The bad news: Mao Chow has closed.
The good news: it’s been reincarnated in a new space around the corner. And its new name is Facing Heaven.
It’s more than doubled its inside space from just 12 seats to a whopping 28, and at the centre of it all you’ll find a circular table complete with a Lazy Susan for sharing. The kitchen is larger too, as is its repertoire – it’s still an all-vegan affair, but instead of restricting itself to Sichuan dishes, it also throws in influences from Cantonese, Yunnan and Shaanxi provinces, and there are even a few Puerto Rican, Portuguese and American menu items too.
This is all thanks to founder and owner Julian Denis, who was raised in LA by a Haitian & Puerto-Rican father, and a Portuguese mother. The unique blend of culinary influences that left him with is poured out into the menu here, with dishes like Macau-style baked oyster mushroom fried rice; spicy & numbing Jerusalem artichokes with careen chilli; whole sizzling aubergine; and Malta caramel & strawberry powder ice cream sundae.
Oh, and that name? It refers to a particular variety of of chilli pepper which is very popular in the Sichuan province of China that grows pointing toward the heavens instead of hanging down.
Mao Chow may be no more, but things are looking up.
NOTE: Facing Heaven is open now. You can find out more at their website right HERE.
Facing Heaven | 1a Bayford Street, E8 3SE
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