As you enter Hao Zi Wei, the citrusy profile of green Sichuan peppercorns invades your nostrils, eyes and pores. Take it in your stride. If staff sense you’re a beginner with the cuisine, they’ll steer you towards milder menu options and may even slide an extra box of tissues onto your table. Seasoned Sichuan scoffers, though, will find numbing comfort here.

Laziji is a mountain of deep fried, bone-in chicken buried in dried red chillies. Whole barramundi is butterflied then fried, served in a brothy hot tub with coriander and more chilli. Candy-like battered eggplant is lathered in garlicky sweet-sour syrup, and boneless bullfrog pairs with crunchy lotus root.

Form takes a back seat to function in the brightly lit space, and avoid dining solo at all costs; a table of four or more helps unlock the menu’s potential.

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