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Best Shuizhu in London
“Meat poached 20–30 seconds, vegetables underneath, then scalding oil poured over—tenderness by restraint, not force.”
What the real thing tastes like
Shuizhu (Chinese: 水煮; pinyin: shuǐzhǔ, [ʂwěɪ ʈʂù ɻôʊ pʰjɛ̂n]) is a Chinese dish which originated from Sichuan cuisine; its name literally means "water-boiled (meat)". The dish consists of meat, chili pepper, and vegetable oil. The meat is prepared with water, starch, and a slight amount of salt. Boiled vegetables are placed at the bottom of the serving bowl or dish. The prepared raw meat is poached in water that is heated to boiling for 20–30 seconds, just enough to remove rawness yet preserving the meat's tenderness. Then it is drained and put in the serving dish with vegetables. Minced dried chili, Sichuan pepper, minced garlic, and other seasonings are spread over the meat. Vegetable oil is heated in a pan nearly to the smoking point, then poured over the prepared meat and vegetables. This dish maintains tenderness of the meat by poaching it instead of stir-frying. It offers a combination of tender meat, freshness of vegetable, hot spicy flavor of chili pepper, and numbing sensation
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Shuizhu is a Sichuan dish where tender meat meets the bold heat of chili and numbing tingle of Sichuan pepper—all delivered in a single, deliberately orchestrated moment. The meat barely kisses boiling water for 20–30 seconds, a brief plunge that strips away rawness while the flesh stays silky. Vegetables pool at the bowl's bottom, then comes the dramatic finish: hot oil poured over everything, carrying minced chilies, garlic, and spice into every crevice.
Order it here when it has
- preserved meat tenderness
- combination of chili heat and Sichuan numbing
- fresh vegetables
- balanced flavors
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