Spicy Talk Bistro Chinese Szechuan Food

Came based on high reviews. Really enjoyed our experience. The food was delicious and cooked very well. We enjoyed 6 different dishes, chicken chow mien, green beans, Mandarin chicken, cumin lamb, black bean fish, and Dan Dan Noodles. The Dan Dan noodles is very different from other places (more sesame paste based with a tang). The Mandarin Chicken was very lightly breaded, which I personally appreciate and perfectly crunchy. When ordering Chow Mien, make sure to have ar least 1-2 star spice or else it's pretty bland. HOWEVER, noodles were still tasty and having so many other saucy dishes, something a little more bland did provide a nice balance. Overall, I would recommend this place.

TL;DR: Decent American-Chinese, but poor Sichuan cooking. I'm torn on my review of Spicy Talk. As far as most American palates are concerned, this place produces decent, tender, spicy Sichuan-style cooking they'll probably like. I really enjoyed how tender and lightly fried my Chongqing chicken was. It was perfect - assuming I didn't know what I was ordering. The problem is I've had amazing laziji elsewhere and I expected it to be a LOT spicier, have more Sichuan peppercorns, more msg, and generally it's fried longer and firmer. You expect to want to down a beer or two with friends over the dish thanks to the salt and heat. On that note, the dish was a little small for the sharable-sized laziji you'd find elsewhere. The rice had a similar problem. As far as most Americans eating with a fork are concerned, the rice was tender, fluffy, and perfectly cooked to soak up sauces. But as soon as you tried to eat it with chopsticks, the rice fell apart. It wasn't really sticky at all. The interior of the restaurant looked spotless, so I approve of their cleanliness. The tables were neatly arranged, even if the art on the walls seemed weird for a Sichuanese restaurant. Service was mediocre but not bad. I think one of the more damning points was the couple behind me came in after me, finished before me, and told the server they didn't want to take their remaining food home. That's never a great sign. So if you like Chinese-American food and eat with a fork, you'll probably like this place. If you're more familiar with traditional cooking and want to eat with chopsticks, I might recommend you look for Sichuan mala cooking elsewhere.

We ordered to go, and while the food is good their packaging absolutely sucked. By the time I got home ( and I only live 3 mins away from the place) the juices leaked out entirely, it was all over my car and purse. The boxes they put food in got all wet and soggy. It was a nightmare. We got sizzling beef and sweet and sour chicken. Food is very soft and juicy. The beef is too soft to my liking but it’s not bad. But while there was a good amount of chicken there was not very much beef packed. Not worth $20 for beef only. Rice comes on the side but for additional $2

We tried Spicy Talk Bistro for the first time and were pretty impressed. The food was delicious, especially the crispy sesame chicken—perfectly crispy, sweet, and made with good chunks of white meat. We also had the special rice, which was tasty but could have used a bit more sesame oil, and it was a little light on the shrimp, beef, and chicken. One downside is that they charge for steamed rice, which feels unnecessary. Also, when we first walked in, the air was thick with spice—fitting for a place called Spicy Talk, but it took a little time to adjust. That said, the health inspection rating is only "Okay," which is the lowest on the scale. It didn’t affect our meal, but it’s something to keep in mind. Overall, we really liked it, and my wife is already talking about coming back tomorrow. That’s a pretty strong endorsement!

Ordered take out. The online menu has no descriptions only pictures (sometimes). When we opened the lo mein, it was made with a curry base (unexpected). The food was decent. Take out portions seemed small. We will be trying other restaurants in the future.

Such a cozy vibe inside! Perfect for a cold rainy day. We ordered the crispy spicy tofu and the sesame chicken. Both delicious. The wonton soup is wholesome and flavorful and HUGE- definitely order that for a group. And some hot jasmine tea! We will be coming back.

Ordered spicy chicken and fried rice to takeaway as it was late. The staff was very friendly and kindly offered some soup for free. The food was good and the dish size is pretty generous.

This restaurant is a true gem. The food was incredibly flavorful and authentic — every dish tasted freshly made and perfectly seasoned. The staff were friendly, attentive, and made us feel right at home. You can really tell they care about both the food and the customers. The atmosphere was cozy and is a perfect for a casual dinner! We’ll definitely be coming back! If you’re looking for delicious, high-quality Chinese food with great service, this is the place to go.

We got the Szechwan Crispy Chicken, Pork Fried Rice, and Egg Flower Soup (Egg Drop Soup). The Egg Drop Soup was amazing, and the portion on the large size was huge! We had plenty of soup between my girlfriend and I. The Crispy Szechwan chicken was super crispy, and the flavor was delicious. It does have some spice to it so be warned if you are sensitive to spice, it's not super spicy however. The pork fried rice was also really good, with a large portion for the price. The service is always quick and the servers kind. The restaurant has a medium size dining room, and a very nice authentic vibe. Thanks for the delicious food!

I've eaten here for years but not much at all lately. I've found other Szechuan authentic food near my work places. They generally have pretty good food and good handmade noodles. So I was returning home and had a bad cold craving soup noodles. I ordered Dan Dan noodle soup to go and it was ready when I got there. They have a very efficient text system for start and finish of an order. I know this may be a taste or food preference thing but this was perhaps the worse Chinese dish I've had in years!!! Tasted like sweet peanut butter soup with little spice, and not much chicken or veggies. I couldn't finish it but saving the noodles to do something else with. They are great but flavorless if not cooked with something tasty. I'd still eat here again. I especially like their twice cooked pork. But their price has gone way up and I just spent over $20 with tax and standard tip for a rather small serving of horrible food. It might be a while before I go back though. Note: Their prices on the website are old and at least $2 per lower than current pricing! When asked they said yes but they haven't serviced their website.

Tucked in an unassuming area near Fred Meyer, this place is a hidden gem. Cozy restaurant and delicious food. The service is great whether you're dining in or getting the food to go. Our favorite dishes are the sautéed cabbage and Chong Qing Chicken.

Chinese restaurant with a leaning towards Szechuan cuisine in a plaza in the Totem Lake area of Kirkland, near the Fred Meyers. Small-to-medium space, with red walls. Neighborhood Chinese restaurant vibes. Went on Sunday night and the place was mostly empty when we arrived, but did have a few more parties come in after. The menu is sizable and has both English and Chinese. Has some Sichuan and Americanized-Chinese items. We ordered the spicy teppan chicken, the Sichuan spicy boiled beef, and the mixed stir fried noodles. Out of the three, the noodles were the best. Standard stir fried noodle flavor. The noodle they use are the knife sliced style and has a nice texture. The mixed one has chicken, beef and shrimp. The sizzling teppan chicken had good flavor despite us ordering at the lowest spice level (only a little bit of numbing spice). I was expecting them to use chicken thigh meat for smoother texture and better flavor, but they use breast meat which was more coarse. Lastly, the boiled spicy beef had bamboo shoots in it. Every other times I've had this dish, they have bean sprouts. Having bamboo shoots gives the dish a rather different flavor. In conclusion, the food is definitely more on the Americanized side than authentic Sichuan cuisine. Portions are good. Prices are high teens to 20s for each dish, which is average restaurant prices these days.

This unassuming place in Totem lake Kirkland is great find for chinese food. You must go here if you are craving chinese. My friends had been hyping about this place, and I must say this place lived to it's hype. The orders were fast, and plate sizes were large. The place is pretty small, and the orders were brought quickly. Mongolian Chicken (5/5): This was most recommended dish by yelpers. The chicken was crispy and spicy. Although the fried rice that comes along tasted as much as a plain white rice, it went well with crispy chicken. Szechuan Crispy Tofu (5/5): Even if you are not a Tofu lover, you will absolute like the spicy and crispy tofu served here. The quality is loaded, and makes and great appetizer for the table. A must-try starter here. Kong Pao Prawn (4/5): Finally the Kong Pao Prawn was good but not great. I was probably spoilt by other fried items that I orders but still worth-while if you like seafood.

Spicy Talk is always delicious, no matter what you get. We have been patrons since their Redmond location & I will happily drive from Snohomish for a dish. Service can be hit and miss, but as soon as you take your first bite, your hanger will subside & your brain will trick you into thinking you didnt mind waiting 40 mins for food to come out 1 dish at a time, spaced out 5 minutes between dishes. Seriously, it's that good. Beware the sizzling dish with spicy peppers. The last 2 times i've gone, a neighboring table orders that, and it will clear the place out. Coughing and gasping over the eye-watering spice eruption. 2 words: Sesame chicken. You wont be sorry.

This place has the most tastiest, heartwarming food that I've ever had. The flavors are rich and the plate sizes are generous. Staff are always nice and diligent with their service. I cannot recommend this place enough! I recommend the Szechuan chicken and chow mein! Overall, this place will supersede your expectations, no doubt!!!

When I went, there was no Asian customers. That should've been my clue. - got pork with string beans. They might as well just call it string beans - tastes ok. Pork is a little overcooked - staff speaks really good English

Absolutely love a Spicy Talk!! This is my go to spot for Chinese food. We ordered take out from here for our Christmas Eve dinner and want to make this an annual tradition. They're food is always piping hot and seasoned just right. The flavor of everything is bursting with deliciousness, it's almost like you can taste the wok it's cooked in. I've tried so many dishes and really love them all. It's hard to play favorites because everything from noodles, to chicken, or fish, soup, or rice-- they're all so good and exploding with flavor!

Best Chinese food in Kirkland. The staff are very hospitable. Ordering through the app works well and makes it easy to start with a couple of dishes and keep adding items through the meal.

Tried out this spot randomly, the food is good, different.... Service was prompt, attentive and friendly! If you're looking for Asian food in the area, check it out. I wouldn't seek it out but if I had an Asian food craving and was in the area, I would go back.

I have ordered from here several times and the food has always been good. Yesterday, my beef and broccoli dripped heavily over my car seat and all the way from the front door to the kitchen. There was barely any beef and mounds of broccoli. The Box felt heavy when the server gave it to me at that time it had not dripped. This was a horrible experience , not only did I have hardly any beef but then I had to clean my car seat and my floors in my apartment. Picture below

Ordered 干煸四季豆喝回锅肉， none of them tastes like authentic Chinese food. Americanized, edible.

We've been taking friends and family to Spicy Talk since they opened. Why? Because the quality of their chicken has always been WAY better than anywhere else: For example, the crispy mandarin chicken was made with huge fresh chunks of white meat (so you could actually enjoy the protein along w the delicious but light breading). Unfortunately that has all changed: like every other Chinese restaurant you just get greasy small chunks of breading with small cheap bites of poor quality chicken. Sadness! And this is true of the other chicken dishes too. As Spicy Talk cuts corners to save money they risk losing regular customers.

My new fave on the east side. Icould eat the garlic string beans & honey walnut prawns daily given the opportunity. Also love the sweet & sour chicken and chow mein with chicken or veggies. Egg drop soup was perfect after hiking on a chilly morning. Super chill, casual vibe and service has pretty great most of the time. If you order online, they almost always have it ready to go on a table towards the back. The parking lot can be tricky since so many sites are reserved for other businesses in the strip mall but don't let that deter you.

I really wanted to love this place given all the good reviews in the past, but docking a star because 1) the food was pricey for the portion size you get, 2) it was very oily, salty and laden with MSG that we had to drink copious quantities of water after eating there. Was the food delicious? Yes, the Chongqing chicken and crispy Szechuan tofu are certainly worth reordering. Is it healthy? No, but hey if you're craving some authentic Chinese food beyond the usual Panda Express, this place might be just what you need once in a while. Hot tip: skip the lunch special because the dish was 80% plain white rice and only 20% meat (I even paid extra to upgrade the protein to beef instead of chicken!). You're better off just buying full entrees to get more bang for your buck.

Literally the best restaurant I've ever been to! I don't usually leave yelp reviews but this place is my favorite. Super great and friendly staff too. Amazing food, such a great find.

So happy I found this place! It is close to Fred Meyers and next to chop it up. The kirkland Bellevue area has a lot of Chinese restaurants and I've been to many of them but this was the best so far! The food was very fresh and when we asked the waitress if she could make Mongolian lamb instead of beef she was so kind and said she could! The food came in large portions and they had a delicious array of condiments on each table. The ambiance is cute with lot of seating. It is very cute and cozy inside! I highly recommend this place! It is definitely my go to spot on the east side now. Best Chinese food for sure!

Quite disappointed in the flavors here. The hot and sour soup had a goopy texture (over-cornstarched) that lacked umami. It also had some hard bits of bamboo that were unchewable. The garlic string beans were well-fried but flavorless. The pork with garlic sauce (yuxiang rousi) tasted very bland, and was effectively kung pao chicken except the chicken was subbed with pork. This I felt was the most unsuccessful of all -- this dish is supposed have lots of different sliced elements (bamboo/celery/wood ear mushrooms/pork). Instead, only the pork was delivered in slices here, while the bamboo is exactly the wide canned strips, the celery was cubed, and some carrots (still raw) were cubed. There were maybe 4 pieces of small wood ear mushrooms. This dish is supposed to taste a bit sweet and a bit spicy, but it definitely lacked the sweetness. Would never come here again.

Great food and great service. If you're a spice lover I'd recommend getting the max spice level. Anything else is mild

We have ordered takeout from here about five times. The food has always been great! The sesame chicken and Mongolian beef are our favorites!

The food was very flavorful- we had a noodle chicken soup and Kungpao chicken and was great. Food was hot and spicy, service was good and prompt. I would definitely come back and highly recommend this nice little place!

We arrived just before the lunch menu was over. It is a very good value. I had the Eggplant with Tofu. You could choose two different kinds of soups. My only disappointment was it said you could choose either between fried rice or white rice. They said they didn't have any fried rice. I rarely have fried rice so I was looking forward to mixing it up a bit. Overall, the place was charming, and the food was delicious and came out in a timely manner.

Really affordable Chinese food with huge portion. It seems like the locals here really like this spot too - it's recommended to me by my friends and the people on tiktok seem to all second this recommendation too!

Hits the spot when I was craving Chinese take out kind of food. They even had lunch special that was a good deal that includes soup. The service was friendly and quick. We ordered 4 dishes from lunch special - pickled fish, Mongolian beef, string bean w chicken, and wild chili chicken. The fried rice was a bit salty. Good to get white rice to mix together.

Delicious. I have been searching for a good Chinese restaurant since our favorite Thai HO closed down years ago. Spicy Talk is pretty darn good. I recommend the pork chow mein and honey walnut chicken. The chow mein noodles appear to be hand made and they are super good. I wasn't a huge fan of the fried rice, but it was decent.

My favorite Chinese food. I always get the crispy Mandarin tofu and the hot and sour soup. I love spicy talk, and I've been going for years now. Whenever I'm sick a good hot and sour soup works the trick!

Tried this spot for the first time. Had to try the hand made Chow Mein noodles and was not disappointed. All of our dishes were really good. Small location but nice and cozy. The most important thing though was that the food was very good and did not feel too Americanized. They definitely cater a bit to the American palette but still keep some spicier and interesting dishes in their menu.

Can't really say this place is overrated. Is it not authentic? Yes. Is it greasy? Yes. But is it a pretty good American-chinese place? I would say so. It's a small restaurant with 2 parking spots in front. I was in the area so I decided to stop by with some friends. Overall the food was pretty good but not great or anything I would come for specifically. The mapo tofu was not authentic and spicy at all. I couldn't taste much of anything other than salt in it.

Excellent - adjustable level of spiciness lets you match your taste perfectly, large portions for sharing.

On a rainy day, craving Chinese ...stopped by Spicy Talk and ordered the chow mein with tofu, honey sesame chicken and Kung pao tofu i haven't been this disappointed. The quantity has been reduced, the price has gone up and worse the quality of food has taken a dive. Greasy and lack of authenticity. Reminds me of American Chinese take out from decades ago...I am NOT a fan. On the plus side they were able to quickly prepare my order and the honey sesame chicken was good. I still cannot believe the entrees don't come with white rice. What next ...bring your own to-go containers?

Ordered take out and placed order online. It was smooth and simple. I ordered Mongolian Beef Lunch size and sizzling beef regular. The two portions are vastly different, but the mongolian beef was definitely delicious. Not too salty or sweet and it came with rice and soup! Great meal for their price. Sizzling beef was soft and tender but I didn't think that it had much flavor. Overall, this was my first time here and I would definitely come back again! I didn't eat inside but I thought the decor was relaxing and the staff I saw were sweet looking women. I am sure they will be patient and welcoming to new customers.

Great food - not too oily, which is hard to find with Sichuan places. And it's shocking how fast the dishes come out, too!

Super good. Especially the Chong Qing Hot Chicken. Cozy interior but efficient takeout!

Best Chinese food ever with spike of spices, garlic and other delicious ingredients Best Chinese food ever with spike of spices, garlic and other delicious ingredients

Gosh, really enjoyed our food from here. Very convenient off I-405 and the price/quantity ratio was good. we had the handshaved chowmein, mongolian beef, and chicken

This place have been on our list for a really long time and we finally had a chance. It did not disappoint at all. First off, they are only offering take out so no dining. But their take out process is so easy.you place the order online on their website, decide what time you want to pick up and that's it. They will text you at every process they are currently at. It was super nice. Food: we got the following: Combo chowmein (hand shaved noodle) -. I had better but it was still pretty good. A little chewier than most Chingqong chicken - the actual chicken was really good, crispy and meaty and very flavorful. However, there's was a lot of crumbles of breading. Wild chili pork - too much celery and very hard to eat with chopsticks and fork, it was very finely chopped for my taste, probably my least favorite dish. Garlic string beans with beef - love the string beans, it was slightly crispy and very flavorful Eggplant tofu - very yummy, I love the flavoring and texture of this dish. Both was cooked perfectly. A little sweet and sour and almost teriyaki taste. Portion is very generous and price was very reasonable. Definitely can see why this place is always busy. Will be back for sure

Ever since the pandemic prompted this place to use an online menu, it's been pretty darned consistent... Mostly. Our staple order for household is, - Mongolian Beef (3*) - Kung Pao Chicken (3*) - Szechuan Crispy Tofu (3*) - Something different every time... (just to explore the menu) Special shout out for the Dan Dan Noodles and Green Onion Pancake. YUM. Flexibility and patience are a virtue, when order take out especially if it's during the dinner rush (I'd say 5:30-8 most nights they're open). If you order during that time. Give yourself minimum 30 minutes, upwards an hour, especially if it's a rainy January evening and tons of people are order takeout instead of cooking at home, you unwittingly join the zeitgeist... If you order on a nice a day, at the edge of the dinner rush (or pref outside), your order can be up in as little as 15-20 minutes. For this house, the patience and flexibility is worth it. Lastly, I'm not sure what their measurement or POV is regarding spiciness level, but sometimes a 3 is a "did they remember?" and sometimes a 3 is a "pass the beer". Either way in the end, the food is delicious.

I've loved Spicy Talk since my first visit in the original location in Redmond 10years ago. My go-to for Chinese locally. The best textures and flavors. Spicy Talk leftovers also retain a great flavor and crunch too. Highly rated service, attentive team members and fair pricing. Top Notch!

Really good flavor on all the things I like to order here. Fried rice, chow mien, Szechuan spicy shrimp and mandarin crispy chicken. The sauce on the chicken is really good and comparable to what they use on San Tung's chicken wings in Frisco.

Food wasn't bad. I keep hearing people saying it's the best they've ever had. I had some suspicion about the claims, so I was tempted to give it a try to prove myself wrong. It was...not bad. Like, it wasn't bad, but it wasn't good. We got take out, so maybe it didn't taste as good as if we would have dined in? But honestly it doesn't feel like that would have made much of a difference. It's just very very americanized chinese cuisine. Not authentic at all. Everything was just very oily. I guess the plus is that the portions were pretty big? So if you are into a lot of greasy inauthentic americanized chinese food, come and get your grub on? Otherwise, spend the extra 10~20 minutes and head into Seattle or BRK for actual Chinese food.

Fresh, spicy, delicious food! Our Szechuan Shrimp and garlic string beans came out hot and fresh, my husband said the best hot and sour soup he's ever had ... and he's had a lot.

Open for takeout only during Covid 2020, this became an occasional lunch takeout spot for me this year. You can order online from their website which has always been a good option for me. I'm a fan of the hot and sour soup, hand shaven noodles and wild chili chicken. Watch out because there are a lot of chilies . Crunchy Mandarin Chicken is a sweet treat and Mongolian Beef is a Chinese restaurant standard. There are more exotic dishes too if you are a little adventurous. Good option for Chinese food in Kirkland.

So so good it's my favorite chow mien in town!! My boyfriend won't eat any other chicken fried rice he's obsessed

Outstanding food - amazing fried rice and awesome sizzling chicken. Overall great chinese food!!!

Always amazing, highly recommend to everyone. They're sesame chicken is extra crispy and I love it

Have enjoyed everything ever gotten here, the dry cooked green beans are AMAZING! Could eat those every day.

I've found our new regular spot for Chinese food when the craving hits! Spicy enough to satisfy the grownups, but enough other options to appease the toddler. Order was done on time. The food was exceptionally packaged with no spills. And, major props to the owners for continuing to mask and having take-out only-- at a time when mandates are being dropped but our tot isn't yet eligible for a vaccine, it felt nice to have a "Covid-safe" pickup experience. On to the food: Ma po tofu: appropriately spicy. No ma la, but the taste was still good. Mandarin chicken: not sure you'd find this in China if you're looking for authenticity, and definitely a diet splurge, but it is addictive and we couldn't stop eating it- especially the picky toddler who repeatedly asked for more. Sweet, a little spicy, crunchy, yum! Mixed veggies: They may not seem very exciting on the menu, but the mixed vegetables were excellent. Perfectly crisp, great variety, nice sauce. Tofu chow mein: loved the hand shaven noodles, the veggies were fine. Could use a little more flavor besides oil. Rice: it's rice, it was fine. Green onion pancakes: skip, it wasn't flaky and rather had the texture of cardboard. The sauce was good though. Quantity: generous, definitely enough for leftovers. Overall, good experience!

Absolutely delicious Chinese food. By far some of the best food around, and I guarantee we will be back. Ordered Mongolian Beef and Mandarin Crispy Chicken and I never wanted my meal to end. Next time I would absolutely order the Green Onion Pancakes (one of my favorite sides).