Tea House - Minneapolis

Meizhou Bowl

Crispy pork meatballs, bean noodles and seasonal vegetables stewed in a rich broth

Szechuan Mala Fries*

A classic example of when east meets west, French fries and Szechuan hot spices are perfectly mixed to create a combination of crispy western food texture and Szechuan flavor

• Vegetarian

Couple's Beef Slices**

In the late Qing Dynasty over a hundred years ago, many vendors were selling beef slices served cold in the streets of Chengdu, using beef offal due to its low cost. Because of this, the dish was popular among rickshaw pullers and poor students. In the 1930s, a married couple in Chengdu were in the business of cooking beef slices. The husband, Zhaohua Guo, and wife, Tianzheng Zhang, were unusually particular about the beef they made, and often experimented with new ingredients. As a result, their beef slices had a distinct taste from other competing vendors, gradually becoming wellknown amongst locals. Their new-found fame attracted customers, and the attention of pranksters; often, mischievous children would stick paper notes that read 'fūqī fèipiàn' (married couple's offal slices) on their backs, and fans would sometimes yell the words out. When a merchant tried the married couple's beef slices later on, he was satisfied enough to give them a gold-lettered plaque reading 'fūqī fèipiàn' and the name has stuck ever since. To suit their customer's tastes, the couple made improvements on the dish, and offal slices were eventually replaced by various beef or lamb slices. Despite becoming a misnomer with the ingredient change, many today still carry on the local tradition of calling the dish by its most famous name: Fū Qī Fèi Piàn

Ma Po Tofu* ^

Soft tofu diced then stir fried with ground pork, ginger, garlic, Szechuan bean paste, pepper corns and leeks. A popular spicy home style dish in Szechuan

Szechuan Green Beans^

A typical family style dish in Szechuan, green beans and Szechuan preserved vegetables stir fried with a light dash of soy sauce

• Vegetarian