Yunnan, south of Szechwan.
Or Sichuan, as it's more often transliterated these days. Z&Y's Beijing-born chef has been cooking Sichuan-style for 20 years, my (Hong Kong-born) waiter told me. The menu, which previously had a heavier focus on Yunnan cuisine, still retains a few dishes from that lesser-known southwest Chinese province, which also borders Myanmar, Laos, and Vietnam. They include claypot chicken and pan-fried fish (not marked as Yunnan-style on the menu, but pointed out by the staff) and rice noodles ($7.95), also available in soup. Compared with the version I love in Sunset Park (Brooklyn, not the district south of Golden Gate Park), they lacked that lip-smacking sour verve; many other reports do praise Z&Y's Sichuan spice.
Also nearby: a surviving sign promoting a much less spicy dish, still available down the street.
Z&Y Szechwan Restaurant
655 Jackson St. (Grant-Kearny Sts.), San Francisco
415-981-8988
