Spicy Chef

Name: Spicy Chef
Address: 8080 Olive Blvd, University City, MO, US
Telephone: 314-801-8383

Hunan and Sichuan

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Wed–Mon 11am–2:30pm & 4:30pm–9pm, Tue closed

8080 Olive Blvd, University City, MO
314-801-8383
Last verified: October 2026
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Dishes to know on this menu

Hunan-style: Hunan (Xiang) cooking is as hot as Sichuan's but leans on fresh and pickled chilies, smoked meats and sour notes instead of numbing peppercorn. Steamed fish head with chopped chili and Chairman Mao's red-braised pork are the signature dishes; "Hunan beef" on American menus is a chili-and-vegetable stir-fry inspired by the style. On this menu as: Hunan-Style Stir-Fried Pork Knuckle · Hunan Spicy River Shrimp.
Mapo tofu: Soft tofu in a glossy red sauce of fermented broad-bean paste (doubanjiang), chili and ground Sichuan peppercorn, traditionally with a little minced beef or pork. The name honors the pockmarked (ma) old woman (po) said to have invented it in Chengdu; a vegetarian version is common. On this menu as: Mapo Tofu.
Red-braised pork: Pork belly simmered slowly with soy, rock sugar, rice wine and spices until the fat turns silky and the sauce reduces to a red-brown glaze. Shanghai's version is sweeter; Hunan's (Chairman Mao pork) adds chili; Dongpo pork is the Hangzhou cut-into-a-single-cube version. On this menu as: Mao's Braised Pork Belly.
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: Chicken with Nine-Leaf Sichuan 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: Mapo Tofu.

Spicy Chef

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