Yun Nan Garden Las Vegas

Tucked away behind the Kim Long Mall, near Chinatown Plaza, and doing the spicy thing in Las Vegas long before Chengdu Taste rolled into town, it was on the suggestion of a friend that five adults and two children sat down at Yun Nan Garden for a meal of *red star* specials that did little to dissuade even the timid thanks to the sort of spice focused on flavor rather than scorching the tongue tasteless.

Named for the Southwestern China Province of Yunnan, an area revered by practitioners of Eastern Medicine thanks to its diversity of plants and herbs, diners visiting Yun Nan Garden are quickly met by a golden Buddha on walking through the doors, a dining room featuring tables of varied sizes spread out to seat perhaps one hundred comfortably, and all that space to be filled on a Friday night by 6:45.

Providing English-friendly menus and forks, but otherwise as traditional as anyplace on Spring Mountain from its service structure to the clientele, it was at a rounded-table with a rotating center that decisions were made with a focus on a variety, most the choices denoted as spicy, though a more detailed look would prove that the warning was present on almost 50% of Yun Nan Garden’s Cuisine.

Struggling for water and dishes at first, but oddly finding the service improving incrementally as the restaurant got busier, it was with a flood of plates that the table was suddenly alive with color and bold aromatics, the dried Beef which arrived first eating much like Jerky with a mild numbing effect while the Ma Po Tofu featured a heaping portion of soft cubes bathed in an oil-based Sauce that carried the spice straight to the sinuses without the more expected effect of leaving the lips and tongue tingling.

 Turning next to stir-fry, the noodle-like Eels pleasantly slippery in a tangle of Onions and dried Chiles, Lamb with Cumin proved to be the nights most fragrant dish with both the tender bits of Meat and Peppers picking up a lot of earth and nutty notes, the Eggplant in Garlic Sauce similarly submitting to the flavors around it while still maintaining a fibrous, springy texture.

Turning up the temperature with Dan Dan Noodles served Szechuan style, the combination of the region’s eponymous Peppers and a whole lot of Garlic best taken in moderation for those moving from plate to plate, chopped Duck was a complete change of pace from everything else with a great bit of smoke and bones that are navigable, the Chongqing Spicy Chicken a return to Yun Nan’s strike zone that mostly tastes like really good double-fried Chicken…unless of course one chooses to chew up a few of the accompanying Peppers that almost immediately renders the palate tone-deaf and mouth watering.

FOUR AND A HALF STARS:  Doing the ‘hot’ thing right, not just trying to torch mouths but instead focused on flavor, Yun Nan Garden is a hidden gem removed from the main drag that is Spring Mountain Road, the service better than many similar spots and everything from the tables to the restrooms also much cleaner.

Found reviews online and where they ever right. Wow what a find! Authentic, delicious and great value! Had tofu with 1000 year old egg and Yun Nan beef and devoured it. Will be back soon!

Szechuan Cuisine. A cuisine that has recently started appearing on the Vegas food scene is Chinese Szechuan, and one of the first restaurants to start serving it was Yunnan Garden. Szechuan cooking is much spicier than food from other regions of China, yet traditionally, Szechuan cooking was not as pungent or as hot as it is today. I don't find Szechuan cuisine I've had to be nearly as hot as what I've had at Indian or Thai restaurants, so if you prefer milder foods you don't have to avoid this cuisine that sounds spicier than it is.

The first dish that came to us today was the least impressive and least expensive, the Dan Dan Noodle ($5.95). It consisted of a sweet and overly salty sauce underneath a mound of noodles sprinkled with peanuts. You mix the noodles and sauce to combine, which you can somewhat do in a way that caters to your own preference for heavy or light dressing. The next dish to arrive was #156, sauteed seasonal vegetables with garlic sauce ($7.85, I'm not an expert on Chinese vegetables, but after looking at some pictures online I think what we had was Choy Sum). Though this generic 'seasonal vegetable' dish appears on most Chinese menus, you aren't quite sure what exactly what you'll be getting, and the degree of expertise used to prepare it can vary dramatically. This version was fantastic, with perfectly cooked vegetables, a light sauce that barely coated them, and excellent flavor. It's hard to tell where the flavor is coming from since there is barely any color, but I'm guessing there might be some MSG in there somewhere, judging by how shiny it was (Anthony Bourdain claims food gets glossier the further West you move due to the use of this magical ingredient. MSG produces a sensation on the tongue which can only be described as umami). Other than the fact that children and pregnant women should stay away from it, I'm not averse to the use of MSG. It's a pretty remarkable ingredient that can really add to a dish, however, it should be consumed in moderation and is usually considered culinary cheating. If the vegetables didn't have MSG, the Fish Fillet in Spicy House Special Sauce ($10.25, #57) that was our entree almost certainly did (see how shiny it is in my picture). I was totally willing to risk consuming the controversial ingredient, however, because the dish was great and a fantastic deal; the plate could easily have served four people with hearty appetites. Though seafood is not an integral part of Szechuan food, freshwater fish is, and there is an abundance of it on Yunnan's menu. This fish was flaky and moist, and the sauce was pungent, spicy, and rich with the color of chilies. I loved the use of crunchy fried soy beans on top and the bed of incredibly fresh soy bean sprouts underneath, but it was a bit oily. Despite the oil, I didn't feel stuffed, and despite the possible health risks, I would order it again.

It's a little difficult to get your bearings when ordering at Yunnan Garden as the choices are numerous and the descriptions vague, but everything coming out of the kitchen looked pretty good. Don't count on much help deciphering from the waitstaff unless you speak the language, but if you stick to your personal preferences you should be fine. Just remember, don't bring the kids and leave the pregnant ladies at home. (Note: Many restaurants -not just Chinese- use MSG, and it is also present in a lot of processed snack foods because of its addictive qualities. I'm not trying to single out Yunnan Garden as a culprit.)

Tip: The restaurant is difficult to find. The best way I can direct you is to go to the far back side of the one story strip mall between Valley View and Arville on the south side of Spring Mountain. It's part of that same set of buildings.