A Mainland Chinese eating place

Stir-Fried Chicken with roasted chilies(left)

I had on separate occasions with my son Gino and China Cojuangco looked for this hole-in-a-wall. It seemed to be an elusive El Dorado of sorts since it has been in existence for quite some time and a well kept secret of the Mainland Chinese community.

The place is in Camia Street in Guadalupe Viejo, Makati City, near the barangay hall of Guadalupe Viejo. Though the place is called YOU JIE XIAO CHAO, there are no signs. A “Wanted waitress” sign was our only clue on the street and assumed that this was the place.

The place started as a decent air-conditioned apartment, though we were ready to rough it up from the descriptions we got from others who had dined there. The cuisine is Hunan and the dishes seemed like the simple homey dishes I had sampled as an athlete who trained and lived in Mainland China for some time. We had been there three times and I was rather surprised on our third return to see that a wall had been knocked off and the place had already doubled its capacity from a small five-table affair. Upon entering the place, there is a predominant aroma of a smokey, chili fragrance mixed with rice wine and vinegar. This predominant smokey hot flavor seems to be attributed to the roasted chilies that almost all the dishes have in common. With the three Chinese immigrants running the show, it is quite a culinary adventure especially now that there is an English menu with pictures.

With the three visits I’ve made to this place, I’ve decided on listing some pretty strong must- haves that are recommendable to our readers.

The dishes are not on the elegant side and are best eaten with shots of the native Tsingtao beer which they offer. Don’t count on getting any ice with your soft drinks, which seems to be an eccentricity of the place. We would bring our own small cooler with ice on consequent visits because one had to calm down the delicious but infernal cooking.

Here are some recommended dishes:

Hot Pot Duck – Order this dry, not with the soup. Though not really on the tender side, the dish is a bombardment of aromas with loads of bay leaves, chili, and ginger. The aroma is hypnotic and as mentioned, the meat may not fall off the bone but I would be chomping away like a huntsman that would enjoy his duck.

Ziran Beef – The dish is very typical of the Dong Bei or the Manchu style that has an expressive amount of cumin seeds, sesame seeds, and chili. Though many interpretations serve it on a bed of sautéed salted cucumber, this is served separately in this place.

Steamed Fish Head – This dish topped, with an aromatic puree of chili and other condiments, must have been a recipe straight from the bowels of Hades. Every flavorful morsel and spoonful of this sauce on steamed rice gave one a gratifying burn that needed swigs of beer in between. This dish had a puree strongly present of roasted chilies, preserved vegetables, tausi, garlic, and ginger cooked in oil.

Goto or Tripe – On the first visit, this was not on the menu but we saw a Chinese guy happily eating alone enjoying this with canned herbal tea. We asked for this stir-fried dish loaded with onions, leeks, preserved beans, and roasted chilies.

Fried Rice and Beef – The fried rice is a dark soyed version with hints of liquid seasoning but has sauted beef, onion leeks, and some hints of smokiness.

Stir fried chicken with chilies – The stir fried chicken with lots of roasted chilies is very typical of the Hunan and Szechuan styles. Although this dish relies solely on the roasted chilies and ginger for flavor, I would have preferred it perfumed with some red chili puree or sauce. Nevertheless, it is worth ordering.