Get your buzz on

Care for a big bowl of fish boiled in water? No? Does it sound any better if it comes with the numbing effects of Novocain?

I’m guessing you’re not convinced, but passing would mean missing out on one of the best dishes at one of the best Chinese restaurants in the Sacramento region.

Let’s be honest: We don’t have a ton of great Chinese food in town, particularly when we start exploring specific regions. Chengdu Style Restaurant in Davis specializes in the cuisine of its namesake city Chengdu, the capital of the Sichuan province. It’s known as one of the top culinary destinations in China. Most dishes sparkle with Sichuan peppercorns, which were illegal in the United States for decades, as they were believed to carry a disease. The ban was lifted in 2005, and finally, Sichuan restaurants stateside could prepare dishes with their characteristic tingly, numbing effect. But the peppercorns also contribute a citrusy, floral flavor, which dominates most meals at Chengdu Style.

Whole peppercorns swim in that big bowl of boiled, sliced fish in chili oil ($13.95), which arrives fiery red with delicate, melt-in-your-mouth basa. They’re also prominent in the classic tan tan noodles ($5.95), a cold appetizer of thin egg noodles served in chili oil with minced porky bits and lots of sliced scallions. For a similar but more adventurous juxtaposition of cool and spicy and buzzing, try the jelly noodle in chili sauce ($6.95)—the slippery strands are made from chilled mung bean jelly.

The menu overwhelms in its vastness, boasting nearly 150 items—including lots of offal cuts, if you’re into feet and kidneys and such—divided into more than a dozen sections, such as “tofu pudding” or “pickled pepper.” From the latter, I tried the rabbit ($16.95), hacked up with bones and stir-fried with wood ear mushrooms, celery, a seemingly impossible amount of sliced garlic and pickled jalapenos for a great combo of heat, sweetness and tang.

If you tend to get sweaty and uncomfortable from spiciness, there are a few mellower options. One of Chengdu Style’s most popular dishes is the toothpick lamb ($15.95), with chunks of wok-fried, cumin-crusted, tender lamb beneath a shower of dried chilies and cilantro. There’s also the delicious tea-smoked duck ($16.95), which arrives a vibrant pink with crispy skin and not a pepper in sight.

Chengdu Style opened in March with an older sibling thriving in Berkeley, a restaurant with the same name run by the same family from Chengdu. The local, no-frills edition swarms with Chinese international students, thrilled to find a restaurant that caters to them instead of American palates. The dominant language tends to be Mandarin, and if you look Chinese, that’s likely how staff will address you. If you only speak English, service can feel hasty and impersonal, although it improved over the course of my visits.

Similarly, the menu translations sometimes read funky, and servers can’t always answer all of your questions. But, in a way, it’s more fun not to know exactly what’s coming. What’s “Fifty Combo Skewers in Chili Oil,” or “Thickened Sliced Fish with Coriander,” or “Steamed Pork Chop with Rice Flower” going to taste like? I’m not completely sure, but I’m excited to find out.