Yipin Bashu
Coventry, West Midlands
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Coventry doesn’t make a show of it, but genuine Chinese mainland food can be unearthed in the city. Look for the signs: several ethnic supermarkets in the centre of town; a stall at the enticing indoor market selling esoteric specialities; and a significant population of Chinese students. As you enter the simple, brightly lit premises, you’ll be immediately convinced (and comforted) that this is no anglicised ‘chicken and cashews' joint. The neon-lit sign is in Chinese script, as is much of the voluminous menu. Tables are easy-wipe, there's no alcohol licence and the dining room is populated by a young crowd. Even if you're au fait with the intricacies of authentic Chinese food, you may need a few minutes to get to grips with the huge menu. Szechuan cuisine dominates, and many of the dishes come topped with a forbidding layer of dried red chillies and chilli oil. Numbing Szechuan peppercorns further assault the tongue in impressively huge concoctions such as ‘Szechuan-style pig’s red, with hairy belly’ (the enigmatic translation adding to the allure). Here, beneath the fiery, oily surface you’ll find rectangles of shiny blood pudding, segments of springy beef tripe, tantalisingly resilient black fungus, and… slices of Spam. Yet there’s also plenty of opportunity to savour food that's gentler on the palate: an appetisingly seasoned plate of fried noodles with seafood, perhaps, or thin slices of highly savoury belly pork on a bed of pickled vegetables. At inspection, the standout dish was a generous bowlful of pork dumplings, their delicate wrappers submerged in a flavourful chilli-hot broth, with Chinese cabbage providing relief from the heat. Order steamed rice (not, as far as we could discern, on the menu) to counteract the ferocious spicing. Staff are admirably patient with newcomers, while pricing is moderate (given the gargantuan portions).
