I grew up in China, and am used to very authentic Chinese food, so I really had very low expectations coming here, but I have to say I was really blown away! Food: we had the zhong dumplings, fried rice, fish with pickled cabbage, some angus beef dish, twice cooked pork, and cabbage. My favorite by far was the fish, but everything was good and most importantly - didn't taste oily or over salted! I expected to feel sick afterwards but was totally fine. We also loved the cocktail with gin and cucumber, which we also had in mocktail form. Not too sweet and so refreshing. Service: quick and courteous! We walked in around 7 on a Saturday (labor day weekend) and were seated right away. I like that this place isn't right in the craziness of the old port. Decor: clean and pretty. For 4 people, we spent around $140 before tip and had SO many leftovers. Would highly recommend! read more

15/10 delicious lunch. We ordered the spicy pork soup, which was incredibly flavorful, hot and came so quickly! We also ordered the dry fried chicken, which was spicy -- but so worth it! The team that works there was so nice -- we will definitely be back. read more

Sichuan Kitchen - Spicy Sour Soup Noodles - not too spicy! - Szechuan Near Me - Portland, Maine

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I've heard some good things about the Asian food in Portland so I was excited to try this spot, but honestly it felt quite short of my expectations. They were quite strict with substitutions in a way that I've never encountered at a Chinese restaurant (I wanted the noodle in my noodle soup switched with the type of noodle that was featured in a different noodle soup on the menu). The noodles I got also came too soft and overdone. The wood ear mushroom salad was also not very flavorful. They also forgot my other appetizer so I got it at the very end of my meal, when I was already done with the rest of my food. The appetizer (zhong dumplings) ended up being the best thing I ate, so it's a real shame. I don't think I'll be visiting again, but giving it 3 stars because my (non-Asian) friends did end up enjoying their dishes. read more

Sichuan Kitchen - Spicy Sour Soup Noodle - Szechuan Near Me - Portland, Maine

The food was delicious. It is the best I had since I was in San Francisco. Service was excellent and the restaurant was clean. We will be back soon. I'm read more

If you are looking for food with great flavor, this is the restaurant for you. We enjoyed many dishes and shared. And brought home left overs. Small restaurant with limited seat but very cute. Amazing service. Well worth fighting the parking battles of downtown Portland to enjoy. read more

Their food is everything. My favorites are the veggie dumplings (a bit spicy!) and the fried rice--simple and consistent food here yet absurdly flavorful. The lanterns on the interior ceiling make it a great, cozy atmosphere. There is both indoor and outdoor seating (seasonally, of course) available. A great spot for dinner with friends or a date night. Cheap beers but also yummy, unique cocktails. I think sometimes this place gets overlooked, but I highly recommend it! read more

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This meal was so delicious and warming on a rainy Portland evening. The only reason I'm not giving a 5 star rating is because when our Xiao Long Bao (soup dumplings) arrived to the table, they were deflated. The soup filling was pooled at the bottom of the steamer before we even touched them. That was a bummer because the soup filling is the best part of Xiao Long Bao. Other than that, incredible flavors and friendly staff. read more

Sichuan Kitchen - Interior - Szechuan Near Me - Portland, Maine

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Wonderful service! Just picked up our traditional, non traditional Christmas meal and can't wait to try it. Here's their Christmas menu-take out only. Update: we got the bamboo shoot salad, Tian Shui noodles and the Gong bao chicken. All were very good, with a little spiciness (at our request for mild heat); each with very different, complex and savory flavors. read more

Sichuan Kitchen - Szechuan Near Me - Portland, Maine

This pace doesn't know how to make bad food!! I always get all the dumplings, their house made chili sauce is amazing, I live by it. read more

After being in Portland for 2 years, I am so mad at myself for not finding this place sooner! After one visit, Sichuan Kitchen has climbed to one of my top 3 favorite restaurants here! Location: Yes. Ambiance: Yes. Staff: YASS. Food: YASSSS. First and foremost: I'd like to give a shout out to Lily (aka Lily of the Valley, she says) and Chi for being so amazing! They were so accommodating, attentive, and helpful with their food recommendations. We were not lead astray. They spent time getting to know us as well, which makes me want to come back all the more just to be their friend! As for the food, everything was so mouthwateringly delicious. We could smell all the amazing flavors, but when we bit into it, we were shocked to find even MORE flavors. We were blown away to say the least. You MUST order the sweet and sour cabbage, zhong dumplings, and yu-xiang chicken/eggplant, if you were limited on choices. The spicy noodles and citrus pork riblets were also incredible though. Thank you Lily, Chi, and Sichuan for showing us what a good meal consists of! I'll be back soon! read more

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Super good and real Chinese food! Highly recommended. The prices are fair, good portion for friends and families.

Food is incredible. I tried the ants climbing up the tree and the soup dumplings. I have had better soup dumplings but overall service, ambience was all top notch. read more

This is the only thing in Portland that comes close to real Chinese food. Having lived in China for over a year I can say that with some confidence and was further backed up when I asked my Chinese coworker where they go and they said "Sichuan kitchen is the only place they will go to, the rest is all Americanized". This is one of the only places that can do real spice as well. So if you are looking for American Chinese sure, go down the street, but if you want something more authentic that actually has the rich flavors that most new Englanders don't know how to process order from here. read more

I only got to try one thing here. They have a whole vegan menu! But I was in a hurry. I ate Ma La Hotpot and rice. There was way way too much ma la for me. My mouth was very numb. At the same time the flavor was incredible. I was torn about every bite. Endure more ma la? Forgo that delicious taste? In the end I ate all the tofu and potatoes and red peppers and left the broccoli and lotus root. A tragic compromise. read more

Small family style restaurant with a super friendly staff. The food was INSANELY delicious. Will be dreaming of this restaurant until I'm back on the East Coast. read more

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Great food ,did to go. Was ready on time. Spicy was spicy , dumplings were delicious and loved the book Choy as well read more

Just checking in to say that this is still the best restaurant in Portland. The flavor and spice are unbelievable. The service is stellar. It's clean and safe and wonderful in the restaurant itself. It's perfect. It is the best. read more

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The Zhong Dumplings were so wonderful! They were soft dumplings with a hot oil sauce. So flavorful and perfect spice. The Gong Pow (Kung Pow) Chicken was good and a good size portion. It came with chicken, peanuts, vegetables in a lemon flavored sauce with ornamental but not very spicy pepper. Without the lemon flavor and maybe a little if the hot oil added it would have been 5 stars. read more

Sichuan Kitchen - Zhong Dumplings - Szechuan Near Me - Portland, Maine

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Incredible food. Nice and spicy. We went on a whim on Tuesday and it was dead and we have no idea why. The food was so fresh and delicious read more

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Go here. Now. I have been CRAVING some form of Asian cuisine but have had plenty of sushi, didn't feel like Thai, and generally don't enjoy Americanized Chinese. Then we stumbled upon Sichuan Kitchen here on yelp and it was EXACTLY what we were looking for. Authentic, comforting, healthy, delicious. I wish we had taken photos (oh well guess we just have to go back) but here is what we ordered and it was all very good: Cucumber salad, mild spice Mushroom salad, no spice Soup dumplings (my favorite) mild spice Beef short ribs Beef noodles no spice Egg fried rice I now am craving this food and want to go back every week. I cannot wait to try the Mapo Tofu! Almost anything can be made vegan or gluten free- very allergy conscious. read more

Surprisingly authentic Sichuan flavors. The Yu-Xiang Eggplant was the best dish we had by far, highly recommend! The Zhong Dumplings were also quite good but pricey for the serving size. The modern, classy atmosphere makes for an enjoyable eating experience! read more

Sichuan Kitchen - Yu-Xiang Eggplant - Szechuan Near Me - Portland, Maine

Get the dumplings!! The ants climbing a tree had great flavor but was a little too spicy for our taste.

Superb Chinese food, some of the best we've ever had. Cool atmosphere and very vegan friendly too (they have a separate vegan menu). We ordered the hot and sour potatoes, vegan ants marching up a tree, and the double cooked tofu. So hard to pick a favorite between these three standout dishes. Definitely go to this place. read more

Sichuan Kitchen - Vegan Ants Climbing a Tree(vegan/gluten free) Double Cooked Tofu(vegan/gluten free) hot and sour potatoes - Szechuan Near Me - Portland, Maine

Dumplings were too sweet for my taste. The noodle sauce was a little grainy with a strange taste. Both of these dishes were not spicy enough. Charged me $3 for chili oil!! read more

Sichuan Kitchen - Zhong dumplings and spicy noodles with minced pork - Szechuan Near Me - Portland, Maine

We were in town with a group of friends without a reservation and they were able to accommodate a party of 7 fairly quickly (15 min wait) on a busy Saturday night! We had to be out by 9 pm and this place was extremely efficient in getting us in and out in plenty of time and we never felt rushed!! We had ample amount of time to have a drink, eat and enjoy dinner. The food was absolutely stellar. Everything from the tian shiu noodles, dumplings, spicy noodles, soup noodles and fried rice was delicious. I loved how spicy my dish was! This would be the perfect spot for a date night or girls night out for dinner. This place is cozy especially with the lower dimmed lighting. Come stop in, HIGHLY RECOMMEND! read more

Ordered takeout and was underwhelmed. Missing items from our order and flavor of dishes were all very similar despite ordering a diversity of proteins and sauces. Friendly service when I picked up the food. Cool interior (though I didn't stay to eat.) Overall, disappointed given all the other positive reviews. read more

The Sichuan food is authentic, The flavors are a little different than some other Sichuan food I have had, but it is undeniably authentic and very tasty. read more

I've had two recent experiences at Sichuan Kitchen, the first was fantastic, and the second, for their Happy Hour, was just ok. The first time, my husband and I ended up at SK starving, after a show at Portland Stage. We ordered, pork buns, dumplings and stir fried eggplant with rice, oh, and a pot of jasmine tea to share. Everything was fantastic, fresh and flavorful! Our waiter was great and the interior decor of the place was lovely. Three nights later, I was walking on Congress street with a friend, and noticed a Happy Hour posted in their window, and we decided to check it out! We ordered the dumplings, pork buns and vegetable buns, and some glasses of wine. Everything was good, but portion size was greatly reduced. Happy Hour pricing was a buck or two below the regular menu, but I was surprised to see so much less in what turned up at the table. I did mention this to my very nice waiter, he said he was sorry but had no influence over the kitchen. Overall, I would check them out. Sichuan Kitchen is adding some new flavors and interesting twists to the Portland food scene! read more

I wish I could go back because most of our food was some of the best food I've had in Portland but my experience is that this restaurant doesn't care about Veganism. I ordered specifically all vegan food and got pork in my entree. When I called to inquire (hoping it was actually some sort of vegan alternative) it was confirmed that there shouldn't be any 'meats in the vegan version of what I ordered. So I explained that there was despite ordering it vegan and the man on the phone told me it should be "just a garnish" and our conversation would suggest he didn't think it was a big deal because it wouldn't have been a lot of dead animal flesh in my food...only a little on top. They are small crumbs so even if that wasn't heinous they were kind of mixed in. I got off the phone without him acknowledging this. Of course, my partner called back enraged and we got a refund, but I really don't think rage should be needed in order for someone to at least acknowledge that this is kind of a big deal. It's hard to find Vegan food in Maine and we really need to know that our food is made with love. Update: another reviewer on happy cow had a similar experience with the same dish (ants climbing a tree). read more

Popped in with no reservation of a Friday night, were able to get a seat. The steamed veggie buns were our first with seaweed salad - unexpectedly delicious and worth trying. The tea-smoked duck in aromatic broth was exceptional: rich and flavorful with crisp bean sprouts and a good bit of duck. If you don't like duck with skin and bone, you might want to try another entree. read more

Delicious food and great service! Good Pad Thai and garlic stir fry! Enjoyed the pork dumplings!

Excellent sichuan dishes, fast service. The chili wontons are incredible as is there dan dan noodles.

Sichuan Kitchen is one of my favorite Chinese restaurants in Portland. The staff are always so kind and helpful, the atmosphere is great, and the food never disappoints. I would recommend the fried rice, dumplings, cucumber salad, and gong bao chicken. If you have extra room, you should definitely order the eggplant and green beans! read more

Simply some of the best traditional Szechuan cuisine I have ever experienced mixed with friendly service in a cute space. Had the Gong Bao chicken, ginger pork steamed dumplings and dry fried green beans in mustard greens. So delicious! read more

The owner is so nice! super welcoming and the service was excellent! The food was also very flavorful coming back so soon! read more

Sichuan Kitchen - bakchoy, angus beef w/ chili, fried rice - Szechuan Near Me - Portland, Maine

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I stopped by Sichuan Kitchen yesterday and had loved my experience so much that I went back today to get takeout before I left Portland. I admit, I went in with low expectations because I just haven't had great Sichuan food even being from Boston where there are a lot more Asian food options. Boy was I wrong. The food here completely blew me away. The cucumber salad was so refreshing, especially since it was 90 degrees out when I had popped in. The sauce is really tasty and addicting - equally salty, spicy, and tangy. Even though it was boiling outside, I had to order the braised beef noodle soup and I am SO happy I did. So hearty, flavorful, and delicious - my favorite dish of the night (and probably in all of Portland) that had me licking up every last drop of the soup. It's the perfect balance of spicy and salty, a ratio that I am very picky about. The chunks of beef are quite small and a bit too lean for my liking, but really packed with flavor. I also really enjoyed the dry pot veggie dish, which gave me life with its oily, spicy goodness. You get onions, green and red peppers, lotus root, broccoli, carrots, and mushrooms covered in a thick spicy, and ever-so-slightly sweet oil with Sichuan peppercorns and peppers, garlic, and cilantro atop. This comes with a bowl of rice, which I coated with spoonfuls of veggies and sauce. The dan dan (spicy noodles with minced pork) was tasty but I was just way too full to make a dent into it. I asked for my dish to be extra spicy and they definitely delivered, but I wish they also included some pickled mustard greens to give it an extra oomph. It comes with two relatively small pieces of bok choy but I wanted the salty mustards to offset the spicy noodles. If you're a spicy addict like me, you can ask them to turn it up a notch. They will take you seriously. I also recommend getting a side of their chili oil which is actually spicy (I say this because I've had so much bad chili oil!). The dishes may seem expensive, but the portions are large. Staff is very friendly but they might lose sight of you if you're far from the counter. My only problem with Sichuan is that I received a pretty dirty plate which I cleaned off with my napkin. I especially flag this with coronavirus scares. read more

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I'm only docking a star because our carry out order was quoted at 20 minutes and took 60, that said, the food was excellent! They were out of a number of items, I'm bummed I couldn't try the Fiery poached beef, but, what we did have was bold and delicious. The dumplings are excellent! The sauce is savory and spicy, the dumplings were soft and had a good amount of pork. Big fan here. I ordered the spicy pork noodle, it wasn't all that spicy but I was happy with it. Until, my hubs order, pork ants on a log, ended up being *very* spicy. so I happily, sweatily, chowed that down while he ate my order. My friend's sweet, sour, spicy soup was also excellent! If you're used to normal delivery or carry out chinese, this place will be an utter delight. Bold, spicy flavors. If I were a local, this would be in my regular rotation, even with the long wait. Worth it. read more

The food was amazing and service was friendly. Price points are a bit on the high side, but it's worth it for a meal this good. Dumplings were delicious and both noodle dishes were fantastic; the braised beef soup was spicy, but my son loved it. My pork soup was mild, but very flavorful. 5/5 would recommend! read more

This place is so legit. Many things are spicy, but the food is unique and delicious. Not your typical Chinese restaurant, this is for real eaters! read more

Went during lunch on Friday and was able to walk in for a table, no problem. This is located on Congress Street (very busy traffic), so you will have to park down somewhere and walk up to it. As there are only a few available street parking spots, if you're lucky. This place is really small and beautifully decorated. If you are NOT a spicey person, please reconsider or ask if you can order it without spice. The menu doesn't tell you, but some dishes do have a decent kick to them. I got the double pork thinking I would be safe as it didn't have any spicey ingredients listed. It was bearable spice for me to eat, but you could definitely taste it with every bite in that one. I only like stuff as mild/hot as buffalo sauce anything more I can't do. The porations they give you are more than plenty and definitely reasonable for price. Everything tasted delicious and served on time too. I really liked how even though they started you off with chop sticks, they asked if you would like forks or spoons to use instead. read more

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