Stylishly Asian

A plate of Sichuan Salt and Pepper Calamari ($10 **) was less successful, and I’m guessing that you won’t find this dish in the landlocked Sichuan province of western China. Also, it’s made here with black pepper, not the Sichuan pepper that food writer Harold McGee says produces “a strange, tingling, buzzing, numbing sensation that is something like touching the terminals of a nine-volt battery to the tongue.” Further, the battered and fried pieces carry way too much oil, and the calamari inside can be chewy. These defects relate to the temperature of the oil in the deep fryer — something that can be easily fixed.

Things were set right by the arrival of a plate of Orange Sesame Chinese Chicken ($12 ***), small bites of griddled chicken coated in a tangy, citrusy orange sauce sprinkled with white sesame seeds. Fun to eat, sweet, and the kids will like it.

Sichuan Spicy Lamb

Sichuan Spicy Lamb ($18 ***) had virtues: the tender lamb was wok-seared to bring up the flavor and cooked with onions and scallions and, according to the menu, spiced with Sichuan peppers. There was none of the tingling, buzzing and numbing of real Sichuan peppers going on, but rather just a nice, warm, spicy glow in the mouth that you get from chili peppers.

We tried the Cantonese Chow Fun ($11 **), a dish familiar to anyone who patronizes Chinese restaurants. Beef strips and vegetables are wokked and mixed with flat rice noodles, then served over a bed of bok choy. Good but not exciting.
A house-made cheesecake for dessert was entirely uninspired.

To sum up: Eight picks and chooses wisely among various Asian cuisines.

Jeff Cox writes a weekly restaurant review column for the Sonoma Living section. You can reach him at jeffcox@sonic.net.

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EIGHT CUISINE AND WINE
Where: 7501 Healdsburg Ave., Sebastopol
When: Lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Wednesdays through Mondays. Dinner from 4 to 9:30 p.m. Wednesdays through Mondays, except to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Closed Tuesdays
Reservations: Call 823-8189
Price range: Moderate to expensive, with entrees from $11 to $22
Website: eightcuisineandwine.com

Wine list: **½
Ambiance: **
Service: **
Food: ***
Overall: **½

**** Extraordinary
*** Very good
** Good
* Not very good
0 Terrible