Spicy Master

Fans of spicy foods have no shortage of great options in Irvine – for instance, a single plaza on Culver includes such noteworthy options as Fire Wings and Spicy City – so it’s not exactly surprising that another plaza has emerged as a hot spot (ahem) for spice fiends. Joining already established hot pot/dry pot restaurant YGF Malatang and Sichuan sauerkraut fish chain Yonny at the Chinese restaurant-heavy Jamboree Promenade, Spicy Master offers a smartphone-based menu of mostly rustic, Jianghu-style Sichuan recipes that are over-the-top in spices, peppers, and/or oils, ideal for UCI students and anyone else with little concern over their heat or lipid intakes.

Seemingly deliberately, the English version of Spicy Master’s menu mixes intimidation and mysticism to hint at the potential pain that awaits spice-adverse customers: from “can’t eat spicy chicken” ($25), “one sword seals the throat” ($39) and “ghost fire brain flower” ($25) to “heaven sword overlord rabbit” ($39) and “bandit style pork liver” ($23), very few of the choices available on the smartphone-based ordering system offer comfort to the meek – this is not a place to bring anyone intimidated by Chinese food generally or spicy foods specifically. Many dishes either explicitly reference “fresh pepper,” pickling, blood, or chili sauce, while others (dry pot, boss bang bang chicken) merely include photographs of meat heavily garnished with dried chilis or resting in pools of chili oil. Not everything is super spicy, though, as some basic fried noodles ($15), fried rice ($15), vegetable dishes ($17), and big soup bowls ($16 to $27) are offered as milder options. Additionally, six dessert items include two types of ice jelly ($5), tofu pudding ($6), fried rice cakes ($13) and coconut milk balls ($14), plus a warm tea and glutinous rice ball soup ($13).

On our first visit, we tried three spicy items and two non-spicy desserts, with mixed but generally positive results. One of our favorites was the burnt pepper tofu salad ($15), a sliced block of silky tofu topped with roasted and minced spicy green peppers, scallions, and sesame seeds, all soaking in a pool of green pepper oil. The creamy tofu was so dense that it didn’t absorb the oil – it ran off as droplets of spicy seasoning, leaving the dish more refreshing and balanced than greasy or heavy. As fans of spicy foods, we found the spice level here to be nice rather than overwhelming, and well offset by the milky tofu. We also loved the sandy brown sugar ice jelly ($5), a great deal for a bowl of what others have offered as “rain drop jellies,” clear, cold gelatin topped with a sugar syrup, hawthorn, and nuts.