Mala. It’s the heart of Sichuan cooking, the intoxicating nucleus of the famed cusine. There’s no better way to appreciate it than through a bowl of mapo tofu, and in my opinion, Beijing Restaurant in Sugar House is rendering the dish as good as anyone else right now. Probably better. Hidden on the menu under the moniker of Tofu in House Special Spicy Sauce, it’s worth negotiating the Death Race 2000 layout of Sugar House reconstruction efforts to sample a bite.
Mala is the distinctive flavor profile created by combining the numbing superconductivity of Sichuan peppercorns (ma) with the fiery heat of red chilis (la). On the surface, it’s an electrifying experience that seemingly thumbs its nose at moderation. In truth, the best executed plates showcase a deft balance with each element tempering another. Mapo tofu leaves your mouth and tongue a sizzling, scorched, galvanized landscape.
Another critical component in mapo’s electrifying mala mix is spicy bean paste, aka doubanjiang. A fire engine red paste that’s predomninantly assembled from fava beans, chilis, and soy beans. The multi-year fermentation process is worth a quick Google deep-dive. The paste adds deep complexity to any dish it’s deployed in support of. Ginger, garlic, and green onion add further umami and depth, before the dish reveals another trick up its sleeve – textural contrast…