There’s very little that fuels my greed as much as a good barbecue can. The mere thought of meat and fat kissing a hot grill, basted with the sweet and salty sauce that we FIlipinos so love, makes my mouth water. But Hediu Grill Station offers something different. It’s a Sichuan-style grill. If you’re not familiar with that style of cooking, I must say, prepare for some heat.
Sichuan (alternatively spelled as Szechuan) cooking is immutably fiery. You would think this would come from the famous Sichuan peppers, which is one of the spices used in the well-known Chinese five-spice powder. Sichuan peppercorns are actually mild and leave a tingling sensation in the mouth rather than in-your-face spiciness. But they are often accompanied by dried red chillies, which can be tongue-numbing if used heavy-handedly.
Hediu’s specialties are naturally heavy on the heat, which is a great excuse to go heavy on the fried rice, which I must say, is perfection.
It would be a mistake to think that there’s nothing more to Sichuan cooking other than heart-racing heat. I was surprised that many of the dishes had the unmistakable smoky scent and flavor of cumin, which I was told by their marketing head Kim, is one of the hallmarks of Sichuan cooking.
I am no spice hound so the dishes I enjoyed the most were those that had layered flavors with just the right amount of fire. This would be the fried fish head pot with crabsticks and lobster balls, a lovely beginning to our meal. The lemony garlic butter ulang shrimps were equally good. The three cup flavor tofu was flavorful and an ideal foil to the spiciness of the other dishes. If you dare and your medical results will allow, do order the roasted bone marrow, which is served with the most delicious grilled mantou bread. It was so good I ordered the bread to take home, only to discover that the one they gave me was spiced instead of plain. So should you decide to order some mantou, remember to specify your preference.
Hediu Grill Station is the sort of place where you can hang out with friends for drinks until the wee hours. They are open until 3 a.m. A band plays every night to add to the fun. Should you opt to dine outdoors, there’s an al fresco area with a lovely view of the bay.
Disclosure: Thank you to our friends from Hediu and SM for our lunch. All opinions and insights expressed here are entirely mine.
Follow me on Instagram @joangallares
Hediu Grill Station
SM by the Bay,
Seaside Blvd, Pasay, Metro Manila
0917-1238323
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