Spice Up Your Dining Experience: The Culinary Wonders of a Sichuanese Chef-Led Restaurant

Today we take a look at one of the most authentic destinations for the renowned Sichuan-style Chinese cuisine in Munich. This gem is located right next to the Königsplatz underground station and just a ten minute walk from Munich Central Station.

At Seen or 森 (the restaurant’s name comes from the Chinese word for forest), you can try many different Sichuan classics. Fun fact: The chef of Seen is from Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province in China. Having grown up and learned his trade in Sichuan, he knows exactly what he is doing. This is also where the name of the restaurant comes from, because on his way home from school through the local forest, he was greeted by the aroma of the dishes his mother had cooked for him. Keep in mind, however, that Sichuan cuisine is notoriously spicy.

But let’s get down to business! To start, we chose a selection of handmade dumplings. Unlike the classic Chinese dumplings or Joazi (Mandarin: 餃子), these come in a variety of flavours and characteristic colours (similar to the coloured baozi we introduced on our trip to Hubuxiang Night Market in Wuhan) of the skin. This is because the dough is made from various Chinese vegetables, such as carrots or spinach. The dumplings also contain a variety of fillings such as classic seasonal Asian vegetables, minced chicken, pork & beef, shrimp or shiitake mushrooms. To complement the succulence of the steamed Joazi, two delicious sauces are added – a peanut dip and a classic vinegar sauce.

For our first main course we chose the Beef & Silken Tofu. This is a classic Sichuan dish with tender pieces of beef, creamy silken tofu and a variety of Sichuan herbs and spices. The oily sauce is Mala 麻辣 (in Mandarin 麻 means numbing and 辣 means hot), which refers to a seasoning of peppercorns and chili. If you want to experience the full authenticity of Sichuan cuisine, Mala is a must! Spicy and slightly numbing to the lips and tongue. The beef is so tender and soft that it almost melts in your mouth – chewing is hardly necessary.

Silken tofu has a creamy texture, almost like pudding or curd. This is due to its high water content of around 80% (the water content of ‘normal’ tofu is around 50%).

A quick note on tofu: we are aware that tofu has a reputation – at least in the western world – for being a bland ingredient with a week’s worth of flavour. It is often seen and used as a healthy meat substitute. But we think tofu is completely underrated. It plays an important role in Asian cuisine, especially Chinese cuisine. Unlike Western recipes, you will often find dishes with tofu AND meat. I must add that before I lived in China I did not like tofu at all (probably because the only thing I knew was tofu sausages. But now it’s one of my favourite vegetables ever!

Our third and final choice of the evening was the Frog Legs with chilli, cucumber and ginger. Another classic and a very good choice if you’re looking to try something new. It also contains the mala spice as the aforementioned beef and silken tofu. The dish is seasoned with fresh chillies for a spicy kick, and the crisp addition of cucumber not only brings a refreshing twist, but enhances the overall dining experience with its cool and invigorating essence.

Are you a little hesitant about the frog legs? I have to tell you, the meat is extremely tasty and you should definitely try it. It reminds me a lot of chicken breast, but it’s much more tender. You may have to chew around the little bones, but you will be rewarded with an extremely aromatic flavour.