurant choice was partially made in the hopes of luring Jeff out for project contribution. See, he had been complaining of being under the weather and, as we all know, there is no better remedy than some deliciously spicy Hunanese cuisine to help sweat out the icks. Although he was unable to make it, the group would not be disappointed with the spice factor. Across from our lazy susan-equipped table, some servers were busy prepping gobs of peppers for the kitchen. This did not deter our diners and they began busily perusing the voluminous, picture-filled menu. Of note, there is a mix of regional cuisines in the menu including Hunanese and Szechuanese specialities and it was somewhat difficult to pick through these. While the servers, dressed eclectically in some military style uniforms (Mao era?), were very attentive, it took our diners a good bit of time in deciding which dishes to try. Once again, each diner picked a dish and then a few wild cards were added to round out the meal. As an added treat, an extra green bean dish was provided to the table; it was unclear whether this was a happy accident or at the insistence of the kitchen to ensure a better balance of vegetables to the meal (not unheard of in the Chinese restaurant).
Here's the line up:
112: Ginger green onion peanut (Ryan)
154: Potstickers (WC)
104: Chile pig ear (JW)
459: Hunan stir-fried beef tripe (Cathy)
557: Hunan shrimp (Ryan)
407: Griddle cooked tea tree mushroom (Liz Lemon)
523: Dry chili fish fillet (Levitron)
453: Cumin beef (WC)
The chili-filled aftermath
A "Back to Mao" time warp photo of our meal

Unfortunately, there is no solo picture for the surprise dish which was most likely the dried chili string beans Hunan style. In any case, the bonus dish was a most welcome addition. This table did have a lazy susan which provided an improved means of food delivery to each diners' plate. However, with the extra dish, it was very much overloaded and the group learned the importance of provide adequate clearance around the perimeter for ease of spinning. Ryan's curiosity was piqued by the peanut dish (no photo in the menu) which turned out to be a ginger candied peanut mixed with green onions. While the flavoring was somewhat subtle at first, the peanuts had a much more gingery flavor when eaten after tasting the rest of the dishes. A nice palate cleanser. Cathy was excited to have tripe and the rest of the group was open-minded enough to indulge her tastes. However, both the tripe and the fish dishes were somewhat salty. As you will see with the ratings below, this was not a deal breaker; in fact, Ryan and JW found this flavor profile to their liking. The cumin beef at Lao Hunan had a better depth of seasoning than the cumin lamb previously tried at Lao Beijing. Cathy felt that the potstickers here, if put head-to-head with the dumplings at Lao Beijing, were somewhat lacking in flavor and juiciness; Levitron felt that the wrapper was a little thick and bready.
The decor at Lao Hunan was also more modern and meshed well with the quirkiness of the servers' uniforms. Bright and sunny inside with yellow and orange accents and, of course, a modest flatscreen tv hanging in the corner. There was even a wall of famous people from Hunan for perusal as one waits for the spice level in the mouth to cool down. It was interesting to note that the spiciness from the Hunanese dishes did not linger nearly as much as the chili-oil spiciness of Szechuan cuisine. In most cases, it was easily relieved with a couple bites of rice, some water, or just a little bit of a taste bud time out.


Ryan: Favorite dish was the fish fillet. He did not like the sauce accompanying the shrimp. 
3 out of 5 chopsticks.
Liz Lemon: Favorite dish was the mushrooms, in part due to the fancy presentation complete with sterno underneath the pot.
3.5 out of 5 chopsticks.
Levitron: Favorite dish was the fish fillet.
4 out of 5 chopsticks.
JW: Favorites included the fish fillet and the peanuts.  
4 out of 5 chopsticks.
Cathy: Favorite dish, hands down, was the tripe. Also enjoyed the fish fillet, but felt it was overly salty. 
3 out of 5 chopsticks.

A successful outing with many leftovers to take home. The group will set out for part III post-Thanksgiving to try and keep this project on track.

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