Spicy Gangster is a Sichuan restaurant that specializes in Chongqing specialty dishes, located in Jing’an district, Shanghai.
Update Nov 2024: Spicy Gangster has moved to K11.
About Spicy Gangster
It used to be on Yanping Lu, but it’s since relocated to Xinzha Lu. It also used to be difficult to book, but now it’s fairly easy to get a table, especially with their new location being slightly bigger.
Some dishes require pre-order, like innards, certain whole fish, and prawns, ingredients that are sourced fresh for the day. Add the service account on WeChat (13166253023) for more details — they’re quick to respond, and will send the entire menu. FYI, they rarely accept walk-ins.
The Food
Those accustomed to Chongqing levels of spice will find Spicy Gangster a treat. Not every dish is fiery, thankfully. They do the classics well, like mapo tofu, yuxiang rousi, and “saliva chicken.” Order your rice from the get-go. You’ll need/want it.
My favorite dish to start off with is the Sliced Pork with Garlic Sauce. Pork belly is boiled with aromatics, then sliced thin, doused with a garlic sauce flavored with soy sauce, black vinegar, and sesame oil. It’s simple and addictive.
The Century Egg is a nice little starter, too. The base is a mildly spiced sauce mix with burnt roasted peppers, and it’s topped with silken tofu.
For sharing dishes, go for the Jiaohu Chicken. A whole chicken is stir-fried with leek, green chilies, dried red chilies, and peppercorns. It’s numb and spicy (7/10) and will have you picking the plate clean. A version with rabbit is also available.
The Mapo Tofu is fragrant, delicious, and comforting. It’s usually a 7/10, but I think it was closer to 9/10 last I went. Perhaps give them a shout if you’re not willing to tackle that level of intensity.
I also recommend the Fish in Sour Soup. A whole fish is served in a sour-spicy broth flavored with green peppercorns, pickled yellow chilies, ginger, and garlic.
Another classic is the Yuxiang Rousi, a dish that has that “fish fragrance” or umami, but doesn’t involve any seafood products. It’s sweet, sour, savory, and only a tiny bit spicy.
I’ve always enjoyed Spicy Gangster. I don’t think it’s much of a hassle to pre-book and pre-order, especially once you have them on WeChat. It’s a solid neighborhood restaurant.
Spicy Gangster 不问江湖
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