FuLoon Malden

I haven't been to FuLoon in Malden in ages for lunch, probably due to the fact that the lunch menu is on par with the buffet and both have nothing going for them and can't really be recommended. As mediocre as the lunch menu and buffet is, the normal menu has a lot of outstanding dishes listed and this is probably the best Sichuan restaurant in Boston with an outstanding chef. Recently J. Kenji Lopez-Alt wrote an article on Serious Eats about 12 dishes that shouldn't be missed at FuLoon and Dan-Dan Noodles were mentioned. I didn't even know they served Dan-Dan Noodles since they are called something completely different on the menu.

The room is nice with an impeccable maintained fish tank in the middle. Looks like the booths got redone since I was here last. The forgettable buffet can be seen behind the fish tank.

NOODLES WITH SPICY SZECHUAN SAUCE is what the Dan-Dan Noodles are called on the menu. Wish I had known before because this is a dish I try at all Sichuan Restaurants I go to. One of the best versions of Dan Dan Mien I've had, with flavorful chunks of pork and plenty of pickled mustard root (Usually Sichuanese ya cai or Tianjin preserved vegetable, not sure what they used here) piled on top of just-cooked noodles. Toss it all together to let the sesame flavored chili oil coat the strands and then dig in. This looked like it had gotten the white guy treatment and they had held back on the chili oil but after mixing it together and tasting it I can happily say that it was plenty spicy and flavorful. This was also a very generous portion for $6.50. Most places serve this as an appetizer.

Went for it today and ordered two dishes, the second one seen here was the Bang Bang Chicken (No idea where the name comes from). This is an appetizer-sized portion of tender shredded chicken tossed with cilantro and scallions in a vinaigrette flavored with roasted chilis and Sichuan peppercorns. Again it looked like the heat was absent but I can assure you it was not! Really nice dish.