Superdish

By Anna Yue April 3 2024

Hunan Sichuan style cuisine, characterized by its bold use of intense spices and savory flavors, traces back to Chinese culinary history over two millennia ago and has been passed down to this day. There on the edge of Oakridge Mall in Almaden, San Jose is Super Dish, an Asian fusion restaurant specializing in the Hunan Sichuan style cuisine with modern touches of delicacy and care.

The neat and organized space stood out as I entered the brightly lit room. Modern pendant lights hung from the ceiling above every table, and walls were decorated by canvas arts of Be@rbricks, a collectible Japanese designer figurine, as well as paintings depicting traditional Chinese opera scenes, perfectly matching the description of the restaurant—Chinese Hunan style cuisine with contemporary twists.

Upon seating, we were served water and small appetizers of pickled cabbage and stir-fried peanuts. After placing our order online through our phones, the dishes were slowly served. Several bowls of rice are a must in a Hunan style restaurant as dishes are extremely spicy. Oddly enough, each dish varies widely in portion size, so be careful: the Stir Fried Spicy Pot was sufficient for five people while the Wild Pepper Beef was for at most two, as much of its average-sized portion consisted of chili peppers.

The Shredded Pork with Garlic Sprouts presented a pleasant combination of the flavor and texture of each ingredient. The bits of spice and the freshness and crunchiness of the garlic sprout, an ingredient mainly unique to Chinese recipes, perfectly capture the fusion of traditional Hunan and modern cuisines. 

I strongly recommend the Minced Beef, Egg Drop and Chinese Parsley Soup after your meal, as it gives your burning taste buds a moment of relief from the intense spice and flavor with its almost bland yet still savory taste. The soup was thick and stomach-warming, presenting another combination of textures signature to Chinese cuisine.

Super Dish is a decent restaurant featuring modernized Hunan style flavors and techniques, serving a cohesive blend of tradition and contemporary fusion.

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About the Contributors

Anna Yue

staff writer

Anna Yue is a sophomore staff writer for The Charger Account. During her free time, she enjoys crocheting, sleeping, watching dramas, listening to music and reading web novels,