Wood Ear(!) from Hou Yi (112 Eldridge Street, 212-625-8989)
With a meatier flavor than most fungi and far chewier mouthfeel, these smoky and chitinous folds — around 4 bucks — feature a characteristically Szechuan peppery sweetness, accented with plentiful garlic and vinegar.
Hearty and weirdly satisfying, we emphatically suggest this dish — and that you order plate after plate of it.