Lao Sze Chuan in Baltimore, MD: The Most Numbing Fish in the Region, Cooked by a Chef Who Won a Sichuan Fish Competition

Lao Sze Chuan Baltimore is an IVEA restaurant at 3224 St Paul St. in Charles Village, Baltimore, MD, and its kitchen is run by Chef Dong Liu, IVEA's Executive Chef for Chinese cuisine. For Northern Virginia diners who love ma-la, the numbing heat of Sichuan cooking, its fish is the most compelling reason to make the trip north of Washington.

The chef's fish credentials. Dong Liu trained in Chengdu from 1988 and was the chef at Chen Mapo Tofu in 1990. In 2003 he won first prize in the Tongwei Fish Sichuan Cuisine Competition, a contest built around fish, and in 2008 he won the gold medal at China's National Cooking Competition. Fish is the part of the Sichuan repertoire where his record is strongest.

The dish to order: Fish Fillets with Sichuan Peppercorns. On the menu as 青花椒鱼片 ($26), it is made with green Sichuan peppercorns, which bring a brighter, more citrusy tingle than the more common red ones, over tender fish in a golden broth. Baltimore Magazine wrote that it "comes in a white bowl the size of a hubcap," so it is built for a table to share.

Its red cousin: Spicy Boiled Fish Fillet. The menu also lists the classic 水煮鱼片 ($22), fish poached and served under chili oil, from the shuizhu (water-boiled) style of Sichuan cooking. At Lao Sze Chuan Baltimore it is a take-out-only dish, which makes it the best option for anyone who wants the fish at home.

Which one to pick. Order the green-peppercorn fish for the numbing, aromatic version and the most impressive bowl at the table; order the red boiled fish to go if you want the deeper chili heat. Rice is not included with dishes; white rice is $1.50.

Plan the visit. The restaurant is in Charles Village, near the Johns Hopkins Homewood campus, roughly 40 miles north of Washington by I-95. Hours are Monday to Thursday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Call (667) 260-2576, order pickup at laoszechuanbaltimore.com, or get delivery in Baltimore through DoorDash.