Mala: Literally "numbing-hot": the Sichuan pairing of dried or fresh chili (la) with Sichuan peppercorn (ma), a citrusy husk that leaves a tingling buzz on the lips. Any dish or dry pot labeled mala will have both. On this menu as: Ma-la Dungeness Crab · Ma-la Lobster · Spicy Boiled Bullfrog with Sichuan Peppercorn.
Szechuan-style (American menus): The older Wade-Giles spelling of Sichuan. On American-Chinese menus "Szechuan beef" or "Szechuan chicken" signals a spicy garlic-chili sauce with vegetables; on a Sichuan restaurant's menu the same word means the real thing, so expect Sichuan peppercorn and real heat. On this menu as: Szechuan Numbing Chicken · Szechuan Pickles · Spicy Boiled Bullfrog with Sichuan Peppercorn.
Wok hei: The "breath of the wok": the smoky, faintly charred aroma a dish picks up when it is tossed in a carbon-steel wok over a roaring flame. It is why a restaurant's chow fun and stir-fries taste different from home versions, and why they are best eaten immediately. On this menu as: Spicy Wok-Fried Pork Tripe · Spicy Wok-Fried Beef Aorta & Duck Intestine · Wok-Fried Frog with Chili & Pepper.
Tofu (bean curd): Pressed soybean curd, from custard-soft (for mapo tofu and soups) to firm (for stir-fries and braises). Fried tofu puffs soak up sauce; tofu skin (yuba) is the sheet lifted off simmering soy milk, rolled and braised or fried as a "vegetarian duck". On this menu as: Tender Beef & Tofu Pudding in Charred Pepper Sauce · Ma-po Lobster & Tofu · Ma-po Tofu.
Fried rice: Day-old rice stir-fried with egg, scallion and whatever the kitchen adds. Yangzhou (Yang Chow) style means shrimp, char siu and peas, and is the version most menus mean by "house special". Good fried rice is dry and separate-grained, never wet. On this menu as: Fried Rice with Szechuan Pickles Bacon · Beef Fried Rice · Fried Rice with Szechuan Special Greens.
Chongqing chicken: Bite-sized fried chicken buried in a mound of dried red chilies and Sichuan peppercorn. The chilies are for aroma, not eating, so pick through them for the crisp, numbing-hot chicken. On this menu as: Chongqing Jianghu Cuisine · Chongqing Taian Live Fish in Spicy Broth (Sea Bass).

How these dishes compare

Fried ricetypically $13.97 across 254 menus
Wontontypically $9.99 across 241 menus
Hot and sour souptypically $8 across 186 menus
Sweet and sourtypically $15.95 across 172 menus
Mapo tofutypically $15.95 across 154 menus
Fish-fragrant (yu xiang)typically $14 across 151 menus
Egg drop souptypically $5.95 across 103 menus
Twice-cooked porktypically $16.98 across 75 menus

Szechuan Mountain House on our other sites

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Szechuan Mountain House

Menu

Cold Dish / Street Food

Chef's Specialties

Chongqing Jianghu Cuisine

High Heat · Fast Wok · Perfect with Rice

Rice / Noodle

Vegetables

Soup

Dessert

How these dishes compare

Szechuan Mountain House on our other sites

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