Modern and traditional dishes at Sichuan Lab in Wan Chai a mixed bag

It’s easy to tell from the decor that Sichuan Lab isn’t a rustic regional Sichuan restaurant. The exterior is black, the interior is black (but with good lighting and orange accented-chairs), the menu is black.

From the list of cold dishes we chose steamed chicken with century egg and spicy sauce (HK$138).

We could tell at a glance that the chicken had been cut up by an unskilled cook – it came in rough pieces that were uneven and too large, and the many shards of bone in the meat confirmed this.

It was too cold when first served, but about 10 minutes at room temperature brought out the flavours, which were spicy and not as oily as usual. We would have liked more of the century egg, which had a beautiful golden colour and very soft yolk.