"Portland had long been lacking a spot for real-deal, mouth-numbing Sichuan cuisine — until Sichuan Taste, the sister restaurant of Sichuan City in Happy Valley, opened up downtown. The key to a good meal here is to bring lots of friends, get ready to share, and order broadly. Start your meal with the mashed eggplant with century egg and green peppers, which tastes like a spicy, super-umami baba ganoush, and chile oil wontons, which are consistent crowd pleasers. Be sure to order something crispy, like the tingly-spicy Sichuan popcorn chicken or the decadent salted egg yolk fried shrimp. You’ll want something tangy, like shredded potato strips in vinegar or sliced beef with crunchy pickled green beans. And something soupy is essential, whether it’s fish in green Sichuan peppercorn broth or beef in a slightly sweet, pumpkiny golden broth with glass noodles." - Katherine Chew Hamilton