Sichuan Taste

Shoutout to all the people still working on Thanksgiving Day! Because of hardworking people like you, freaks who don’t celebrate any holidays like me can still eat out. I’m super grateful for this. Before I came here, I did my homework and read some reviews on Chinese social media and review websites, and I found the reviews to be quite extreme, some say it’s bad, some say it’s the best. Since it’s only a 1 minute walk from my hotel and it’s open on Thanksgiving Day, I couldn’t complain and had to go. I ordered jalapeño beef 小炒牛肉, veggie chow mein 蔬菜炒面, and string beans 干煸四季豆. The beef came out first. When I took my first bite, I was so surprised. It didn’t taste like the jalapeño beef I’ve had at other Sichuan restaurants, but it had a flavor I’m super familiar with. Then it hit me, it tasted like beef with gailan 芥兰炒牛肉, except instead of gailan, they used green bell peppers! Instead of spiciness, it had a subtle sweetness. If you’re Cantonese, you probably know exactly what I mean. Then came the veggie chow mein and the string beans. The chow mein was good, reminded me of those late night street vendor noodles in Guangzhou, and it also had a slightly sweet touch. The string beans were good too and didn’t have any sweetness. There was some savory minced pork in it. If you’re not a strict vegetarian and don’t mind a little meat in the dish as long as you only eat the veggie part, go for this one—it was flavorful. While having dinner, I overheard Cantonese in the kitchen between the chef and staff, and ahhh, that explains why I tasted the Cantonese flavor in my dishes! It also explains the two types of extreme reviews. So if you come here expecting the Sichuan/Hu’nan version of stir-fried beef with a strong spicy profile, you might be disappointed. But for me, it was honestly a lucky hit. I did see some Sichuan spicy dishes on the menu, but I didn’t order them, so I can’t say if they’re authentic. But based on what I ordered tonight, I was happy with everything.

Absolutely delicious food! We ordered the popcorn chicken, sichuan boiled fish, and soup dumplings. The popcorn chicken was the perfect level of spicy and salty, the boiled fish was just enough spicy to make my mouth tingle but not overpower the flavor, and the soup dumplings were little delightful bites of savory goodness. The boiled fish was more of a soup than fish swimming in hot szechuan pepper oil but i liked that it had a broth feel to it where i could slurp it without just eating a spoonful of oil. Overall would go again!

We had lunch at Sichuan Tastes and ordered the kung pao chicken and Mongolian chicken. Each meal came with a soup, rice, and a vegetable roll. While the food was just average, the portion sizes were very generous. The restaurant was very clean, and having a clean restroom was a definite plus.

Don’t judge based upon first impressions. The place might be empty and uninspiring when you walk in but the food it worth the leap of faith. Great depth of flavor and spice level. Recommend the eggplant with 1000 year egg and the sichuan popcorn chicken.

Sichuan dandan noodles were delicious. $14 + tip. Plating was sloppy, there was sauce all over the outside of the bowl. Perfect amount of spice.

We changed upon this gem enroute to the premium outlet and it was really authentic Chinese cuisine to the max! The portions are super generous and it really warmed our stomachs! Strongly recommended if you love Chinese food!

Very tasty food and food was served fast. Spicy is set just right - enough to tingle the tongue, but not hide the flavor of the food. The Spicy fried fish was not over battered with a delightful crunch. The twice cooked pork belly is like how bacon should be cooked. The only shame is that they do not have chow fun which would really compliment it. Price is reasonable, and bubble teas are way cheaper than most but still tasty. Will definitely return to try out more!

Interesting place . Definitely the best Sichuan since lucky strike iykyk, even tho the dan dan noodles are spaghetti, the dry sauce is so good I can’t complain and is the best I’ve had . . Service is weird . The woman seemed angry but that little part of town can have some gnarly people which I’m sure they deal with . That being said, you really taste the flavor separately which I think is hard to do with this food . If the woman punched me in the face I still might give it 5 stars . Oh and the ma po tofu is the only good one on the city by far

First getting food from here and excited about the reviews. We ordered the pork fried rice, chicken chow mein, broccoli beef, pork pot stickers, Dan Dan noodles and vegetable spring rolls. We had it delivered so I can't speak to the ambiance of the restaurant or friendliness of the staff. The food came well packaged. The pot stickers were ok and the vegetable spring rolls stood out between the two appetizers. The main dishes hand fried rice were all great! The meats (pork, beef and chicken) were all very tender and flavorful. The broccoli was cooked but still crisp. The Dan Dan noodles had a nice mild spice with lots of flavor. We were all super impressed with the flavors of each dish and will definitely return.

The food was amazing. We ordered the garlic spicy woodear, minced pork with garlic, and peppercorn fish. The taste of every dish was authentic, flavorful, and fresh. The ingredients they used were of quality. I would definitely go back again and again for some authentic, quality Chinese food. The service was great as well. The waitress was friendly and very sweet.

Surprised at the food quality. We had several dishes. A spicy soup that I forgot the name of is excellent. It's full of Szechuan peppercorns so it has lots of zing. The service was pretty quick. They weren't busy, other than takeout . I think my girlfriend and I were - of 2 couples in the place. I don't know of another Szechuan place with any credibility in town, so I'm sure I'll be back when the mood strikes me.

Been to quite a few Chinese places in my 50 decades of life on this earth, and this is hands down probably the best ive ever encountered in the USA. Prices are good food is amazing and fast, and service was pleasant and helpful, will certainly be back again.

Order: Combination fried rice Pros: portion was great and the food was hot. Cons: unfortunetly this was not it. For $15 I expected better. The rice was not seasoned at all. I had a few big pieces of meat and big shrimp that ended up being eatin before I finished the rice. i expected smaller pieces of meat throughout the entire dish. I have never had friend rice that was white believe it or not. This isnt the authentic chinese food I was looking for. Also, no fortune cookie boo.

Worth a stop if you're craving spicy and authentic Sichuan food in downtown PDX. Tucked between a convenience store and poker room in a scrappy neighborhood, this spot has a variety of authentic Sichuan dishes at reasonable prices. Very enthusiastic and warm welcome by the male server, who darted from way inside the restaurant to the entrance. He flipped through the menu, verifying the availability of authentic Chinese dishes and ushered us to a table. For our party of 5, we ordered the water boiled fish soup, twice cooked pork, stir-fried green beans, stir-fried bok choy, eggplant in garlic sauce. Rice is by the bowl, not included with each dish. Water boiled fish was quite spicy, in a flavorful broth, and generous amounts of fish. Be warned, it is oily, but that's how it's supposed to be. Twice-cooked pork was pretty standard, although generous in meat. Slices of leek helped break up the thinly sliced pieces of pork belly. Bok choy was surprisingly very good, very fresh and had an umami (not just the flavor of salt, and no additional MSG). Stir-fried green beans hit the mark, definitely flash fried in scalding oil to create those threadlike ridges along the bean. The eggplant in garlic sauce surprisingly ranked lowest in the group - vinegar-ier than the sweet flavor we are used to. However, very vibrant and fresh eggplant in the dish.

I just had a watery bowl of beef noodle soup. The place had all chinese people in here... i dont know why. Very strange. My soup was worse than a cup of noodles.

A mixed bag, not sure if I'd order again but maybe so. It's Xmas, so it could definitely just be a busy/off night. Soup dumplings: 5/10, tasted better with some chili oil from the potstickers. They might be from frozen. Potstickers and String Bean Beef: 6/10, both tasty enough but not outstanding Sichuan popcorn chicken: 7/10 quite good, remarkably still crispy after delivery and waiting a bit to eat. Good seasoning. Pork Friend Rice: 2/10, something about Portland doesn't lend itself to actually fried rice. Almost all the fried rice I've gotten in this town has been just steamed rice with stuff added. In this case, I'm pretty sure the pork was accidentally chicken, or it was very very bland like boiled pork strips. All I wanted for Xmas was some fried rice. I'll doctor up the leftovers (and fry them!), but I'm begging this town: FRY YOUR FRIED RICE, PORTLAND!

My favorite Chinese spot in portland so far, they have a large menu full of tons of weird shit I want to come back & try (bullfrog soup, pickled jalapeno pig Intestines & the like). They also have the regular Chinese American stuff like General Tso or whatever but I recommend trying some of their specialties here, you can get orange chicken at any Chinese spot. I've tried the Sichuan Boiled Beef which was loaded generously w/ tender slices of beef & many veggies, and most importantly the right amount of Sichuan spice. The portions here are huge, soup comes out in practically a cauldron. The entrees are usually around $18-20ish and mine made for 3 huge meals). The inside is pretty sparse and the location isn't the cleanest area downtown but they have great food.

I had Sichuan Taste back when they first opened and I could have sworn I did a review back then since they opened during a difficult time for restaurants during Covid, but I've been noticing some of my reviews disappearing. I've only had ST maybe 3-4 times since they opened...they are about 7 blocks or so away from my work, so a bit too far for me to go on a typical lunch run (especially if the weather is bad), and while their food is exceptional (actually DT Portland has quietly become pretty strong for authentic Sichuan Chinese food (Duck House, Xin Ding, Stretch the Noodle, Sichuan Taste, Tasty Corner, Pixiu Mala Hongtang, etc), my favorite family style Chinese isn't too far from my house, Sichuan City. After this most recent takeout run, I just noticed how similar the websites are for Sichuan Taste and Sichuan City. I learned that they shared the same owner, which is fantastic news, because now I can safely order some of my favorites from SC and know I'll get the same great preparation at ST. Food came nicely packaged and portion sizes and pricing were all solid and I'll be trying to add ST to my rotation of takeout restaurants at work more often even tho it's a bit too far from where I'm at.

Tasty Kung Pao Prawns Delicious mala green beans. Really nice waitress. Talented chefs. Convenient street parking. Only a few well-behaved homeless.

One of the most authentic Sichuan meals we've had in a while. It's not situated in the most glamorous part of town, but don't let that deter you because all dishes we had were delicious! We got the hot and sour soup, Sichuan boiled beef, shredded pork in hot garlic sauce, and Sichuan crispy fish. First off, the portion sizes here are HUGE. My husband and I came in hungry and we couldn't finish half of what we ordered. The flavors for the dishes were spot-on and our fav was the shredded pork. We'll definitely be back the next time we're in Portland and would highly recommend for anyone looking for legit Sichuan cuisine!

Explored downtown for some good Sichuan Chinese food on a recommendation from a friend. Great flavor in all the dishes, very friendly staff that will accommodate your tastes. Comparable to Duckhouse, my other favorite Sichuan restaurant. Ambiance is a bit lacking but most of that is due to the downtown vibe outside. Cheering inside. Garlic cucumber was awesome! Cumin Beef was my favorite. My son like the popcorn spicy chicken but the star of the night was the green bean chicken dish ordered by my mother in law. The prices were low, I expected to pay more for 5 dishes and 2 appetizers. Overall great experience, give it a try. Take out business was popping as well..

Ordered the garlic eggplant, combination fried rice, and salted fish. All excellent, authentic choices, and would order again. Although PDX boasts many excellent Vietnamese and Thai offerings, and even some Korean + Japanese - authentic Chinese is, for some reason, harder to come by. Sichuan Taste was extremely authentic, and despite the location (downtown, with stragglers hanging about), definitely worthy of a repeat experience.

Place was very neat and clean, but smelled like old building and rat feces. Typical Chinese cafe, big round table, 4 chairs tables, bench and chair combo tables. Parking is on the street or public parking garage. Food was 6/10, service was 6/10. Overall, they can do better, validate the park I tickets for their customers

I ordered through yelp....and honestly realized after that they might charge a little more than ordering directly through the restaurant. But I don't think it was that much of a difference. A friend from Taiwan recently had visited Portland and enjoyed this place, so I bookmarked it for our trip - we ordered (and agree with the other reviewers that it was a generous serving of everything): - hot and sour soup - decent, good price but probably wouldn't order again - spicy won ton - lots of won ton, super flavorful sauce - won ton in soup - My daughter loved this - spicy fish - lighter than we're used to, but kind of nice that it wasn't too heavy either - green onion pancake - light and comforting - Generous serving of rice, which went well with the spicy fish! I'd definitely return and be interested in trying the lunch specials!

Fish in peppercorn broth. Yes, quite tasty. Salty, spicy, it's everything you want in a simple fish dish. I wish i had the time to try other dishes, but the train kept a rolling.

Great food! We'll worth the visit. Had hot and sour soup, pork pot stickers, and orange chicken. Pot stickers were steamed and fried just the way I like. Just watch - they are closed on Wednesday.

Got Mongolian Beef, Orange Chicken, House Fried Rice and Egg Flour Soup. Everything was very good

Really really love this place. We order from here 1-2 times a week. Their Szechuan crispy fish is awesome so is their hot and sour soup. My wife likes the egg flower soup. Their Szechuan prawns are excellent also. Great place.

I have come here about half a dozen times so far, and I have to say that I'm addicted. I like to try weird things. And this menu had lots of weird things. I did not take pictures of them all, but almost everything I tasted were fantastic. Here are just a few items I tried: Szechuan spicy frog legs - I hesitated long and hard before I ordered this. $39 price tag was deterring me away. But I am glad I did. The portion size was huge. The pot it came in was bigger than my head. People say frog tasted like chicken. Well, they are correct, but so much more tender and flavorful! Fish and intestine - another huge portion item. I ate for 30 mins straight but barely made a dent. Everything in there were cooked well. Intestine was tender but still has bite. Fish was flaky, sauce was flavorful. Fried rice - good. Will order again. Wonton soup - not the best. Frog dry pot - I like the flavor and the veggies, but the breading on the frog was a big thick. Eggplant in garlic sauce - very well cooked eggplant. Eggplant and tofu - a bit too salty, but has good flavor I really hope they offer smaller portion for those huge dishes, so they can bring the price down a bit. I had some serious mental battle before taking off the fifth star, because it is for something that they cannot control - it's location. There are always groups of homeless people right outside their door, and I have been yelled at by some on my way to their door. Though it is out of their control, it has affected my overall dining experience.

It's a really good Sichuan food restaurant! Not those American Chinese food, it's real Chinese food, real Sichuan food. I really liked the cilantro beef, so GOOD! The beef is tender and delicious, and they give you lots of meat, big portion! Really worth the price! The crisp spicy fish is also very good, no fish bones, just crispy fried fish, a little spicy but tastes good. The mapo tofu was just ok, not much pork in it, and it's a little oily. I think it's a good place to go to get real Chinese food, real Sichuan food! Would like comeback to try new dishes.

Solid place! I would definitely go here again. I got the Mongolian Beef and the Chicken Chow Mein. I'd probably give this close to 3.5 stars if I could. Their portion sizes were generous which I very much appreciated. My food was a bit on the greasy side but hey it's what you gotta expect as well. I thought it was a bit on the expensive side for I got but like I said I'm nitpicking here. It's a very solid place and I'll be returning.

Pretty good Sichuan restaurant. We ordered pork intestine dry pot. The pork intestine was a little bit too fried, but the flavor is good. We came back on the next day and ordered Maoxuwang (fish & intestine in hot sauce). The pork blood is too firm but we still like it. We also ordered wild chili fungus (not in the pictures). It is extremely spicy. I had to wash off with water.

Stumbled upon this restaurant after shopping and decided to give it a try. I am a vegetarian and all theses dishes are yummy. This is the first time I have this century egg dish, it was spicy and very flavorful. Tomato egg is very tasty and smooth. I almost always order shredded potato whenever I order Chinese and the one from here is probably one of the best ones I had in a long long time. Overall, food is delicious, and not greasy or salty like most Chinese restaurants. They also have great and friendly service. I highly recommend!!!

My wife's family loved this place. But I just don't see it. The few times I've gone, I went with people who enjoyed their food much more than me. They have a wide selection of traditional Chinese food. People keep telling me they prepare the food the way it's supposed to be. It tastes good for sure, but maybe my palate is just too American to appreciate the nuance here. Service is what one might expect from any other asian restaurant around here. That is, it's fine. Just not exemplary. It's clean looking inside.... and that's about it. I know my wife would gladly give 4+ stars. But hey, this is my review, so it's a 3-star vote from me.

Bad neighborhood but great food and service. Went with a party of 12 and no reservation and they accommodated and brought everything out quickly. We had tea and dumplings to start. The dumplings were delicious!! Then we tried several chicken dishes and also ordered rice. We ate all of the dishes family style and everyone in our party was happy!

I love Sichuan food, the bitter, spicy and numbing flavors are just my bag. I'd been craving this one particular dish I used to get in L.A. which is green Sichuan peppercorn fish, and Sichuan Taste has it! It was actually even better than the version I had in Los Angeles, more delicate without losing any of the flavor. I also had the long beans, and I don't know exactly what was mixed in with the beans but it was SO savory and salty and delicious. It's clearly pork, but there's more in there - MSG maybe (which ISN'T BAD FOR YOU, that was just plain racism that made people think that). Anyway, really good, authentic stuff.

Don't let the sketchy people out front stop you. The decor inside is clean and attractive, and the food is honestly a cut above most Chinese restaurants I've been to in Portland. My hot and sour soup was good, and my chicken with green beans was delicious. I will come back.

We were happy to find this Chinese Restaurant open on Christmas! It is an interesting location downtown - not sure it fits the area but a good new restaurant nonetheless. We tried a few different dishes and everything had a unique Sichuan spicy kick/taste. We asked if their soup dumplings were made in-house, unfortunately they weren't. The chicken dishes were good and flavorful.

Our order: dry pot frog legs, braised eggplant, pickled cabbage rice noodle soup, fish in peppercorn soup Fish in peppercorn soup is one of my must-haves at a Sichuan establishment and it is beautifully executed here. The numbing effects of peppercorn may be late but never absent. The burn was slow, insidious and pleasant, inviting one bite after the other. In the vat of broth, you will find extremely tender fish fillets and bean sprouts over a bed of soft vermicelli. My favorite ingredient in the dry pot frog legs were the veggies. They soaked up all the sauce and spice while retaining their original flavors. The frog legs were prepared like popcorn chicken - crunchy on the outside, juicy on the inside. The eggplant was soft and palatable, best downed with white rice. Unsure if the chilis and peppers had (temporarily) altered my taste buds, but by the time I got to the rice noodles, I had a hard time tasting the pickled cabbage. This bowl was a hodgepodge of fish balls, meat and leafy greens, and could've been someone's meal on its own. Heartwarming and fulfilling nonetheless. Situated by Pioneer Square in downtown Portland in an easy-to-miss location (the exterior renovation is incomplete). Friendly and attentive service with timely check-ins. No turkey to be found here, but like us, crowds of patrons chose this restaurant to share a meal this Thanksgiving. Grateful to savor a taste of home, away from home.

I ordered 3 items through delivery, soup dumplings, general tso chicken, and egg flower soup. The dumplings were fantastic even though they got a bit cold in transit (as expected) The egg flower soup was pretty normal id say, there was a bit of corn for sweetness. I think it could be a little saltier. And the chicken was cooked beautifully. Perfectly tender pieces of juicy dark meat. However in contract i felt a bit underwhelmed by the sauce. It was a bit blander then i expected. Could use more ginger, peppers, and onions i think.

Stopped by and let me say Wow!! The food was amazing. The shrimp fried rice and chicken chow mein was bomb! The orange chicken was crispy and delicious. My boys really enjoyed the soup dumplings. The service was great and fast. The ambiance was chill and welcoming. We will definitely be back! Yum!

Wonderful food! I went with my friend who recently moved here from China. It is one of her favorites because of its authenticity. I let her order and everything was wonderful. Highly recommend.

We forgot to take pics of our meals last time we came in, so we came in again ;-) everything was delicious once again. Tried the green bean chicken and the salted egg yolk shrimp this time along with our favorite sesame beef. The shrimp was cooked perfectly. Not greasy at all. The seasoning was amazing. And our 7 year old ate up all the chicken which is always a great sign! Will miss this place when we go back to California!

The food here was great! It was presented well, the restaurant was very clean and relaxing, and the service was fast and friendly! I got the General Tso's chicken. The outside was crispy but the inside was juicy it was perfect. Also, I normally dislike Spring Rolls as they are usually soggy/squishy, but the spring rolls here were great. Crisp outside with a soft and flavorful inside. 10/10 would recommend.

I've been to China many times and this was just as good as being there. It's also far less expensive than similar places in town that are lower in quality, so the people who are complaining about that are goofy. I'll probably go back until I've tried everything. This is NOT western Chinese food. That stuff is great for a hangover, but this is legit Chinese. Maybe my favorite place in Portland now.

Just had some Sunday Brunch here and was satisfied with the food. It's rare to find a place in town that has the dry-pot beef and the Thin beef in Sichuan green pepper broth. The soup was really tasty and the numbness of it was not too strong. The green onion shredded chicken was surprisingly tasty and also refreshing at the same time. The green beans were cooked properly and served as our greens. The soup dumplings were not bad. Overall, pretty good food. I will have to try some of the other stuff next time.

Honest review from a delivery driver (4 years) -- The girls and the guy who serve and handle the orders are always kind which is in part why they're getting a higher review than what I would give other places. However, this isn't a fine dining place by any means as the decor has little ambiance with little decor, not to mention the restrooms never smell "good." The food seems decent but for the pricing you would be better to go elsewhere. Lastly, for those who order online: your order will never be on time, it just won't, and it's not because the store is so busy with patrons -- it just lacks any speed/efficiency. All in all, nice people but I'd recommend to take your money to a "higher" establishment while paying the same price. Sorry guys!

Food was delicious and service was great! Ordered items came out quick and they were very friendly with all customers who came in. I overheard staff talking through dishes with other customers who had questions. When we asked for sauces, we got Chinese chili oil and vinegar for our xiao long bao. Interior was great and had a beautiful old photo of Shanghai harbor. Will definitely go back to try more dishes next time!

I ordered the Sichuan crispy fish lunch special. I was quite pleased that they were doing lunch specials on Sunday. It came with a choice of egg flower soup or hot and sour soup, plus a fried spring roll. The soup was nice. The fried fish was amazing! Very well seasoned, quite spicy, a good fry, and a filling serving size. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. I would definitely return and try some of their other menu items. My only complaint is that I wish the meal came with some vegetables, like steamed cabbage or broccoli to help make the meal feel more complete and healthier. The place was not crowded, service was fast, the decor was nice, and the price, being a lunch special, was good.

Only go if you like spicy food (yes there are a few non spicy options but only a few) That said it has been ages since I've had real sichuan peppers! They kind of make your mouth numb instead of having a strong burn and have a very distinct flavor The spicy green beans were some of the best I've ever had! *not vegetarian so beware if you are*

Sketchy area, but the food was sooooo gooooood! I will definitely come back or at least order delivery from here! We had the Mongolian beef and Kun Pao chicken! Generous portions as well! This place has my stamp-of-approval.

This place is the best comfort Chinese food! I consider myself a Kung pao connoisseur (I've even had it in Beijing) and this is hands down the best I've had in Portland - or the states for that matter! Lunch specials are super affordable for big portions and I've loved everything I've tried there!! Done both dine in and delivery - and both are equally delicious.

Authentic smells greet you as you enter. Don't be fooled by the gigantic 1920's mural of Shanghai on the wall, this is Sichuan which means spicy and full of flavor. We really enjoyed this transporting experience, despite having to navigate past a half dozen individuals camped on their doorstep (not their problem, Portland's problem).

There are a lot of Chinese restaurants in Portland... Don't get me wrong, but this one, is by far, the best tasting one I've had in the location isn't my favorite, but the food that makes up for that it's one of those hidden gems that you wouldn't expect walking to. I had the chow mein, and it was delicious Lee prepared, and the pork is simply delectable. I highly recommend getting the dumplings as those are my favorite. give this place a chance! Hell, the reviews can't be wrong, right?

The food was amazing! We had the general tao & chicken cho mein. 10/10 Would recommend.

We came to visit from Seattle and were craving some soup dumplings. They were not it, the soup dumplings tasted like they were from the frozen section at Costco. We also had the fried rice and the wontons in chili oil, which neither had any flavor. It was really a disappointment The only reason why we are giving two stars instead of 1 is because the lady who was serving us was really nice and had good service.

This hit the spot on a cold night! The location is a little out of place and not on the best street, but inside was bright and clean. We ordered the spice pot and the peppercorn fish and i would definitely recommend both - they were satisfyingly spicy and numbing. I'm so sad there was only 2 of us dining because we weren't able to try more dishes, but will be back for sure!