This is the real deal. I've had the mapo tofu at OUE Downtown, but I found this version to be more intense in its Szechuan flavours - more smoky, more tangy and more spicy. Yet, it's more well balanced than most of the "authentic Szechuan" dishes I've had cooked by mainland Chinese chefs. The dou ban jiang felt more mature, and richer in the sweetness of the meat.
🔸
I've always loved Szechuan food. I've always said that all they needed to do was to go all out in terms of oil, salt, chilli and numbing spices, but this showed me that there's a Mapo Tofu that I love more, and it's a more well balanced one.