Sichuan Impression

Tonight was our first time here. Oh boy, do I wish we still lived in Orange County. The food here tasted fresh, flavorful, and delicious. The service was attentive and gracious! (Thank you to the young man that helped us. I’m terrible with names but I remember a short name starting with “K”….Maybe Kato..? The man clearing and refilling waters was very nice as well though I didn’t get his name.) We live an hour away but we can’t wait to come back on a date night without the kids ;-) Small but nice outdoor dining area. Our servers were wearing masks. Thank you for the great dinner!!

Fresh as fresh can be, flavors explosively big and yet balanced. A want-to-try-everything place that is comfortable and affordable enough to make that dream an achievable reality. Some specifics: each piece of Toothpick Lamb had that perfect BBQ tip texture: crisp edges, tender inside. Juicy Steamed Chicken was refreshing, like a cool salad-chicken, moist with skin on in a light vinegary sauce. The Boiled Fish Fillets in Chili Sauce were my fav: buttery pieces of fish so fresh and so perfectly cooked, it just melts in your mouth. That chili sauce is so good—and ample—the people I was with said they regularly take what's left in a to go container, buy fresh fish at the 99 Ranch, and use it for another fish meal at home. The last dish (can't remember the name) had tender ribbons of pork belly—at first I thought it was a tidy pile of wide cut noodles!—never had anything like it, the richness and big flavor, would totally order it again.

Super spicy, and pretty tasty. The dumplings were definitely my favorite. The Smoked Tea Pork Ribs were a bit dry and not too spicy, unfortunately. The Chicken with Rattan Pepper was spicy but not too much flavor. I loved the Fried Rice Cake with Black Syrup, but if you're not into rice cake and super sweet stuff you might not like it!

This place was amazing! The staff was so friendly and helpful. They helped me make one of their dishes vegan -- they even improvised a broth so that I could eat it. I was very impressed by both the quality of the food as well as the service. I would definitely recommend this place to those who like authentic Chinese as well as fairly spicy foods.