I had come here once before and gotten the mapo tofu, the toothpick lamb and the impressive dumplings. All those things were really tasty but they kind of all had a similar flavor profile so I left feeling underwhelmed. This time however! Omg. Every dish we got was better than the last. There was a perfect amount of numbing Sichuan peppercorn from the chicken, smokiness from the sauce on the wontons, the pungent broth paired perfectly with the delicate white fish and vermicelli noodles to soak up all that flavor. And then a brightness from the pickles (which aren't the usual flavor profile for the pickles I'm used to with Asian food but really grew on me), plus the bamboo shoots had the perfect texture and crunch and spiciness that kept the meal super refreshing. I swear I was just straight up munching for over an hour, all the textures and flavors complimented each other so well. And the flavors got even deeper as the meal went on, I swear the food tasted better by the last few bites! And still had some yummy leftovers for the next day cuz their portions are hefty. Also the staff were so sweet, they all were attentive and kind plus they sang to my friend whose bday it was and gave us a nice little rice cake dessert. Excited to come back!! read more

Sichuan Impression - Fish Fillet w/ Pickled Vegetable Soup, Pickled Cucumber, Stir-Fried Chili Chicken, Bamboo Shoots in Chili Sauce, Wonton in Chili Oil - Szechuan Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Came here for their DineLA menu! The entrance is upstairs and there is valet parking. Indoor and outdoor seating available. Ask about the private room for an intimate dining experience. read more

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Food Poisoning They gave me left over not beef. Went to ER the night I ate here. DO NOT COME HERE read more

Sichuan Impression - Fish and pork not beef as i ordered - Szechuan Near Me - Los Angeles, California

This is one of my favorite restaurants in LA. I always leave with a numb mouth which is the mark of good Szechuan food. I highly recommended the Mapo Tofu, Boiled Beef, and Boiled Fish. The King Pao chicken is also great and definitely a crowd pleaser for people who aren't used to this style of food. read more

This place is the spot!!! Such great food. And they love spicy, like I do :) Service is quick and friendly, you order on an iPad but is very fast. Ambiance is fast casual. But the food is reasonably priced and delicious 5/5 - cucumbers 5.5/5 - best Kung pao chicken I've ever had read more

Sichuan Impression - Kung Original Kung-Pao Chicken - Szechuan Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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So tasty. My grandparents are from Sichuan, and this spot is the most authentic reminder I've found in LA of my late grandma's home-cooked meals. :,( read more

I was really excited to try this place, knowing full well that most of their menu would probably be too much for my spice palette. Luckily they had a very extensive menu to choose from! Overall, I'd have to give it a solid 3+ stars as I had higher expectations, considering all the recognition this place has gotten. We were pretty adventurous and ordered the diced rabbit in chili sauce and the frog with pickled pepper. They were both spicy, as expected. What bothered me was how the the diced rabbit was prepared. They really didn't take the time to debone the rabbit before dicing it, so I spent more time trying to pick out the little bones and keeping from choking than actually eating the entree. The frog was tasty but a little on the dry side. My favorite item was probably the simplest item we ordered...mustard leaf tofu soup, simply warmed the soul. The tea smoke duck and the wonton in chili oil were both decent as well, but nothing spectacular compared to other places I've tried. The dessert we ordered was unique and fun...cinderella's pumpkin rides, which was a dense mix of pumpkin, red bean, and sesame. We thought it would go better with a side of ice cream (which they didn't have) so we ordered some black sesame coconut pudding (which they did have). It created a nice balance which we liked better. The restaurant is located on the second floor in a small shopping plaza with a limited parking lot that is managed by a valet service. Pay with cash or zelle only, no credit cards. read more

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Szechuan cuisine is my favorite style of Chinese food, and I think Sichuan Impression is a fantastic option in West LA. They have all the classic offerings, so it definitely hit the spot for my cravings. We ordered the Boiled Fish Filet in Chili Sauce, Juicy Steamed Chicken in Chili Sauce, and Garlic Stir-Fry Taiwanese Lettuce. The fish and veggies were pretty comparable to other restaurants. They were tasty and flavorful, and the portion sizes were generous. I loved the sauce for the chicken--I had a blast eating up all my sauce-soaked rice. However, the chicken itself was a little dry, and there wasn't that much meat in the dish. In general, I thought the food was good and done well but perhaps on the slightly more expensive side compared to other restaurants. Our waiter was friendly and attentive, and the environment was very comfortable. It has both indoor and outdoor seating and can also seat large groups, which is super convenient. It probably doesn't beat 626's quality and value, but I would still consider Sichuan Impression a great spot when you're in the area! read more

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Sichuan Impression is a must if you're into bold, spicy, and authentic Chinese flavors. The dishes are packed with heat and that signature numbing Sichuan peppercorn kick--but still well-balanced. The toothpick lamb, mapo tofu, and Impressive Chicken are all standouts. Every dish feels like it came straight from Chengdu. The space is modern and stylish but still casual, and the service is efficient, though it can get a little hectic during peak hours. Definitely a spot where you want to come with a group and share several dishes. Pro tip: If you're not used to Sichuan spice, ask them to go light on the heat--some dishes come pretty fiery by default. read more

We as a family are big fans of the Schezwan Chinese cuisine. Every new city or town we visit in the US, we search for Schezwan Cuisine and compare. Our love started by visiting 'SPICES' in San Francisco Sixth Street and since then we have eaten at many Schezwan restaurants around the Bay area. We have been looking for a good schezwan restaurant in LA, since we moved here last year. Finally, we found our restaurant at the Sichuan impression, Santa Monica. We also order the same dishes, so that it is easy to compare dishes among different restaurants and we can evaluate them apples to apples. So we ordered our three favourite dishes. Garlic beans, their fried chicken on hot red pepper bed. Here that chicken appetiser came with green onion, and some green chilies which added a different flavour, so that was wonderful. And then our third dish is always the boiled fish in spicy broth. We made a mistake here and just asked for the boiled fish in broth and we got a non-spicy version of it. See the picture below. Next time we are ordering the same dish, but with the garlic spicy broth, which was what others in our Neighbours table had. It looked delicious!!! Let us just say, me and my son polished of all the three dishes with two small bowls of rice. We scrounged all three dishes until nothing was left and both of us left the restaurant with a very happy smile on our face. This is the first restaurant we found in the LA downtown area that met our expectations of the Szechuan Cuisine. Rest assured, we will be coming here more often. read more

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Stopped by for dinner with a coworker and we were craving for Asian food, thought the food was ok, not too impressed and dishes got cold really quick. read more

Sichuan Impression - Szechuan Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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An unexpected ride with lots of curves in the form of Sichuan seasonings and spices. I had done take-out once, but have now dined in, which is the better experience. Reservations required (most likely) to avoid the hassle of a long wait. Even with a ressy, you may still need wait a moment. Stay in touch with the impressively focused hostess who sorts through any number of customers' requests. Order from the menu via QR code. It's up-to-date and prevents confusion, though it may not answer questions you have. There are a few staff members hustling around who may be able to help. Your best bet is to read up on what's here, check reviews for further reference, and sometimes just guess. If you've ever been to Cheng Du Taste in the SGV (or the original Sihuan Impression in Alhambra), your taste buds will be ready for a potent challenge to your palate here. The Toothpick Lamb is one of my favorites, and I liked it. Bits of lamb covered with what appears to be a dry rub of spices sit on a bed of spicy red peppers, if you dare. There's plenty here to share, and plenty flavor with the lamb without delving into the peppers! Order a side of rice to help with the spice. I also recommend the Shrimp Fried Rice. Despite a negative review, we ordered it anyway and really liked it. Lighter than 'typical' fried rice, not lumpy, and the cooked-just-right shrimp tasted fresh. We had to inquire about the whereabouts of one dish, the Steamed Pork with Rice Flour. This turned out to be my favorite. Imagine a ball of layered pork held together with seasonings, sauce, possibly egg, and other binders. We also ordered the Impressive Cold Noodle dish, which was refreshing in its own right. Yet, the noodles actually paired really well with the Steamed Pork dish. Three in my party could not finish absolutely all, but we did very well. Order the Plum Juice carefully. While it does help cut the spiciness of the food, it will not be for everyone. It is not sweet, but more like drinking a liquid woodsy smoke. A little goes a long way. Maybe order one and share. For dessert, we enjoyed the Fried Rice Cake with Brown Sugar. Not heavy, nor overpowering, but a welcome sweet punctuation to a seriously flavored meal. A visit to Sichuan Impression is definitely worth the little bit of work required to make your meal a memorable experience. read more

Sichuan Impression - Steamed Pork with Rice Flour, Impressive Cold Noodle, Plum Juice - Szechuan Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Was looking for Sichuan food and ended up here. I wasn't expecting such an elaborate menu, but wow! This place definitely impressed! Spicy won ton - This appetizer was so good, I really wanted to order a 2nd and 3rd, but was so stuffed! Impressive cold noodles (not pictured as it was inhaled) - Love the spicy, peanutty sauce. Simple, yet impressive. Braised Tea ribs - Good flavor. Very tender. Rice cakes with brown sugar - Soooo goood! Overall, this place was great. If you want to expand your Sichuan palette, come here! read more

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I hadn't been to Sichuan Impression in a while, and I can't believe I had let this favorite fade in my memory. Came by on Friday night and seating was easy. All I can say is we ate good! Ordered 4 dishes for four people and every single one was a hit. This time our order included the stir fry chili chicken (which dare I say I preferred over their toothpick mutton), stir fry green beans with beef, mapo tofu, and boiled beef in chili sauce. All the dishes had a wonderful balance of spice with both heat and numbing qualities. The only miss was the dessert of fried rice cake with brown sugar which was probably our mistake for ordering more rice when we were so stuffed. Parking in the lot can be a little difficult during busy hours but there is loads of street parking in the neighborhood within a 2-3 minute walk. read more

First time here, found out afterwards this is a Michelin-rated restaurant. Much of their menu is spicy. FRESH BAMBOO in CHILI SAUCE appetizer - served cold. Surprised this cold dish was my favorite at a Chinese restaurant BEEF WITH RICE NOODLE - the soup was under seasoned, great with chili sauce STIR FRIED CHILI PORK - good flavor but poor butchering, many bone bits. Would not get again Service and atmosphere were good. They accommodated our request for cilantro on the side. Our first timer questions were patiently answered. I did not like the ordering process however. Order on your cell phone or their iPad. Have to scan QR code but why do you have to give your phone number for the menu? And with such a lonnng menu, even on their iPad scrolling up and down weighing our choices was tedious and inconvenient. A paper menu would be easier. I suggest making reservations. Parking options are $2 for valet or street parking. We got lucky and parked on the street. If you can find a spot, I would bring coins if the parking kiosk gives you problems trying to pay with a card or your smartphone. Dealing with that was frustrating. Relaxed nice ambiance, comparable prices for the area and definitely for a Michelin rated place. The food did not live up to Michelin expectations. I would come back but not in a rush. read more

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Need some pretty authentic Sichuan Chinese food? This is the spot. It's not always consistent, but the presentation and ambiance bumps it up in my book! Food Chili Chicken - this is really delish! I love it when they make it with the dark meat for extra moisture and flavor Steamed Pork Rice Flour - I don't know HOW I found out about this dish, but it's SO good. It's very moist pork belly and the pumpkin on the inside is really neat, adding texture. Boiled fish soup - This is so spicy, but the fish is really tender! Chicken gristle - I love crunchy, so this is great to snack on (and it's a little spicy!) Mustard leaf greens - I order the garlic topping and this is an awesome way to get some vegetables into my meal. It's so flavorful. They also have a wine selection. Service The service can be attentive, it can also depend. I've ordered take out lately. Ambiance I love the outdoor dining aspect. There's nice string lights and away from the busy street below. The inside is also nice and bright. read more

The food is pretty good. We weren't super adventurous, did not try the bullfrog or rabbits ear. Got mostly safe dishes like Kung Pao chicken and it was great. This isn't a good place to come if you're looking for a bunch of noodle dishes etc. Staff were friendly and the place was well run. They forgot to bring us a dish but were good about taking it off the bill. They do serve quite possibly one of the worst dishes I've ever had in any restaurant. Street potatoes which were literally underdone crinkle cut fries with some seasoning and basil, it was almost offensive to be served this, especially when everything else was tasty. Some of the dishes were pretty expensive for what they were $18 for some green beans with a bit of ground beef. read more

Sichuan Impression - Street potatoes, Sounded great but were literally cold underdone crinkle cut fries with some pepper and basil. - Szechuan Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Ordered for takeout. Came to pick up at my pick up time. After waiting for 30 minutes the guy at the front told me they were out of the two entrees I ordered - kung pao chicken and stir fried beef with scallions (two of there most popular options) He said there was no more chicken or beef when I could see everyone in the restaurant eating chicken and beef and servers bringing it out. He said he was going to give me 2 entrees of lamb instead and that it is the same price (it is not - the beef I paid for was more expensive). I figured they were busy and said it was fine but asked if I could have two different entrees instead of just 2 lamb and he said no. First off I don't even like lamb, it was cold when I opened it and it was extremely spicy. I enjoy spicy food but this entree must have been the highest spice level there was. A shame as I have been looking forward to trying this place and instead I was forced to have spicy cold lamb that was cheaper than what I have paid for. A refund for my entrees would've been nice at least. read more

I have been eating here since their old store up on Valley. The quality of food is good, very authentic. Now seems there is always a line but the order is maintained well. People are pretty attentive. The parking structure is a bit hard to find a spot sometimes. read more

The Original Kung Pao Chicken at Sichuan Impression was a perfect balance of savory, spicy, and slightly sweet. The chicken was tender, the peanuts added a nice crunch, and the sauce packed authentic flavor without overwhelming the dish. A solid choice for anyone craving classic Sichuan cuisine. read more

This is the first time at this location for me. It is located in a small shopping center and parking will be a challenge. It has valet parking from Monday to Saturday. The location is on the second floor and you can make a reservation with Yelp. The service is attentive. You scan the QR code to order and pay. The food it offers is the same as the other location. It was tasty and full of flavor. I had the spicy wonton and the sauce was good. The fried lamb is crispy and not too dry. The pork with rice flour is a bit on the salty side but the overall flavor is good. read more

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I hadn't been to Sichuan Impression in a while, and I can't believe I had let this favorite fade in my memory. Came by on Friday night and seating was easy. All I can say is we ate good! Ordered 4 dishes for four people and every single one was a hit. This time our order included the stir fry chili chicken (which dare I say I preferred over their toothpick mutton), stir fry green beans with beef, mapo tofu, and boiled beef in chili sauce. All the dishes had a wonderful balance of spice with both heat and numbing qualities. The only miss was the dessert of fried rice cake with brown sugar which was probably our mistake for ordering more rice when we were so stuffed. Parking in the lot can be a little difficult during busy hours but there is loads of street parking in the neighborhood within a 2-3 minute walk. read more

You get such big portions and it's worth the price in my opinion. The food is delicious and flavourful, especially anything with Szechuan peppers in it. The wonton soup was nice and appetizing though the wontons were more al dente. Love the shredded potato dish and the chicken taro dish. read more

Everything was fresh and delicious! We especially loved the boiled fish and appreciated that they accommodated our request to have the chili oil on the side--it was full of flavor. The service was excellent, and we will definitely be coming back soon! read more

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Came on a Wednesday night and got seated right away! They have a QR code for the menu and to order. Mapo Tofu - Delicious!! The perfect amount of spicy. Tofu was soft and silken. Melted in my mouth. Paired nicely with white rice. It's a pretty large portion too. Pork Wonton in Chili Oil - Delicious! Tender Stir Stir-Fried Chili Chicken - Spicy! But 10/10 White Rice - Individually portioned. Comes out in small bowls. Sapporo - Got a pitcher. Came out to be around 4 beers The interior looked to be good for small and large groups alike. Staff was super friendly. Our dishes came out timely. Food was absolutely amazing. Definitely coming back!! read more

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If you're a fan of bold, fiery flavors, Sichuan Impression is where it's at. I got the must-try Tea Smoked Ribs, the meat is fall off the bone! I also got the new menu item Spicy Seabass. It has noodles, potatoes, and pineapple inside which is super interesting. They have a huge wall art inside and there's indoor and outdoor seating available. Service is nice and you can order from an IPad available. read more

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Come to LA and decided to pick one of the Sichuan style and give it a try. I heard they have couple different location. Sitting area is very typical Chinese restaurant where you probably not going to expect something fancy or quiet. Wait staff are nice but no smile. I think I had better Sichuan dishes before so over all I give it a three starts. The cold dish is consider too dry for me. Fish of course from the frozen. But overall is acceptable. read more

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This may not be a totally fair review since we ordered delivery to an airport hotel. Wife wanted spicy Chinese food before we fly out in the morning. Sichuan is always our go to. It's Friday night, the food took 70 minutes, understandable since the last 15 miles to the hotel took me 45 minutes. The main dish was spectacular. The dry pot shrimp was masterfully seasoned, with generous amount of mushrooms and bamboo shoots. This is a home run. The spicy chicken was also really good, but traditionally it should be smaller pieces, more flavor. Finally the husband and wife slices was a complete failure it was bland, looks like someone forgot to put chili oil on it and we threw the whole dish away. Otherwise this would have been a five star review read more

honestly not a huge fan of sichuan food. there was way too much peppercorn in the soup and my mouth was numb the entire time. the fried intestine and the lamb were really good tho and worth. I could pass on the soup next time. the mapo tofu was really good as well but i've tasted better elsewhere. wait was around 30 min. but they made us preorder the food when we were waiting for our table so the food came out really fast when we sat read more

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My dad and I both happen to have spouses who don't frequently crave Chinese food, so whenever we travel together we enjoy finding good local Chinese restaurants. Szechuan food is a spicy garlicky treat, one of our faves. We were immediately nervous when we walked in on a Monday at 6:30 and it was completely empty -- like literally zero customers-- but Yelp knows me well and didn't steer us wrong. Even if tonight was a quiet night, everything was DELICIOUS. The space is brightly lit and colorful, with an impressive mural of an opera mask on one wall. The 50s Christmas music felt funnily appropriate enough for any Chinese restaurant. Our server was friendly, professional, and helpful, welcoming us and walking through multiple recommendations on the digital menu. (iPad digital tablet menus: love them or hate them? I'm not a fan, and also hey you kids get off my lawn!) We ordered the Wok Fried Free Range Chicken with Rattan Pepper, the Tea Smoked Pork Ribs, and the wok fried Green Beans (no beef). Everything was exceptional. I especially enjoyed the Rattan Pepper chicken, not only was it absolutely delicious, but I felt almost drunk, laughing and giddy from the spice of the mild green and spicy red peppers combined with the sichuan chili corns that make your mouth both numb but also tingly, like eating spicy Pop-Rocks. Those peppercorns also does a wonderful thing where, similar to eating artichoke, it makes both water and plain white rice taste sweet. My dad's favorite was the Tea Smoked spare ribs, which neither of us had ever encountered before. They were not spicy, but wonderfully smoky with the meat flavorful and literally falling off the bones. I'd order them again. The green beans were fresh and cooked perfectly, full of garlic and flavor. We knew we'd have too much food, our server generously packed an extra side of white rice to go with all our leftovers. For sure we'd come back if we're ever in the area. Parking in the lot is valet only, $3 for the first 45min and $1 every 15min after that. read more

Been here for dine-in a couple of times as well as takeout and I can honestly say this is one of the best places to get Szechuan dishes on the Westside. It's not up to the same levels as SGV but it's still pretty good and the prices are pretty high. I've tried their toothpick lamb which was decent but for the price, I would have wanted a bit more of the pieces with actual meat on them. We've also tried the spicy frog dry pot and that was decent, not too many pieces of frog though, more batter than anything and the ingredients that make dry pot awesome like the black fungus, bamboo shoots, potatoes etc were not as plentiful which was a bit disappointing given the price for the dish. We've also tried the kidney which was decent, not terribly spicy and there was a sufficient amount of kidney in the dish. I feel most of the dishes are decent but the fried rice was the biggest disappointment as it was lumpy and stuck together but gets the job done. The parking for this location is a bit difficult, we opted for parking in the residential streets as valet has taken over the parking lot and they require a fee even if you park your car yourself. Definitely will visit again but not as a regular, hoping to try their rabbit dishes next! read more

Sichuan Impression - Spicy frog dry pot - Szechuan Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Been wanting to try this place and did so for DineLA. Food wasn't great and service wasn't either. Very disappointing.

My go to in LA/OC for consistently delicious Sichuan food (they also have a locations in West LA and Alhambra)! I almost always get their spicy boiled fish soup, which is fresh and perfectly spicy, as well as their cumin lamb. A little disappointed that the lamb wasn't on toothpicks anymore, but I guess it's less wasteful and still tasty. I usually get something new I haven't gotten before as well - this time it was a limited special: spicy garlic whole dungeness crab, which did not disappoint! They have automated their service - just check into the waitlist on the tablet and they will seat you in order, and simply order from your phone rather than wait for a waiter to come around. read more

Decent Szechuan food for West LA. We ordered a few signature dishes like fish fillets with chilly oil and Chinese cabbage, Ma po tofu, stir fried string beans, and a few appetizers like pickled cucumber and spicy wonton (chao shou). Everything was great if you compare within west LA. If you need better and more legit Szhchuan food, you probably need to drive to the San Gabriel valley. read more

Sichuan Impression - Szechuan Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Very good foods and services. The spicy level can be intense for people who doesn't eat Sichuan foods so be careful. read more

Sichuan Impression - Tea smoked pork ribs - Szechuan Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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### 2023 review 7/100 ### Underwhelming... I had high expectations, are those 5-star reviews for real? Overpriced and bland, really only thing I got is the bad spice aftertaste. Also we ordered and paid for mapo tofu with beef. But found a sad bowl of tofu with oil when we opened the container at home. We ordered to-go at the entrance and paid, was told we'll get a text when it's ready. Should take about 15-20mins. But no text. We came back in to check after waiting for 30mins and there was nobody at the front desk. Can't get anyone's attention either. After standing around for another 5mins, finally got a server's attention and asked if our order is ready yet. She just pointed to the back of the restaurant bar area. Turned out all the takeout bags were sitting there. Ugh. Really poor customer service. First and last time. Shouldn't have tipped beforehand. We didn't even get what we ordered. Can we get a refund including tips? read more

Sichuan Impression - Mapo tofu with beef BUT no beef - Szechuan Near Me - Los Angeles, California

I love Szechuan and this is one of my favorite places to go for that. Our favorite is always the dumplings, toothpick lamb, pork ribs, and pork trotters. The Szechuan spice always hits (in a good way) and we always have incredible service when we go. read more

We (my husband and I) were searching for a new go to Chinese restaurant near us. We wanted to love Sichuan Impression. We really did. There's nothing wrong with the restaurant (okay maybe having to use a very tiny staircase is a little scary) but it's just sort of there. The food isn't memorable. The service was adequate. It's a pass. read more

Ordered delivery, impressed overall with presentation, packaging, and the authentic sichaun cuisine! Flavors are spicy, balanced, and nuanced. The price and portions are actually fair, rare in fine dining nowadays. Got what others seemed to suggest - Stir fried chili chicken, Pork belly w/ rice flour, and Marble beef noodle soup. All were excellent, add some rice, this is easily a meal for 2-3 hungry people. Many times you order chinese cuisine, and generally can tell it's not authentic and/or ingredients were cut short - not here. Glad I finally tried this place out. read more

Loved this place! We celebrated Lunar New Year with a dinner here and the food was delicious and service was great. Even though we were a bigger group they were super quick and attentive and the food was really good! I wanted to highlight their dessert which was like a pumpkin pie/tasted like a pumpkin donut and was sooo good and I don't even like desserts usually. All entrees were great, also really loved the blood sausage and the frog dish was good too. Some dishes can get pretty spicy so definitely let them know if you have a preference. read more

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