Restaurant review: Deng G in Wan Chai – not overly spicy

“Romantic” isn’t a word I ever thought I’d use to describe a Chinese restaurant, but the interior of Deng G in Wan Chai looks more like the setting for an intimate French meal than a place that serves fiery Sichuan cuisine.

The menu lists dishes not only by course, but also with the flavour profiles, so you don’t end up ordering food that all tastes the same. They include ma la (the numbing spicy taste that people associate with Sichuan cuisine), wu la (peppery spicy), sweet and sour, spicy pepper and salt, and lychee taste. A chilli icon by the dishes indicates the spice level.

A starter of sliced pork with garlic and chilli (HK$75) has thinly sliced fatty pork in what looks like a fiery dressing that turns out to be sweet, garlicky and refreshing. Mouth watering chicken (HK$90) has a two chilli rating, but it wasn’t too spicy. It was served too cold, though, so the flavours were muted.

From the homestyle section of the menu we chose the stir-fried pork kidneys (HK$128), which we loved. The kidneys were lovely – perfectly cooked, and well cleaned so there wasn’t even a hint of funkiness. They had been stir-fried with wood ear mushrooms, thin shreds of celtuce, and delicious pickled chillies that weren’t spicy, but which provided jolts of saltiness.

Spicy pepper and salt taste braised beef rib with mild red oil (HK$398) looked impressive. The waitress cut the meat away from the large bone, then into thick slices. The meat was moist, with just enough fat, and had a mild, sweet taste.

The beef went very well with a dish of dry pot mushrooms (HK$158) – a delicious mix of mushrooms that were slightly oily, with a spicy, intense flavour.

The only disappointing main dish was the ma po tofu (HK$120); the chunks of tender bean curd came in a sauce that was one-dimensionally spicy.