Laziji in Dublin: Finding Authentic Sichuan Spice in an Unexpected Place

I’m trying to remember when I was first introduced to this intimidating dish, but I’ve always loved to see everyone’s reaction when I introduce it to someone who’s never had it.

Laziji: It's as delicious and intimidating as it looks!

But I’m pretty sure I didn’t find the heap of chillies on the fried chicken chunks as intimidating.

I never saw Laziji as a fried chicken dish until my friend described it as such 5 years later. It’s a bit of stir fry of sorts but with fried chicken pieces and lots of dried red chillies. It’s there just to provide some drama and some mild chilli flavor. The biggest flavor comes from the heady combination of ginger, garlic, spring onion and the boss, sichuan peppers. It’s subtle, savoury flavour with the slight ting on your tongue, makes it dangerously delicious with the already delicious crispy chicken, which is always irresistible.

Spicy laziji in a takeaway box, featuring crispy chicken with red chili peppers and green Sichuan peppercorns

I discovered it in Singapore, where different kinds of Chinese cuisines thrive. Coming from a world of Indian Chinese, which mainly edited Hakka/Hokkien dishes with spices to cater to Indian palates, Sichuan cuisine was a pleasant change. I never liked the sauces laden Indo-chinese but Sichuan dishes have the authentically perfect spice that my Indian palate loves. When I was moving out of Singapore, I thought I would have to load up on as much of LaZiJi as possible with Dublin’s reputation of not loving spicy food. But to my pleasant surprise, Sichuan cuisine is pretty popular with most restaurants.

I see it as an extension of the already loved spice bags and salt & chilli chicken found in Chinese takeaways. Of course, the chillies are not as dramatically heaped as in Singapore, but it is sufficient enough to give it the oomph and flavour I love.

Eat it as a lovely, spicy starter with your drinks or if dal-rice or rice in general is your comfort food, elevate it with some crispy, spicy LaZiJi on the side.

Mouth-watering laziji with egg fried rice and stir-fried beans is like a party in your mouth

I’m yet to try making it at home, but then I prefer leaving it to the large restaurant kitchens and most importantly, the expert chefs to make it for me. Some things are best left to the experts.