Mountain House Flushing 川山甲

"Come to Szechuan Mountain House for face-numbing mapo tofu, sour fish and cabbage soup, and other Sichuan favorites. At this large restaurant, service is always fast and friendly, you never have to wait too long for a table, and it's great choice for a last-minute group dinner. You’ll probably see a lot of people taking photos of a tiny wooden A-frame of thinly-sliced pork belly and cucumbers hanging over a dish of spicy garlic sauce. Trust us when we say that this dish isn’t just a gimmick." - carina finn koeppicus, kenny yang, neha talreja, bryan kim, molly fitzpatrick

"Szechuan Mountain House is a beautiful, high-end ode to chiles, from dried red peppers to Sichuan peppercorns. The signature swing pork belly, paper-thin slices of pork belly and cucumber, hang down in a line over a dipping sauce of chile garlic oil. The Jiangbei Style Boiled Fish is a swirl of tender, white fish fillets and crushed red chiles whose heat builds with every bite. Another bestseller is the frog braised in pickled chile peppers for a spicy, sour finish. Seek refuge from the heat in dishes like the shrimp fried rice served in a hollowed-out pineapple and sautéed water spinach — all served in a gorgeous setting complete with a koi pond." - Caroline Shin

"Szechuan Mountain House’s bright, oil-heavy mapo sent us into a deep, late-night internet hole. There we were, sitting in the glow of our phone at 1am searching “why is Szechuan peppercorn so spicy,” “reason for mala spice numb,” and even “mapo is tingle town.” We’ll save you the Googling. It turns out that Szechuan peppers have a small percentage of hydroxy alpha sanshool - a molecule in plants that numbs human nerves. Isn’t science terrific? Now that you know the facts, it’ll only improve the incredible, stomach-vibrating sensation of eating Szechuan Mountain House’s long-rectangular shaped tofu. Both of their locations (in Flushing and on St. Marks in the East Village) are open for outdoor dining." - hannah albertine

"The New York City location of this Allston Szechuan spot is an institution, and it’s one of the few transplant restaurants in Boston we’re actually excited about. Their swinging pork belly dish has mandolined strips of meat and cucumber draped over a wooden stand, with the whole thing dangling above a bowl of garlic and chili oil. Once it arrives at your table, it’ll first get your attention for presentation, and then for being your new favorite way to eat pork belly. Order that, the pepper lover chicken that has some decent spice without setting your tongue on fire, and a couple of other plates to celebrate crushing the first half of the workweek." - Tanya Edwards

"If you’re looking for great food on St. Marks Place between 2nd and 3rd Avenues, you’re probably also looking for a good time (and possibly a lot of alcohol, then a second cartilage piercing). Uplifting news for you: Szechuan Mountain House exists. The Szechuan food here is memorably numbing and garlic-heavy. If you’re interested in outdoor dining, there’s a patio area out front that’s decorated with plants and dividers where you can hang out and drink a few bottles of Tsing Tao to offset the mala spice. No matter what you order, your meal starts here with complimentary homemade pickled cabbage and ends with cold mung bean soup. In between, we’d suggest getting the mapo tofu, which is both stomach-vibrating and delicious, as well as the pork belly with garlic. It’s possible you’ve seen pictures of it on social media: it comes with cucumbers and light-pink, thinly sliced pork slabs hanging neatly over a rack that looks like something you’d use to dry jeans. Combined with a helping of garlic paste on the side of the plate, the cold cucumber and fatty pork will temporarily convince you this is the only way we should be eating pork belly. Szechuan Mountain House is open for indoor dining, outdoor dining, and takeout - and they also have a location in Flushing in case that's more convenient to you." - Hannah Albertine