The Husband was tasked with picking a restaurant tonight 11/20/24, and chose Spicy Kitchen (he chose it only because he said that it had a rating of 4.8). When I choose a restaurant, I read other reviewers' comments and their recommendations, then I look at the restaurant's menu online as to what else is offered. I can't do spicy, but because I'm a trooper I made the best of a difficult situation. I chose the following two dishes that sounded "safe": Spring Onion Protected Beef, and Yu Xiang Braised Eggplant. Also, you can't have Asian dishes without the requisite bowls of rice (I ordered a bowl each for us in lieu of ordering a fried rice or fried noodle dish). The Spring Onion Protected Beef was flavorful and delicious, and came with lots of sliced white onions and 1-inch pieces of spring onions (looks like green onions). This was right up my alley because I looove onions (red/white) and spring/green onions. The Yu Xiang Braised Eggplant was ABSOLUTELY divine. It kinda reminded me of eggplant in garlic sauce that you'd get in other Asian restaurants, but much tastier. Make no mistake, this dish came with TWICE the amount of eggplant that you'd receive in other Asian restaurants. It was a good thing I didn't order a third entree because these 2 dishes were just the right amount for 2 people - otherwise, a wheelbarrow would've been needed to wheel me home! When the bill came, I noticed that the eggplant dish was called "Fish-flavored Eggplant". I thought that that was a mistake because the eggplant did not taste fishy or have any fish taste at all. Later on at home I compared the Chinese characters on the bill/receipt to the Chinese characters on the paper menu I asked our server for (to take home), and the dish is correct. So keep in mind that if you're vegan, this eggplant dish does have some kind of a fish ingredient in it. The great thing about this restaurant is that its cuisine is VERY flavorful in comparison to Cantonese cuisine. The only drawback is that unless you speak Mandarin and/or can read and understand the Chinese characters (with English directly below the Chinese characters) on the menu, you'd be clueless as to what most of the dishes are. This is because there is absolutely no description for each of the dishes. For instance, there's a dish called "Millionaire" - I have NO idea if it was a meat or vegetable dish (or for that matter what kind of meat or what kind of vegetable). But if you're the daring and adventurous type, go for it!!! Let it be a wonderful surprise - or let it be a stupendous letdown for you haha. The restaurant was very clean and well-lit, and our server (attractive young man with glasses) was awesome. If you're in the mood for Chinese but are tired of the same-old, same-old Cantonese dishes, come here and treat your taste buds to a glorious adventure - because the dishes are flavorFULL - yes, emphasis on the FULL! In the end, I'm glad I came here and will come back to try other dishes!!! Advice for the restaurant when updating your menu in the future: It would help your customers to: 1) give descriptions as to what each dish is, or the ingredients involved in each dish, 2) separate the dishes into categories - for example: cold dishes, chicken dishes, beef dishes, pork dishes, lamb dishes, seafood dishes, dry pot dishes, house special dishes, fried rice/noodles dishes, soup dishes, other dishes (such as frog, intestine, duck blood, kidney, lung) and lastly, 3) pictures of the dishes (this is especially important). Regardless, based on my experience tonight, this restaurant rates a 5 out of 5 stars read more

All food here taste very delicious, with the authentic Sichuan Pepper. We came here for our Chinese new year eve dinner, will come again soon to try other dishes. One of the dishes were sold out on the ordering menu, but when I asked the lady, she said she can still put in the order for me :) read more

Spicy Kitchen opened in the recently closed Newark Cafe's space, not in the alley space around the corner. Spicy Kitchen is still open despite being posted as closed on Y. hours not posted on Y...nor the eatery. It's also not Asian fusion. since when is an Asian fusion menu all in Chinese? the interior has been upgraded to a brightly lit, spacious, clean welcoming place from a darkly lit cramped one. upon entering, I was quickly brought menus in Chinese. reason being no one else was inside. I quickly gave him my order in Mandarin.... offerings (entrees are scattered among various food groupings, not the ones I post): soups, soup noodles, fried rice, stir fried noodles, specialities, pork/beef offal, chicken, beef, whole fish eats: beef brisket noodles (14.99) no mention of spiciness -server inquired in Mandarin what spice level I wanted. me: (chung la-medium spicy) server: (Xiao la-lite spicy) me: (hao-good) -the spice is the notorious ma la chili sauce from Chongqing. didn't know it was adjustable. never had problems with it as it isn't accumulative. it's hotness comes from szechwan peppercorns which leaves a temporary numbing sensation, not a burning one. also no nasty discharge later. -beef brisket bits partly chewy, partly tender, not much. some veggies too -noodles tasted the usual, either fresh noodles or reconstituted dry ones, not housemade hand pulled noodles. 4.5 stars too little beef brisket, not tender enough.... leftovers: -food is typical Chinese village soul food. Northern Chinese, probably Sichuan and/or Chongqing...no way Southern Chinese or Asian fusion. -hearsay QR code has a translated English menu, my Iphone couldn't access. -server fluent in English, was translating for another table that came in later. -best to come dining with friend(s). portions are big thus not that pricey -got about 12% discount at checkout-not posted anywhere. unknown how long it lasts. -may return if I can decide what to eat... read more

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My favorite Chongqing restaurant in the Bay! There was depth in flavor and every dish was very yummy. It was a nice chatty atmosphere. I drove 40 mins to eat this and will definitely be back. The food is quite spicy though read more

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Really delicious traditional Chinese restaurant! I love it! Would recommend it to all my friends read more

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We came on a weeknight and it wasn't too busy. Ordered 3 things: - A Choy - Water boiled fish - braised beef noodle All very delicious and good presentation. Will come again read more

Spicy Kitchen - A choy - Asian Fusion Near Me - Newark, California

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Delicious food!! Will recommend to my friends and family. The price is not expensive compared to other Chinese restaurants. read more

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Delicious new spot for spicy Chinese food! Id definitely recommend this spot for anyone who has a bold flavor palette. Everything here is full of flavor and spices which makes it super addicting to eat with some steamed rice. Prices are reasonable as well. I will say that the dishes definitely run on the saltier side. Perhaps you can ask the workers to lower the salt levels. Service was good! There seemed to be one main guy holding it down. He was quick and efficient and asked for our spice preferences too. Love the complimentary cool+ drinks at the end! Inside was pretty clean and spacious too. Check it out if you haven't already! read more

Spicy Kitchen - Spicy Boiled Beef - Asian Fusion Near Me - Newark, California

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Went here for a work luncheon. One server available but was very friendly. Ordered the fish fillet with green peppercorn, chili chicken, and a-choy. Peppercorn fish soup was good with big portions and was mouth numbing. Chili chicken was good and the peppers are spicy, also beware of the tiny bones in the chicken. Paper menus are in chinese but we order through the QR code and has english, I recommend this place to try. read more

Spicy Kitchen - Chili chicken, green peppercorn fish fillet soup, a-choy - Asian Fusion Near Me - Newark, California

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Loved the authentic food here. You can adjust the spice level and we asked the chef to just do mild because we can't eat too spicy. Everything taste delicious and it is appropriately priced. The salted egg yolk corn with crabs is my favorite (they put a lot of egg yolk and didn't skimp out at all) and also the spicy pickled bullfrog with vegetables is super good too. Will come back to try other dishes for sure!! read more

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This place is really at the top of my list for really spicy Sichuan pepper flavors and foods. I have enjoyed especially the fish soup with pickled veggies and Sichuan peppers. Mouth numbing and just lovely. The service is absolutely awesome and the place is huge. Great for parties and also intimate. Great authentic Chinese. read more

Drove from SF to try this place for lunch because my Chingqing (CQ) friend said this place is very authentic. We arrived at the restaurant at 11 and we were the first table there so we met the owner/chef. My CQ friend spoke in their native tongue therefore I know this place is authentic. We ordered 4 dishes and now they are doing a promotion (if you spent $55 or more you will get the Hunan style dry pot chicken). The owner gave us two extra dishes for free. All 7 dishes were DELICIOUS! Restaurant was clean, staff was friendly and the owner, chef and his wife were super friendly and talkative because our CQ friend is from the same neighborhood as the wife. This restaurant is in a mall so parking is not an issue. In this same mall you have 85 degree bakery, 99 Ranch, Feng Cha, Newark Buffet and a dim sum restaurant just to name a few. Will definitely come back to try other items on the menu. Newark sounds far from SSF but if you go during non-peak hours it took us 32 minutes so it's was not too bad. So far I think this is the most authentic Chongqing restaurant I've been to. Highly recommend this place! read more

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This place was newly opened it looks like. We got: cold vermicelli 9/10 -- there is a nice spice that numbs your mouth, reaaaally good Their special fish 8.5/10 -- very well seasoned, savory, and saucy Their greens, chinese broccoli(?) -- 9/10 well done, nicely seasoned with garlic. This is a nice place to eat with family or with friends. Would come again. read more

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Amazing Chongqing food! I like all the 6 dishes we ordered. 1. 辣子美椒牛排 2. 重庆南山泉水鸡 3. 青笋银杏炒培根 4. 家常鱿鱼卷 5. 腰缠万贯（猪腰） 6. 干锅美容蹄 read more

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Very authentic Chongqing style food, spicy enough to impress spicy lovers. The portion of dishes is pretty big. The Grilled Fish is very spicy, the size of fish is okay, but the foil container is extremely big and not so necessary. The Double Pepper Spicy Intestine has a good crispy texture, making it taste not fatty at all. The Stir Fried Lamb with Onions tastes savory, the lamb slices are thick but very moist and tender. The price is fair. I like here and will absolutely come again. read more

The grand opening attracted me to try this restaurant. It is remodeled to become a bright and pleasant environment for dinner with family and friends. Many new dishes are added since opening. My favorite is Phoenix Fish, Dry Pot Chicken and cumin lamb. So good. The service is also 5 stars. read more

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This is the best spicy/sichuan Chinese food I've had in the Bay Area! The portion of each dish is HUGE and the taste is amazing. The chef is from Sichuan China and he definitely brought the authentic Sichuan flavors here. The spicy chicken pot is my favorite. The chicken is very fresh and tender, and the peppers just made you become addicted to the taste. Also I have no idea how the chef made the food sooo good without adding any MSG. I highly recommend this restaurant and will come back again! read more

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Food was fine for what we ordered. But the service and experience were mediocre or worse. Do no go there unless you are good with Mandarin. read more

I love spicy food! I enjoyed all the dishes we ordered and the service was great. They used a lot of green peppercorns and was very fragrant. It does help to know chinese but the owner was very nice and helpful. I will be visiting again soon! read more

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The best spicy fried chicken you can get around the Bay Area. The place is no frills, can accommodate a large party and the service is great. read more

The environment is nice and the service is very good. The dishes are delicious. Recommend the saliva chicken and couple's lung slices. read more

Spicy Kitchen - two bowls of food on a table - Asian Fusion Near Me - Newark, California

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Very large portion! Amazing food. If you want some spicy, it must be a great choice. The restaurant owner is really nice and friendly. And also good place for parking. read more

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Normally horrible customer service means the food is gonna be amazing! This is not the case here! Avoid so many better options!

Really enjoyed our food here. The services are very friendly. The food was prepared really quickly. Based on our request they made our food really really spicy. read more

Very nice dining environment and good food! The service is nice, too. Highly recommend every dish. read more

Spicy Kitchen - Fu Qi Fei Pian - Asian Fusion Near Me - Newark, California

Excellent and authentic sichuan & chongqing & hunan food, and also close to 99 Ranch where we normally shop. I will recommend it to anyone who likes spicy Chinese cuisine! read more

We ordered 5 dishes and they all really good!! My favorite is the noodle, It taste like my hometown noodle. read more

Spicy Kitchen - We ordered 5 dishes and they all really good!! Recommanded! - Asian Fusion Near Me - Newark, California

Service was good, very cheerful lady. Ambiance simple gray & white, not much of stimulation, which I like. My husband ordered 3 dishes- beef stew noodles, free onion pancakes, & spicy chicken - all of them tasted very good. Definitely will come back to try other dishes. read more

Spicy Kitchen - Spicy chicken - Asian Fusion Near Me - Newark, California

Spacious and clean restaurant with tasty food. We can't eat too spicy food so the chef made the food only slight spicy

Authentic sichuang food. Very numb and spicy. As Cantonese I need to ask them to lower the spicy level. Otherwise still very good and price is reasonable read more

We found a Grand opening place today.food taste delicious, Service is friendly and patiently answered all of our questions . I think this is a family business. The lazy who give our a service is very nice . Decent prices for food. Clean and nice restaurant.We ordered a couple items . Recommend to try they roasted pepper w duck intestine and pan-fried tofu w cumin. read more

Spicy Kitchen - Asian Fusion Near Me - Newark, California

Very authentic spicy Chinese food. Spicy but not too salty, which is a great plus for Sichuan cuisine in Bay Area. Environment is great, clean and service is friendly and fast. read more

Spicy Kitchen - Asian Fusion Near Me - Newark, California

service is pretty good with quality spicy food, would love to come again. Recommended.

If I could give this restaurant more than 5 stars, I would. This is my new favorite restaurant. The woman who took our order was very helpful and sweet. We ordered the dry fried chicken, dry pot pork, vegetarian noodles, two types of tripe, and Taiwanese vegetables. It was all so delicious and authentic. We were told that we have to order the fish dish two days in advance because they need to prepare it 2 days beforehand, which means they take pride in their food. The restaurant itself was clean and had a modern decor, which isn't typical of a traditional Chinese restaurant. read more

Excellent authentic Sichuan cuisine, without excessive Human influence. We ordered peppercorn beef tripe and dry pot intestine, both were great. read more

Good food and clean. We ordered the Chongqing spicy chicken and it was delicious. Their menus are only in Chinese so if you need an English one you will need to scan a QR code. read more

I've been to Spicy Kitchen twice. The first time the door was chained and locked at around noon time. NO sign on the door indicating when they are open. I tried again today and they were open. I went there for take out. The only printed menus they had were in Chinese, NO English. You have to scan a QR code on the table to get an English menu. The guy taking orders lent me his smart phone so I could see a digital menu. The digital menu was not organized. I orders the Chicken in Chili Oil. I was warned that it was not boneless and that it would be cold. No problem. I warmed it up at home. There were some bones but enough meat to be acceptable. The spice flavors were good but some of the chicken had an off taste, maybe from not being freshly cooked or frozen. If they continue this business model, they won't last long. read more