Sichuan Pepper

The most authentic, Chinatown like Sichuan restaurant in and around Hartford that serves tongue numbing originals straight out of Chengdu, China! They so cater towards the American palate too (orange chicken, wings etc) AND they serve cocktails, wine and beer! My wife and I have been here many times since moving to CT from Long Island and I finally decided to review our favorite Chinese restaurant in the state that we call home. This time we ordered the Pidang (century egg), double cooked pork and this wonderfully MaLa whole grilled fish bathed in tongue numbing Sichuan peppercorns and dried chilies along with two brown rice bowls. Everything was 10/10. Highly recommend the Pidang and double cooked pork if you want to try something authentic and skip the Panda Express menu :) Service is always incredible. Good clean bathrooms. They do have a bar area too for individuals to hang out meet people etc. We'll be coming here for a very long time for sure!

Wished I got a better picture of the food but The oxtail soup 10/10 You can tell the broth was clean and stewed to perfection. The perfect balance of herbal oxtail flavor. The pork Trotter, 10/10 Spicy but not to the point where it Numbs your mouth good aromatics too!, we also got Pan fried and Steamed Dumplings, if you got the pork and chive steam dumpling it pairs well with the Ox tail soup, whereas the Pan fried Veggie dumpling pairs well with the Mapo tofu, and Eggplant with garlic sauce. Overall this place is very good to Dine in for Authentic Chinese food, nothing like Chinese take out. Will be coming here Often.

We found this place online since our usual spot is closed on Mondays. The sign on the business is old and non legible, which is probably why we never stopped by. We did take out. We ordered 4 combo meals including orange chicken, sesame chicken, sweet & sour chicken and chicken in garlic sauce. We found the fried chicken to be very rubbery and the breading was unpleasant and old. Not fluffy like our usual spot. The chicken seemed to be fried earlier in the day and then refried. The sauce was mid, at best. The vegetable rice had stringy uncooked egg all throughout. The wonton soup had a very dark broth with only 3 wontons. The meals had very few vegetables. It left us wishing everything was more fresh and flavorful. We typically pay $56 for this order at our normal Chinese restaurant. Our meals totaled $72 here. We were willing to spend the extra if the food warranted it. But sadly, it was a disappointment for all four dishes. We will not return.

Sooo good. Definitely a little pricey though. I got orange chicken with vegetable rice. The rice had an amazing flavor and taste I was inhaling it. The chicken was delicious and tasted super fresh. Over all the meal was heavenly. Owner is so friendly and sweet, the restaurant was peaceful and the vibes were up!!

While driving back to NYC from Waltham we went to stop at Vernon diner, where there was a long wait. Went here instead, it doesn't look like much from the pytaode,but the interior is pleasant, spacious and clean. The food is fresh, fast, and tastes great.

Authentic Chinese food with more traditional dishes than other restaurants offer. What a great change from the American food offered at numerous other restaurants. Flavorful dishes, large portions and staff willing to help with dish suggestions! We had dumplings with spicy oil, deep fried diced chicken sautéed with dried red pepper- wow! This dish had a dry rub of spices and seasonings and was outstanding! (If you can handle hot wings and like some spice give this a shot! ) We also had sichuan beef. This dish was also delicious with vegetables cooked to perfection and beef actually seasoned. The beef dish is not served with a traditional gloppy sauce like American (fast food Chinese takeout ). Be prepared to be wowed with more traditional dishes from Sichuan Pepper! June 2025

The food is so good, im in love with this place- i personally get the spicy beef and ragoons . But omgeee a must try. I will be returning.

Wow! I ordered on Uber eats and opted for the steamed shrimp dumplings and the Yang Zhou fried rice which is pork shrimp and chicken. The fried rice was perfectly seasoned and had this fresh authentic flavor, unlike the usual greasy american Chinese rice. The dumplings had the perfect chewy steamed texture and there were big chunks of yummy shrimp inside. So pleasantly surprised with my order and can't wait to try more things!

I took my mom here for dinner a few nights ago. We were both so happy with the food, service, and restaurant that this is now our new favorite local chinese restaurant. Although it was very cold outside, inside the restaurant it was comfortably warm. Our hostess/ waitress was very pleasant and helpful. We began our dinner with a pot of hot chinese tea- which tasted really good. I then ordered a dinner special of chicken chow mein with white rice and a cup of wonton soup. The soup was delightful. The broth was very tasty, and the wontons had a delicious taste and a perfect texture. My chicken chow mein looked and tasted fresh and perfect, and the white rice seemed to me to be sticky jasmine rice- which I love. My mom had the hot and sour soup, which she really enjoyed, and General Tsao's chicken- not spicy version, with the white rice. My mom also totally loved her dinner. Additionally, the size of our dinners was grand, and presented lovely on pretty dinner plates with beautiful silverware. Thank you to this restaurant for being local here in Vernon! A great addition to our town! Very nice, indeed.

I'm back! I love Szechuan food! The restaurant is located at 435G Hartford Tpke in Vernon, CT. "Serving With Love. Tasty Products and Wide Range Flavors." I love it! For my first drink, I am having a Scorpion Bowl. A Scorpion bowl is a communally shared alcoholic tiki drink served in a large ceramic bowl traditionally decorated with wahine or hula-girl island scenes and meant to be drunk through long straws. Bowl shapes and decorations can vary considerably. Starting off as a single-serve drink known as the Scorpion cocktail, its immense popularity as a bowl drink in tiki culture is attributed to Trader Vic. No volcano here but it tastes great! To start, we are having the hot and sour soup. Hot and sour soup is a popular Chinese soup known for its contrasting flavors of spicy and sour, achieved with ingredients like vinegar, chili sauce, and white pepper. It is typically made with a broth thickened with cornstarch and features ingredients such as mushrooms, tofu, bamboo shoots, and egg ribbons. The soup is often served as an appetizer and can be customized to taste by adjusting the amount of vinegar, chili, and pepper. I like to add pepper in mine. This is real good! It's nice and hot too. It came out quick! We are also getting sone spring rolls. We are also trying the vegetarian spring rolls. Vegetarian spring rolls are a popular dish that can be served fresh or fried, typically filled with a mix of shredded vegetables and sometimes noodles. They are commonly served with a dipping sauce. In this case, it's duck sauce. These are quite tasty and go well with the duck sauce. We are also having the chili pepper and preserved egg. A century egg is a Chinese preserved egg, made by curing duck, chicken, or quail eggs in a mixture of clay, ash, salt, and quicklime for several weeks to months. This process transforms the egg's appearance and flavor, giving it a dark, jelly-like white and a creamy, dark green yolk with a rich, savory, and pungent taste. Century eggs are often eaten on their own, with pickled ginger, or cooked in congee (rice porridge). The eggs are purple and translucent. This chili pepper sauce is spicy so watch out! The egg white has a slightly harder texture than a boiled egg. I love these things! For my entree, I'm having the Mix Duck Stew in Spicy Sauce. I haven't had duck in quite some time. Wow! Look at this! This is a lot to eat! It is delicious! For my last drink, I'm having a Mai Tai. The Mai Tai is a classic tiki cocktail made with rum, lime juice, orange curaçao, and orgeat syrup. It was invented in 1944 by Victor J. Bergeron at his restaurant, Trader Vic's, in Oakland, California. While the original recipe used only aged rum, modern versions often include a blend of light and dark rum, and some variations add pineapple or orange juice. Not bad! I like it! For dessert, we're having the Sweet Sesame Paste Filling Rice Balls and the Small Rice Balls in Fermented Rice Soup (for dessert!). That soup is like a sweet egg drop soup with tapioca balls. This is great! What a nice meal!

Sichuan pepper is so good! The menu has some really great sichuan dishes that you can't find at every Chinese restaurant, and the portions were huge with lots of flavor. Our food arrived very quickly and prices were very reasonable.

Tomato with eggs w/ rice and wood Ear mushroom salad plus hot tea. A meal that made my tastbuds very happy. This place is a true gem.

Took a chance on trying this place for dinner. Was pretty good, I think I will try ordering different items next time.

The food was fresh and seasoned very well. Their adult cocktails service was quite timely. The ambience was calm and comforting. Wait staff checked in on us regularly. Portions were very good!

I've been searching for a good takeout place since I've been in Connecticut. I finally found one that deserves a shout out. The rice is phenomenal. Loaded with shrimp, it tastes freshly made. The fried rice from surrounding restaurants feels old as if it's been sitting forever. This is since if the best fried rice I've ever had. The General Tso's chicken is decent. Nothing groundbreaking but not bad. The dumplings were another hit. Not too spicy, the chili oil looks scary but in fact it's flavorful. I will definitely be retiring for more.

Do you love Mala? You'll love this place! Whenever we try a new restaurant we like to order a few items to share, so we decided on Beef tendon & tripe in spicy sauce (cold) BBQ boneless ribs, Sweet potato noodles with minced pork. Steamed Chicken in spicy Mala sauce (cold) Mala tofu and fish. Everything was amazing. We had a great time. If you want authentic Mala, this a great place!!We enjoyed the nice atmosphere, our server was very pleasant and patient with us. (We appreciate that as we peruse a new menu lol). Check them out!.

Delicious food! We always stop here for dinner when driving on I-84, and we would certainly come more often if we lived nearby. Very quick service as well.

When we're wanting Chinese, this is our place. The food is always great and fast. We love the Rangoon, sesame chicken and chicken fried rice. Also, the vegetable lo mein is insanely good.

High quality Chinese food during a unexpected stop. Out of expectation! Great people made great food.

Best Chinese my wife and I have had in a very very long time. Recommending to the nurses and staff we know at the local hospital.

Typically strip mall restaurant dining is not my thing. But, there is something about a spot that stands the test of time, And this is an excellent example of that. Like the name, they specialize in regional Szechuan cuisine. So NOT typical Americanized Chinese. Four stars for the food, literally all of it was delicious. Started with vegetable spring rolls, crunchy, with the typical dipping sauce. Wonton egg drop soup was excellent with miniature wontons. The sautéed bok choy is loaded with garlic, I detected mustard powder, toasted sesame oil. It was so good we ordered a dish to go. And the fillet a flounder with dry spices like cumin sautéed Red and green bell peppers, onions, ginger, and bamboo shoots was tender and flavorful. My favorite was the CHONGQING chicken (La Zi Ji) perfectly fried tender pieces of chicken sauté with bits of peanuts, garlic, scallion, Szechuan, peppercorns, and Szechuan chili peppers, and toasted sesame seeds. It was exceptional. Server was very familiar with the menu, the preparation, ingredients, and was able to make solid suggestions. Everything was served accurately and hot. Unfortunately, the interior really requires some updating. It's rather rundown, shabby, and dated, as well as needing a very good scrubbing. Seating was pretty comfortable.

Food was made fresh and very tasty, a bit on the salty side not sure if this was the added soy sauce but overall food was delicious and great portions. Very nice service and server was very humble. Quiet atmosphere which made for a peaceful meal.

After coming here for nearly two years I was served the worst food I've ever had from a Chinese restaurant. The blandest lo mein with no flavor whatsoever, and a general taos that was dried out and bland. The sauce on the taos was more like a flavorless paste. This place is going downhill fast, and I can't see myself coming here again ever after such a poor experience.

Excellent Chinese food fast service very friendly staff. Small bar you can sit and wait for your food if you're picking up.

Authentic Chinese food!!! So delicious. You will not find a combo number with fried chicken wings here. All the local Chinese people eat here. That's how authentic it is. Not like your fast food Chinese take out. Spicy wontons are amazing. The braised fish in pepper sauce is amazing. Pea shoots are delicious. Try everything! Service is good. Atmosphere is a bit outdated but you go for the food!

My husband and I ordered takeout from here on a Saturday night after hearing how great their Sichuan food is. It was nice to find this restaurant since not many places nearby have the mala pot and mapo tofu options you can find here. We ordered an app of steamed shrimp dumplings, the dry pot with beef and a spicy beef bowl. The beef dishes both came with rice and the dumplings with a sauce. The food was great! Spicy but in a good way and had plenty of vegetables along with the meat. I will say that it is a bit pricey, but you get high quality food. Overall definitely recommend stopping in and trying out some of their specialties!

I only do take out, they have great meals. There's some confusion as to what you actually get from a dinner order. I always end spending roughly 35 bucks for two meals. More rice than I can eat, as it apparently comes with white rice and I prefer pork fried rice and when you order the pork fried rice they still include the white rice.

Food is awful. Sad to report! Hate to say it but it's bad. I believe this place has a following due to its heat/Spice on food. I find the food tired, smelly in a bad way and way over priced! There are many Asian places nearby that beat this restaurant hands down. There is a semi exotic menu of very spicy seafood and frog dishes that may get you hooked. If it works for you then good luck. Make sure to eat Ammodium tablets in advance. I just don't like this place and the staff is somewhat unpleasant to boot. Good luck!

One of The best of chinese restaurants in CT. Everything so good. I already triedfews place before here and here is the best one i found.

I have tried this establishment three times now always taking into account that it's more of a traditional Chinese restaurant then an American Chinese restaurant. Unfortunately I can not justify giving them another shot since something as simple as chicken and garlic sauce was made so horribly. First off there really wasn't that much chicken. It was mostly some kind of strange noodle that took up all of the space in the dish. The amount of vegetables included was almost not existent, except for the strange mushroom caps, which were quite good and I do not like mushrooms. The so-called garlic sauce was some kind of clear, pasty unflavored rue that they forgot to brown or add any seasoning to. At the price of almost $17 I would not recommend wasting your time with ordering American Chinese food at this establishment. I have ordered traditional Chinese dishes there and they are amazing if you enjoy exotic food.

Food was plentiful and delicious! Ordered a bunch of items off the menu for a family meal and were pleased with everything!

I first visited this restaurant about 7 years ago. Food here is very very good. I ratetheir food with a 4-1/2 or 5 star rating. The food has consistently been flavorful with large portions. Service is better than average - a 4 star rating. The ambiance, nowadays, is a solid 3 star. I know - who goes to a Chinese restaurant for the ambiance? Well, pre-COVID it was always busy on weekend evenings with a bustling takeout business on the side. Post-COVID, it appears that the majority of the busines is take-out. We came here to celebrate a family member's birthday and we were one of four tables with customers on an early Friday evening. The front counter was full of delivery bags / orders, though.

It's been over 5 years since I was last here in 2017, when I gave it 2 stars. I heard that the owner hand changed, I decided to give it another try. I am glad that the food had improved, the signature Fuqifeipian had the right taste but was a bit undercooked, not tender enough but the stir-fried kidney dish was really good again. The waitress was really nice too, I had a really good lunch.

Ordered from here a few times and it's consistently been delicious. The General Tsos chicken is really good and so are the fried rice and noodle dishes. Would definitely recommend!

First time here. Shredded potatoes have a smokey, subtle heat. Ma Po Tofu is hearty and filling. Family-style portions, lots of leftovers. Can't wait put a fried egg on the potatoes for breakfast tomorrow!

I ordered Szechuan chicken but it wasn't that hot. It came with potatoes and jalapeño pepper, so I ordered rice on the side. I wanted chicken with vegetables, Szechuan, but they wouldn't fulfill the request. It's pretty expensive and there was too much potato and not an equal amount of chicken. It was good but it didn't "wow," me.

Went for lunch on the weekend and enjoyed the food. It was pretty empty in the restaurant when we arrived with only one other table. Our food came out very quickly after we ordered. For the 3 of us, we ordered pepper beef, green beans with minced pork and house lo mein. Everything was tasty and we finished our dishes with no problem. The restaurant itself is a little worn but clean. I would recommend to anyone looking for a good Chinese meal. Our group typically cannot handle the spice levels of many Sichuan restaurants but there are plenty of non-spicy options to choose from. For me, asking for the chili oil on the side was the best option to control spiciness. Definitely will return.

I ordered for delivery through GrubHub, so unfortunately I could not send my dinner back. The egg drop soup was tasteless, the broth didn't even taste like chicken or vegetable broth, just extremely bland without any flavor. I only had a few spoonfuls and discarded the rest. I ordered the Kung Pao Chicken for my main course. It was a much smaller portion than I've gotten at other local restaurants. The only "vegetable" in the Kung Pao Chicken was cut up celery and there wasn't much sauce. The egg drop soup also was double the price of other local places. This is the first time I've eaten here in about 7 years, but the food was not good this time.

We were greeted with a smile when we walked in & as the hostess was going to seat us, the waitress came out & seated us. The drinks come out quickly and so does the food. The waitress helped me with pronunciation of the dish I ordered. Another great experience here! We tried new foods & were so happy we did! I had seen many excellent reviews of the homemade dumplings in chili oil so we had to try them. We ordered them "mild" and boy, were they scrumptious! We both had serious looks of disbelief on our faces because we never imagined just how amazingly delicious this entree is! We started out a bit guarded because any dish labeled as spicy is, in fact, spicy. We took baby steps until we were eating the dumplings out of the spoon with as much of the chili oil it would hold. I felt like I could have tilted the bowl and drank the chili oil. This dish gets 10 stars!! I ordered the Guizhou spicy chicken after googling it to see the ingredients. It was great! A little spicy with a nice balance of flavors and tender bites of chicken. I had been wanting to try this since our first time here. I would definitely order it again. Hubby ordered the shredded beef with scallion & onion. It was the second star dish of the night! Deliciously tender strips of beef, well seasoned and perfect for someone who loves onions! I was expecting something similar to Mongolian beef but that's not what this is. It is fantastic and another favorite of ours now. Stay tuned for our next date night here at Sichuan Pepper!

This place is fabulous. I have been here several times as one of the few authentic places anywhere near me (and yep, I have eaten Sichuan food in Sichuan).

Wrong food was bagged, asked for hot mustard sauce got duck sauce, food was tasteless and bland.

Stopped in for a lunch today and found the restaurant with a few customers inside. Social distancing was done by seating people in every other booth. They also seemed to be doing a good take out business for the hour of the day. We were seated promptly and our drink orders taken. The server, although working by themselves, was very pleasant and efficient in handling both seated and take out orders. We ordered the business lunch beef and broccoli with egg drop soup, hot and sour soup (menu says small and large but they only offer one size), scallion pancakes, pork fried dumplings, pork fried rice, and beef with scallions and onions. Everything was served family style so it came to the table when it was hot off the wok. The egg drop soup was good and the hot and sour was excellent. Both helped to warm us up as the restaurant was a little chilly. The beef and broccoli came with fried rice and looked good. The beef however was pretty stringy and difficult to eat. The scallion pancakes were paper thin and crispy. Flavor was good but they were so thin it was like eating a hot potato chip. The accompanying sauce didn't add much flavor to them. The pork fried dumpling was more vegetable than pork. A piece of pork surrounded by green vegetables. Flavorful but felt more like a veggie dumpling than pork. The beef with scallions and onions was very flavorful and spicy as requested. But again the beef was on the tough side. The pork fried rice was different in the it had strips of pork through it. The pork didn't have much flavor but it was a different change from the normal barbecued pork fried rice that you usually get. Overall not the level of quality and flavor that we've experienced in the past. We'll go back if for nothing more than the hot and sour soup which is one of the best I've ever had.

We ordered takeout the other night to fulfill our cravings and have been meaning to check this place out. We were in the area and it was the perfect opportunity! Wonton soup: 4/5, the broth was exactly what I wanted. It had a lot of flavor built in and it wasn't over salted. The wontons itself were also pretty good, very meaty. Scallion pancakes: 4/5, exactly what we had expected although a little bit too greasy for my preference Sesame chicken: 4/5, exactly what we were expecting, wish there was some more broccoli. Chicken was well sauced and seasoned Ma Po Tofu: 4/5, a lot spicier than I was expecting, lots of leftovers since they gave us so much. We would go back if we were in the area

This is our go to spot in the area of the craving becomes undeniable. The portions are a bit smaller than the competition, but it is consistently good. Now, the reason for the review: pork dumpling in red chili sauce. Get them and thank me later!!!

Very expensive charged for tea and extra for substitute chicken For beef. Good was so so

I asked for an authentic spice level in many different ways, and I definitely didn't get it. It tasted like they cooked the dish, and diluted it with water, which wasn't good at all. It's frustrating that international cuisine restaurants in central CT significantly decrease the spice and flavor profile no matter what you say, based on how you look.

Ordered the often mentioned Dan Dan noodles, I must be missing something, because they were ok but I could have been happier with another style I suppose. But nothing wrong with them at all. Kung Pao Shrimp and Chicken however was a different story, the style was different than usual with good flavor and the size/amount was good for 2. I will order from this restaurant again.

Love their cumin fish and shrimp fried rice. It's absolute yummy. It's our go to food. Easy fast pickup.

Some of the best Chinese food I've ever eaten. The iced tea was delicious. The twice fried pork was excellent and just the right amount of spice. I'm generally not a person that goes for spicy food but the dried pot style beef was amazing. The iced tea was a little on the sweet side but was pretty tasty. I would definitely come here again for some great Chinese food.

I definitely got food poisoning here 10/25/2022 Management changed and place has gone down hill and now I might have salmonella.

Food quality, preparation, presentation and table service was below average. It is okay if you need something cheap and nothing special.

We've had a few good meals here, with dishes varying from OK to great. The beef dishes seem to be the best so far, and we pretty much always get the Dan Dan Mein / Dan Dan Noodles...so tasty and a good deal. The dumplings were just OK. (If your trip is all about the dumplings, then check out Shu in West Hartford). If you like it spicy, this place does that well. The dry pot with spicy beef (see my pics) was delicious as well. The service...is inconsistent. They get very busy, and seem to take a long time to come back at times. They also forgot a few things last time. Parking - there's plenty of it, though it is a fairly busy lot since they share it with Rein's deli. Place seems popular with the asian crowd, always a good sign. You'll get annoyed if seeing young kids getting out of expensive cars bothers you. A sparkly new M4, AMG and an Aston Martin VantageS were all there last time. Always makes me wonder what the rest of us are doing wrong...

Excellent Ma La Fish, Stir Fry Pea Leaves and Scallion Pancake. Best in the Hartford area!

Always Great Food never a bad meal here. Wait time is good food ready when they say it will be

We decided to try the food here and we are so glad we did! The flavors of everything we ordered were so much better than any Chinese food we've had. Their version of our favorite dishes was a tiny bit different as their flavors are elevated beyond anything we've had before. Portion sizes are very generous for both meat & veggies. We had enough leftovers for another meal. NOTE: The dishes labeled spicy are truly very spicy. The dumplings were amazing! The filling and flavor made it seem homemade rather than frozen dumplings that had been purchased. The dipping sauce put it over the top. This is the first time I've had hot & sour soup that actually has enough "hot" to notice. It is very spicy and delicious. General Tao's chicken was incredible. The sauce was light & not too sweet like other places. It sticks to the chicken beautifully without overpowering it. When I bit into it, there was a nice blend of sauce & breading from the perfectly fried chicken. But then...the chicken flavor hit the taste buds and I was blown away by how pronounced & incredibly delicious it was! I'm accustomed to only tasting the sauce so I was in heaven! Too bad this was my husband's meal! Chicken with broccoli is my go-to when trying a new place. I decided to have it in garlic sauce. Result: a flavor explosion! The sauce is spicy & the garlic flavor stands out much more than any version of this I've tried. I love garlic so this was a hit for me!! Hubby didn't complain about my breath so I'm curious about how there was so much flavor yet I somehow avoided having dragon breath. Hmmmm....

Food was pretty good, but the service was poor. To be fair though, they seemed understaffed and were not just lazy or slow. The lady failed to remember to refill our tea when we asked and walked back and forth multiple times before we walked over to her to ask for it again. Food came out pretty quickly, but we were not checked on periodically. Each time we needed something we had to look around and wave someone down. It also took forever for them to bring us the check and then to run the card. We probably would've left 15-20 minutes sooner without the constant waiting around. They have a wide selection, so it was hard to make decisions. (Naturally I just said I can eat whatever and let others choose.) The server was helpful with recommendations and we liked everything we got. The mapo tofu was THE BEST. I would come back just for that. The cucumbers were also delicious and as good as other versions of the dish I've tried. The lamb was too gamey for me, but the flavor of the sauce was good. The fish was also good. We adjusted the spice level and asked for everything to be more mild which worked out well. Things were flavorful, and I just wanted to keep eating. (Versus when things are too spicy and I need to stop :\ lol) To put things into perspective--I like 2 chili peppers out of 5.

Authentic. Spicy. Good. Affordable. Cant go wrong. Always enjoyable. Food comes out fast. Hot and good. Every dish is a delight.