Chengdu Bistro 蓉小馆

"Offers delicious Sichuan noodle dishes, fulfilling Chicago's need for a Chinese noodle specialist." - Ashok Selvam

"For excellent dumplings, chewy noodles, and a little capsaicin-fueled rush, head to Chengdu Bistro in Wicker Park. This casual Chinese spot is part of the Chengdu Impression family. And like its siblings, Chengdu Bistro doesn’t shy from heat—most of their dishes are loaded with sichuan peppercorns. The flaming noodle is appropriately named, and like the spicy beef noodle, has a complex savoriness thanks to the tingly spice. But even if you aren’t a spice-seeker, grab a table in this Chinese spot’s busy dining room for their lamb and chives dumplings. Food Rundown photo credit: John Ringor Jiao Zi Like a good parent, we don’t play favorites with the dumplings here—any combination of preparation or filling is delicious. You can get them fried, steamed, or boiled and with all sorts of tasty fillings like lamb and dill, chicken and cabbage, or shrimp and pork. Okay, we lied. We do have a favorite (lamb and dill, pan-fried). But don’t let that reflect on our parenting potential. photo credit: John Ringor Spicy Beef Noodle Soup This noodle soup topped with tender beef shank and bokchoy is salty, has plenty of heat, and is full of tasty housemade noodles. You can choose the noodle size for the soups here, and we like the thick ones—the extra chewiness pairs well with the robust and flavorful broth. photo credit: John Ringor Fried Egg Tomato Noodle Soup If you’re looking for a non-spicy soup option, get this. The comforting tomato broth is savory and slightly sweet, and gets topped with a fried egg. We like the thinner regular noodles with this lighter broth." - John Ringor

"Chengdu Impression, one of the best Chinese restaurants in Chicago, already has Sichuan spots in Lincoln Park, Wicker Park and Edgewater (plus Dongpo Impression in Chinatown). And now you can try their handmade noodles and dumplings at Chengdu Bistro, also in Wicker Park." - john ringor, veda kilaru, nick allen

"This tasty dish is found in the appetizer section and presents a beautiful mouthfeel with the heat from the Sichuan peppers contrasting with the chilled noodles which are hand-pulled on the premises. Chengdu Bistro is a spinoff of Chengdu Impression, the popular Sichuan restaurant with multiple locations. The Bistro specializes in the aforementioned hand-pulled noodles and an assortment of dim sum, including soup dumplings." - Naomi Waxman

"Chengdu Bistro offers a streamlined menu of handmade Chengdu-style noodles, xiao long bao, and Sichuan-style small plates." - Ashok Selvam