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Dainty Sichuan is an empire of fragrant fire. The first restaurant opened in 2003 and there are about 20 outlets now, but South Yarra has long been home base.

After a recent renovation and rebrand to Dainty on Toorak, the dining room now seems palatial rather than merely large, with floral banquettes, chic lighting and a sense of occasion.

The re-jigged, leather-bound menu holds more than 100 items such as live seafood, dim sum and roast duck carved tableside. Many dishes come in huge tureens. Mullet is slippery soft and jazzed with pickled chillies, and sliced pork and tofu gleam in translucent broth.

Puffed rice is formed into cakes and dusted with salted yolk for a crunchy snack. And a liberal application of Sichuan pepper makes Chongqing chilli chicken a culinary stun gun; a tongue tingling encounter synonymous with the Dainty brand.