New restaurant in Hong Kong: Twelve Flavors, Kennedy Town - authentic and affordable Sichuan dry hotpot and more
It’s impossible to walk past the restaurant on Sands Street without noticing the traditional exterior. Step inside and try some authentic Sichuan dishes, including the dry hotpot with crispy chicken wings
Sichuan restaurant Twelve Flavors opened in Kennedy Town recently, bringing spicy, affordable Chinese cuisine to the west side of Hong Kong Island.
It’s impossible to walk past the restaurant on Sands Street without noticing the venue because of the striking shop gate; there are handwritten Chinese couplets, a fake tiled roof and traditional window frames. A row of red lanterns along the windows makes the shop look even more welcoming.
The interior is equally enticing, decorated with cartoon panda drawings and gold birdcages. Red lanterns hanging from the ceiling provide an interesting contrast to the green wooden panels that divide the spacious and cosy seating options. A small collection of clothing items with Chinese elements such as frog buttons is displayed in a corner near the cashier, showcasing designs from Eyensree, an emerging Shanghai-based brand inspired by traditional Chinese culture.
The restaurant offers a range of signature Sichuan dishes, such as boiled fish with pickled cabbage and boiled beef in hot chilli oil. It also features dry hotpot, or mala xiang guo, which is stir-fried vegetables and meat with numbing chilli pepper sauce and various spices. Customers can choose the ingredients they want from a selection of 25, including chicken wings, cauliflower, pig intestines and frogs.