Sichuan Impression

Sichuan Impression offers a convenient combo option where you simply choose from the set menu, and the food comes out incredibly fast. I’m guessing it’s because they prepare a lot of it in bulk, especially the fish dishes. The fish itself was tasty and well-seasoned, definitely the highlight of the meal. It’s not a “wow” or over-the-top dining experience, but for a quick, flavorful bite that hits the spot, it’s worth a solid 4 stars.

I had the Mother’s Day special combo and unfortunately, I was disappointed. I do appreciate the thoughtful touches—free drinks for moms (although they tasted quite artificial) and the Polaroid photos, which were a nice gesture. However, the food didn’t live up to expectations. The rice in the rice and rib dish was overly salty and soggy, as if it had been simmered in sauce for too long. The lamb wasn’t bad—definitely on the salty side compared to other places—but the seasoning and flavor were decent. The dry pot, though, was extremely salty and hard to enjoy. I’ve dined here several times before and usually love the food, which is why I chose this place for a Mother’s Day weekend lunch. Sadly, we were quite disappointed this time.

Delicious food and great flavors! The spicy fish was rich and satisfying, the green beans were perfectly cooked with garlic, and everything paired well with the rice. Highly recommend!

The food is good, the toothpick Lamb is highly recommended. However no hot tea provided in a Chinese restaurant is kind of strange.

My mom is from Sichuan and this place has delicious and legit Sichuan food. It's affordable, portions are large, and pretty much everything was tasty. The key is to come with a few people to order more dishes, or you can always take it home for leftovers. I would come back.

First visit and was impressed with the tea smoked pork ribs and boiled fish (mild level selected for the broth). I found the service to be good and attentive. Will return to try other items on their menu

Great authentic Chinese food, especially the Qiao-jiao beef soup is the must order. If you like noodles, their beef or lamp rice noodle soup are also very good.

My favorite Chinese food spot. I drive from afar to enjoy the Cumin Lamb Stir Fry, and Chili Chicken Stir Fry. The plate is always empty at the end. Spicy and delicious!

Great spot for Sichuan food--flavorful dishes, good portions, and friendly service. Definitely worth coming back!

The food here never ceases to impress me. These items are extremely delicious will definitely recommend this to anyone

come here for few times 8 years ago!!good memory for my college period. My husband used to come here often,he is spicy lover~~ I miss the taste, and they serve very good

I came here because I was craving dry pot. Im soo happy I went here because this place is delicious!! I got thi sspicy cut up chicken in chili oil sauce that was out of this world delicious. I also got the beef dry pot and sizzling squid dish. Sooo good and so spicy. Best dry pot in orange county!! will come back here --------------------- My Star Rating Scale: 5 Stars: Excellent--- Blew my mind, had a wow factor, will come back 4 Stars: Good--- I liked it but didn't love it, no wow factor, will still come back 3 Stars: Okay--- It was okay, I didn't hate it but didn't like it either; would not voluntarily come back 2 Stars: Bad--- I did not like it, I would not come back 1 Star: Horrible--- Absolutely hated it, I would not come back here

Authentic sichuan food with great flavors. A little salty so you will definitely need to order white rice. The food is very tasty and the place was busy with mandarin speakers which must mean its good, so typical of any great Chinese restaurant do not expect good customer service. The service is pretty much nonexistent. For a sit down establishment it's the bare minimum of human interaction. They tell you to scan the QR code for the menu which leads you to a website that sends your order direct to the kitchen. The online website and ordering interface is off putting. The mobile web interface isn't very good because the menu is mostly in Chinese and cuts off the English translation. If you already know what you want to order this shouldn't be a problem but if it's your first time, best of luck to you. And if you have food allergies, all bets are off since you can't read it unless you are fluent in Chinese. You can't get a real human to talk to until your order is arriving to the table and even so, best of luck. Our server dropped off the food and turned away and took off as fast as she could, averting eye contact so that we couldn't ask her anything. Don't come too hungry because it takes a while for your food to come out. Some items will come out then a good 15 -20 minutes will pass before the remaining dishes are served. Tables are seated and served and cleared before all your dishes will come out. Take out containers are left in the middle of the restaurant and I guess you just help yourself as I saw other customers get up and select their containers. If you do get to talk to an employee, they're very pleasant.

Delicious Sichuan food and fast service. You can only order using app so that took longer than expected. Too bad they don't offer analogue option. All three items we ordered were spicy and delicious, perfect for our palates. We will definitely come again!

Sichuan Impression has the very authentic taste of the Sichuan style food. We love almost all the flood on the menu and have visited many times since we moved here. The customer service is also fantastic. All the staff here are very friendly and helpful. It has been our favorite restaurant now.

Totally biased opinion but I adore this place! I've run up and down the menu, tried so many different dishes, and each one better than the last. I'm admittedly not cultured in sichuan cuisine. So many dishes though were well balanced, just the right amounts of spicy, salty, savory. Colorful dishes, varying textures. Crunchy cucumber and string beans, that tingling, numbing feeling from the peppercorn. Hot dishes, cold dishes, beef, lamb. Everything is delicious. Great thing too, just scan the QR menu and order directly on your phone. It tallies it up and assigns the check to the table on the browser. They're also generous on the to-go containers and have cool, re-usable lunch bags. I've had and re-used some of my Sichuan Impression bags for several years with no signs of degradation. This place is worth the drive if you're anywhere in southern california

This place gets packed on a weekend so I would recommend getting there right when it opened. It's fairly clean and they do a good job bussing the tables. The staff is friendly and helpful with answering questions. We ordered Stir-fried chili chicken, stir-fries beef with scallions, beef soup, and mapo tofu. Stir-fried Chili Chicken- This was packed with heat so be careful if your tolerance is on the low side. The chicken has plenty of flavor and tender. Stir-fried Beef with Scallions- This was spiced to perfection. The beef is soft and they give a generous amount of scallions. Beef Soup- This is a comforting dish for a cold day! Noodles have a good texture and the soup base has a mildness to it. They give plenty of tender beef to bulk it up. Mapo Tofu- This was a winner! The tofu has a silken texture and pairs well with the savory and spicy sauce. Every bite is bursting with flavor! Great place for authentic dishes!

Mapo tofu and Toothpick mutton are great as always! They also added white tea which is great.

Authentic sichuan food and excellent service. Our number one go-to Chinese restaurant!

Came here on weeknight evening to try out their spring menu. The last time I visited, this restaurant was probably over 10 years ago. Wanted to give it a try again. It was enjoyable at that time, but will not go back. We were disappointed with the small serving size of the spring menu entrees. It does not seem like the regular size and so between the four of us, we were still hungry and ordered two more dishes, which turned out to be a good size for us. Would recommend skipping their promotional menu items because their portions are a lot smaller. The dumplings were not impressive as the name says. There was barely any filling in it, and it was almost flat as a pancake. Left feeling unsatisfied in my stomach was not happy with me afterwards and the next day. Taking an anti-acid beforehand didn't help me. The service was severely lacking. I am accustomed to this type of service in many similar type restaurants, but this was not acceptable. Our waiter was dismissive and never came to offer anything and we had to flag down assistance for everything.

Boiled fish filet in chili sauce pot $23? 5/5! You can eat it without rice and it's still good. The veggies and protein I found was quite plentiful and one pot is enough for 3 people. It was spicy (2.5/5) and flavorful, with lots of fresh garlic to amp up the flavor. I found myself eating the veggies over the fish sometimes. Stir fried chili pork ribs $20 3.5/5 wasn't bad, much better when eaten with the stir fried garlic slices. I've made similar items at home so this wasn't too out of the ordinary Rice is $1.5 We got on the waitlist from home and headed out later :) helps beat the line. It's loud inside, but since you order off the phone it's not too difficult to get the things you want.

6/10 Wontons in Chili Oil- Super mid. The wontons were literally room temp/cold when they came out. They did not taste fresh either. 10/10 Mini Lamb Skewer- So freaking delicious! 10/10 Stir Fried Chili Chicken- I love this dish. 1000/10 Stir Fried Chili Pork Ribs- My favorite dish from the whole night. The pork just fell off the bones. YUM. 8/10 Ma-Po Tofu- Not bad. Nothing crazy to rave about. 9/10 Fried String Beans- A bit on the greasier side but nonetheless packed with flavor. 5/10 Homestyled Fried Rice- wow this has got to be the worst fried rice from a chinese restaurant I have ever had. Firstly, it's too spicy and secondly, it had such a lack of flavor. 10/10 Service: Great service on Chinese New Years. 8/10 Cost: I don't have the itemized receipt, but the total cost, including tip, came to $148. That averages out to about $21 per plate--not a bad price, especially considering the excellent quality of the food. Just don't get the fried rice! Lol

Tomato egg, fried rice, ribs with rice, spicy cold noddles, potatoes. I loveeeeed everything, ordered delivery

Glad we tried it! Their sichuan food is very unique and we would come again. Their set up is pretty efficient and they have a QR code menu where you can place your order without having to flag down a waiter. They also have a Yelp waitlist as it can get full on the weekends. Got the: 1. String beans: 10/10, amazing delicious with scrumptious garlic and beef 2. Cucumbers: 10/10, so good! It's pickled and goes great with the garlic 3. Boiled Fish Filet: 8.5/10, very garlicky but only mildly spicy. It's also not as well proportioned as other restaurants. It's good but not what I expected 4. Couples sliced Beef: 9/10, really good, just needs a little more cilantro 5. Impressive Cold noodles: 8/10, actually surprisingly sweet, I works say it is more sweet and earthly than spicy 6. Rice is $1.50 per bowl Parking: large lot shared with other businesses in the strip mall

Dear Yelpers, you are well-advised to double-check your order when you pick it up. I placed an order for pick up over the phone today. I specifically asked for the boiled beef dish, but I received boiled fish.

I've been dining here for nearly ten years with family, friends, and coworkers. Over the years, this place has given us countless wonderful meals and memories. The food is always delicious, the prices fair, and the quality never changes. It's truly our favorite restaurant. 今天第一次点到烧椒牛肉被惊艳到了，牛肉嫩豆腐香烧椒味道足

If you're craving Szechuan, this is the place. We really enjoyed all the dishes we ordered. My favorite was the boiled fish filets in chili sauce. You order digitally through scanning a QR code. We got our food instantly as soon we ordered and the portions we ordered were perfect for a party of 4. There's lots of seating and we didn't have to wait for so long. Service was also great as they would check in on us from time to time.

A good example of a highly rated establishment that actually lives up to the hype. Went there on a Sunday for lunch. As can be expected, they did have a slight wait. However, since I was solo, they were able to seat me in the bar area. I wanted to try something different this time, but familiarity won out and I had the spicy fish fillet dish with cabbage. This dish is full of flavor and is definitely spicy, if you like your soups and broths hot and spicy, this dish is for you. Plenty of fish and vegetables, this dish satisfied my taste buds. The servers are very nice people, who are always on the go. Nevertheless, you can flag them down and get what you need, The spicy crab dish looks like it might be a good choice. I'll try that the next time.

I've always been scared to try Szechuan food bc of the tongue numbing spice but I've heard such amazing things about this place that i decided to give it a try and I'm glad i did! To a non spice eater i was surprisingly able to eat a lot of items here and nothing was over the top too spicy. Everything we got was pretty good but the beef noodle soup and boneless chili chicken were the stand out dishes. There's so much flavor in the noodle soup besides spice and i can see myself getting it regularly. The tea smoked ribs looked good but it came out kinda dry so i wouldn't order that again. Same with the map tofu - it didn't have much flavor but the tofu itself was really silky. Service was pretty good as well. They came by often to refill our waters and check in on us which was appreciated when things got too spicy. Would def come back to try more dishes and expand my palette here!

My friend and I visited at 7 PM on a Wednesday and waited about half an hour to be seated. There's plenty of parking available in front of the restaurant and in the adjacent business lots. We ordered the cumin lamb on toothpicks (even though lamb is my least favorite meat because of its gamey taste, I promise you won't notice it in this dish!) and the boiled fish with rattan pepper. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture of the fish dish, but I do remember it being much spicier when I last visited four years ago. This time, the spice level was much milder, and I doubt my spice tolerance has improved so it seems they've toned down the peppers. The soup accompanying the fish was still flavorful but mild. We also tried the juicy steamed chicken in chili sauce, which was delightful. The sauce paired perfectly with a bed of rice. If you're unfamiliar with Sichuan spice, the best way I can describe it is that sparkling, tingly sensation you'd feel after drinking soda--except encapsulated as a spice. It's a delicious, addictive spicy pain! If you're prone to sweating easily, be prepared to ask for napkins to wipe your sweat! Between my friend and I, the three dishes were more than enough to leave us full and satisfied. Overall, we'd happily return again!

Came here for a group lunch again with my coworkers to celebrate another birthday. We tried SO much of the menu, and honestly everything was amazing. I'll try to list out everything I loved and tried. This place was very authentic. They didn't check on us too much, but service was decent. Things to try: Cold noodles (peanut), wontons in chili oil, fried rice, kung pao chicken, chili chicken, braised duck, boiled fish with rattan pepper. I may be missing a handful of items, the menu is so vast. Everything was so delicious. Most items are on the spicy side, so please watch out for that if you low tolerance to spice. We skipped the dessert since it did not look enticing. Very delicious! Plenty of parking in this old strip mall location.

The manager said one dish frogs only two frogs. I don't know which restaurant gave two frogs for one dish cost $34. Actually give me 5 body bones, and two legs for a dish. So funny. Not worth on this. And not cleaning, the chairs back sticky. Unbelievable!

Yummy!!!!!!!! Love this place. The vibe, ambience, the food is all great. The servers are very nice and polite. You order food through a QR code, and they come out pretty quickly. You can choose mild spicy, which is perfect for our party since I cannot eat something too spicy. I would definitely recommend the restaurant, and I can't wait to go back again to try different food! Btw, the mochi taro dessert is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!! Must order!!!

Delicious and SPICY! Perfect heat. Super flavorful. Makes your nose run. Numbs you tongue and burns your lips. But only lasts for 10-15 seconds. Perfect. Everything is great. Service spot on. Food delivered quickly. Great spot coming here many more times.

My cousin invited me to this place for our annual get together. This place is spacious and well lit with just enough room to walk. There's a QR code on the table to place your order. Her husband said this is the most original Sichuan food that he was able to find. She ordered an entire table of plates and this place is known for its spicy food. I was sweating on the first plate of bamboo. It was good but way too spicy for my body to handle. There were a few items that were not spicy like the Eggs and Tomatoes and Kung Pao Chicken. Most of the spicy items have the option for no spicy. Overall, this place has good food and good customer service. The bathroom was clean and had a nice fragrance. I'm just realizing how important the presentation and smell of the bathroom has on your experience as well. I definitely recommend going here.

So good! It could have been because it was better than expected or low expectations or just darn good. I'm going to say it was just darn good. The crowd kept coming in as we enjoyed an early dinner. The staple items we ordered exceeded our expectations. The spicy level was actually spicy to us. I will be coming back for more!

Yea this spot is good, don't get me wrong. Doesn't taste "Michelin rated" though. Tastes like a Chinese restaurant trying to conform to an American palate. Understandable

Service was TERRIBLE! They screamed at 13-year old girl for no tip!! Tip is NOT mandatory. Customer service was awful, which means it is not mandatory to pay tip. My daughter was told to pay with Apple Pay while me and my husband got the car and during her time there, she was yelled at with attitude. Plus, the waitress was talking bad about her on the side thinking my daughter wouldn't understand her words. What kind of employee talks bad about her customers?! Especially if they are a minor. Absolutely ridiculous and disgusting. What kind of restaurant BEGS and DEMANDS tip money? I have never encountered something like this.

Finally made it here last week for lunch and ordered enough food for 2 adults! 1) spicy & sour fish soup - mala flavor 2) cumin lamb skewers / good 3) stir fry potato strips - this was delicious!! 4) white rice x 3 5) cold rice noodles salad appetizer - yum 6) pork belly and leek stir fry - not enough meat! Everything was spicy and tasty, your tongue will be numb and must drink lots of water. Would come back in future to try some other dishes!

Visited Sichuan Impression in Tustin hoping for that signature bold and spicy Sichuan kick, but unfortunately, it didn't quite hit the mark for me. The dishes lacked the heat and deep flavor that you'd expect from authentic Sichuan cuisine. While the food was decent enough, it felt a bit toned down and underwhelming in terms of spice and taste. That being said, if you live nearby and are looking for a convenient spot for some mild Sichuan food, it's a solid option for a quick bite. The service was good, and the ambiance was nice, but for a true spicy Sichuan experience, this wouldn't be my first choice. TLDR; Worth it if you're local, but not the destination for spice lovers!

Food is very authentic! Highly recommend if you are craving for Chinese food! The spicy level can be adjusted if you want mild spicy.

Been eating here for years. Food is always authentic and delicious. Good atmosphere for families. Service has never been an issue. Duck is so good!

Flavors were popping off!! Each dish definitely had their own unique taste to it. I'd pass on the cucumbers, it wasn't as refreshing as I'd hoped it'd be. The boiled fish and green beans were my favorite dishes. The lamb skewers were cumin-y and the peppers were spicy. The cold peanut noodles is yummy and not too heavy.

Still one of my favorite spicy Chinese restaurants in OC/LA. Their food is finely prepared with layers of spice and umami flavors. They have added a lot of new dishes over the years. I'm so happy they got yet another Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition 2023. Our favorite dishes are: Toothpick Lamb Stir Fried Chilli Chicken Dry Pot Shrimp Dry Pot Beef (New) Boiled Fish fillet in Chilli sauce Mao Cai Twice Cooked Pork Kid Friendly Dishes that my kid loves: Home Styled Fried Rice Qiao Jiao Beef Soup of Lehan (without the chilli) Stir fried Beef with Scallions Yummy Comfort Food: "Street Food" Potato Strips Impressive Cold Noodles MaPo Tofu (for vegetarians, you can ask them to cook it without meat) Service is also friendly and thoughtful. They often give us napkins, prompt with our requests, and chat with us in a very friendly way. They are having a OC Restaurant Week Special right now, which allows a tasting of several different dishes family style, which we really enjoyed! We get to try some new dishes that we don't usually order and find them very good too. Overall, highly recommend!

We are big fans of Sichuan Impression and always enjoy dining in. The food is consistently delicious with authentic spicy flavors, fresh ingredients, and generous portions. Service is attentive and friendly, making every visit pleasant. The restaurant has a lively atmosphere, perfect for family dinners or gatherings with friends. Signature dishes like the boiled fish, spicy dry pot, and appetizers are always satisfying. Every time we come, we feel the quality is reliable and worth recommending. Definitely one of our favorite spots for Sichuan food in Orange County.

Delicious! I'm always excited to come here because all the dishes are so flavorful. The fried squid dry pot said it would come with lotus root (under item description) but I didn't see any in our dish. Lotus root would've added a nice crunch. If you come with a larger party, I would recommend the boiled fish. Even as a group of 4, we had lots of leftover because we wanted to try other dishes.

Great service, great food! Pretty fast, and waiters/waitress are very friendly. Parents and Kids all love it!

Had a really strong craving for spicy food that would numb my mouth so we DoorDashed from Sichuan Impression. Although I'm sad that I could still feel my mouth after, the food was still really good. The food quality and flavor were overall high and I'm glad they have this as an option here in the OC. Definitely would give this place another try at the restaurant and ask them to make everything spicier

Most authentic Sichuan food in OC!!!!! Came in every month for this soup and veggie! A must try

place is quite spacious with great ambiance. staffs are nice and attentive. for foods, i will say all great: 1. green beans: crunchy and love the way they cut the garlic 2. roasted duck: absolutely recommended ~ so so good and not oily 3. mini lamb skewer: absolutely recommended ~ my favorite!!! 4. a chai / chinese broccoli: just ok 5. sichuan fish: must try and should eat while still hot 6. boiled fish with rattan pepper: also recommended but i prefer the red one i wish i can go back again someday. no plan open it in north california??? lol...

The good is great. Love it here. Dine here almost every week. Can't wait to come back here. Finally can order the noodle on weekday

The food here is so good, never fail to impress us. We've been coming here for a long time.

Food was soooo good. Had the Mapo tofu, twice cooked pork, and chicken fried rice. Everything was extremely delicious. Service was very friendly and helpful.

Amazing service every time I come here. The wait tends to be at least 30-40 minutes if not more so get on the waitlist via Yelp as soon as you plan to go out lol. These are our all time fav. Enjoy!

I feel like this place serves very authentic Sichuan food. I always go for the mapo tofu and the steamed pork with rice flour, and they never disappoint. The flavors are incredible. I haven't been adventurous enough to try more dishes since a rabbit dish we tried years ago, but I still highly recommend this spot for anyone who loves bold, flavorful food. I did run into a small issue when placing a Grubhub order. My plans changed, and I tried to ask if the pickup time could be adjusted, but it seemed like the staff didn't fully understand my request. Unfortunately, the food was made earlier than I could pick it up and was cold and sitting out for a bit. So, just a heads-up that communication might be a bit tricky in some cases.

1. The bean jelly had a thick shape yet a soft texture! The rib meat fell off the bones so easily! The boiled fish broth was well-made and spicy! 2. The spot has cozy-casual vibes! 3. There are plenty of indoor seatings! 4. The staff were friendly and attentive! 5. Parking lot is huge! Note: You will place your order by scanning a QR from your phone! You have the option to pay on your phone, but they can still bring a machine for you to pay by card! Photo: Impressive Bean Jelly, Hot Ginseng Tea Red Dates and Longan, School Yard lce Jelly, Boiled Fish with Rattan Pepper, Artic soda, Tea Smoked Pork Rib

I've been to all 3 Sichuan impression locations and this is probably my least favorite. We waited 30 minutes for our whole order to arrive and what was baffling was, that they gave us all our dishes and the rice dish last so we had to wait for it before really digging into our food. The restaurant was quite busy on a given Saturday and I wish I knew beforehand that yelp waitlist is provided ( one pro ) but the experience and wait time really made the whole experience very unpleasant and our dining experience and time much longer than it needed to be. The lamb was not hot and tasted like it was out for a while and the chili fish was watered down more than what I was used to. As mentioned, the rice dish came last and so we were waiting for everything before starting to eat our meal together... don't think I'll be back to this location.