Before we entered the restaurant, we asked the girl for her recommendation of something that was really spicy. As we were sitting down, she told the waiter that ‘they want it hot’ or something to that effect.

As soon as our rice was dished out, I aimed straight for the Zuo Zong Tang Chicken. I tasted it.. and.. I was disappointed. No chilli kick whatsoever. Now i’m not so much of a chilii-whore that I need it in large quantities to taste it, but this was like they’d forgotten to put it in. I checked with the waitress, and evidently this is how it’s supposed to be. Just a ‘little bit’ of chilli.

So I asked for a bowl of chopped chilli. I received some home made chilli relish which wasn’t too bad, but it certainly wasn’t made from the killer chillis I buy from the Vietnamese Market.

Chilli Issues aside, the chicken wasn’t too bad - if you’re into white-boy sweet-and-sour dishes. The batter on the chicken pieces was a bit thick though, so what looks like a fair amount of chicken is actually quite a poultry amount. (Pun intended!)

Moving onto Mao’s Braised Pork, the gravy was quite rich. Probably from all the pork fat that had worked its way into the juices. *shudder* It tasted ok, but I don’t think there was anything exceptional about it - for me anyway. The fat 3 Layer Pork was nicely cooked though, so you didn’t feel like you were chewing on an old sock.

I added some of the chilli to this too, that made it better.

I think Louis wants to go back, but we’ll certainly be researching our choices better next time, and making sure if it’s supposed to be hot, it’s damn hot.

I had good vibes about this place. The décor was tasteful, and the service was above average. There was a large painting of Mao Zedong and a faint hint of propaganda, but none that’s too controversial for the history scholar that might happen to saunter in. The only thing that was out of place was the Beegees CD they had on repeat in the background. Without further ado, let’s go straight to the food.

Zuo Zong Tang Chicken: I raised my concerns over this dish at first. According to the picture and description on the menu, I was expecting something more along the lines of Kung Po Chicken with a twist. In other words, I was thinking spicy stir-fry, but what came out was nothing more than a platter of sweet-and-sour chicken, with onion and red & green capsicum. Yes, the venerable sweet-and-sour chicken that is so synonymous with Chinese takeaways and that I have such a disdain for. The difference is that the chicken is deep fried on this one. Still, what’s done is done, and I didn’t wish to kick up a fuss. I guess it just goes to show that traditional Chinese staples can get disguised under fanciful names here, so do be careful of what you order if you are hankering for something less ordinary. Putting my prejudice aside, and judging the dish on its own merit, I would say that this version of sweet-and-sour chicken is above average, but is still lacking in the sense that the deep-fried chicken has too much batter and skin in some parts and not enough meat, therefore it was only so-so.

Mao’s Braised Pork: Also popularly known as “Hong Shao Zhu Rou”, this item is stated on the menu as Chairman Mao’s favourite dish, and I can understand why. Personally, I have always been a fan of red-roasted pork as well, although it is quite a deliciously sinful dish that has been labeled fattening on more than one occasion - because pork fat is indeed one of the main contributors to its taste! Now, the trick to this dish is always to cook the three-layer pork belly cubes in such a way that the meat is tenderized and the fat simply melts in your mouth. If not done properly, you will end up feeling sickened as you ingest a whole lot of lard and pork skin. I am happy to say that the Post-Mao Café does a rather good job here. The presentation was excellent was well, with broccoli nicely framing the pork cubes in the center. In fact, an elderly Caucasian next to our table asked what we were having, so they could order a platter as well! In terms of flavour, there is certainly none lacking. I polished off three bowls of rice mainly from this dish alone, and the only thing I can find fault with is that like most restaurants, they might have put in more flavouring (or MSG) than they had to, and as a result, you would feel really thirsty afterwards, especially if you have been plying on the gravy by the spoonful!

Personally, I would recommend Mao’s Café to anyone who is a fan of Hunan cuisine and traditional Chinese food. Based on our orders, one dish was a hit and one a miss, but my guess is if you know what to order, your dining experience there can be an enjoyable one.

As for the Candid Cuisine team, it is safe to say that we will be heading back there in the near future for a second go.

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