Xun Yu Si Kao 寻鱼私烤

This place is amazing! The fish hotpot is packed with flavor—rich, spicy, and super satisfying. The fish is so tender, and the broth is just incredible. And that eggplant dish? Wow! The sauce is so good, and the eggplant is cooked perfectly—soft and so tasty. Even the green beans were spot on! I’m obsessed with both dishes and can’t wait to come back for more. If you’re into bold, delicious Chinese food, you’ve gotta try this place!

The food here is delicious and authentic! The flavors are bold and spicy — what more could you want from Sichuan cuisine? We ordered way too much food as a group of three, but there are still several dishes I want to go back to try. I highly recommend giving this place a try the next time you’re in the mood for Sichuan flavors.

Excellent food all around! Wanted to share this: they have an oyster dish with glass noodles that is outstanding — see the pics, that oyster is bigger than my iPhone! Beneath the noodles was a meaty oyster the size of a chicken strip! These oysters are listed as “market price” — they were $8 each tonight, which sounds expensive until you consider that this thing is easily the size of 4 regular oysters. And they were delicious and full of flavor, the standout dish of the night.

So many amazing items on their menu, we've had such a fun time eating multiple items on their menu with our group visits. Everyone gets their hot pots, but we also really enjoyed their eggplant, tofu, and noodle dishes. Definitely coming back for more!

This place has some amazingly delicious food. We started off with the sliced beef cold cuts for appetizer and some stir fried string beans for our entree. We also ordered the fish where you add additional toppings at additional cost per toppings. It range from $3.99 to $5.99 per toppings. We always get the garlic sauce with a little spicy. The fish dish can run a bit high if you add a lot of topping but it’s definitely worth the price. The food comes out quickly and the service is decent. I recommend this place for any seafood lovers. And definitely order the stir fried string beans.

We simply love this place! Been here many times and I have to say food is nothing but delicious. Spicy fish is our favorite and we have ordered every time. Service is great too. Food is served promptly and we barely need to wait once ordered.

Went with a large group. Mapo tofu - Ok Stuffed eggplant - Good Fried honey rice cakes - Very nice. Sweet and pillowy. Nice contrast to much of the other food Grilled pig feet with cumin - As a friend of mine said it was like eating "pork flavored gummy bears." They gave us plastic gloves to eat them. They were ok but if I went again I'd try one of their other different rich, robust dishes Smashed eggplant with preserved egg - Good. Very interesting. Cold chicken with spicy sour sauce - Good Pork belly and cucumbers with dipping sauce - Great presentation but flavor was a little underwhelming Cold noodles with sour chili sauce - Excellent. Light, refreshing side dish with big sour and spicy flavor. Was my favorite dish on an all day Chinatown restaurant crawl. Grass jelly - A light, mildly sweet and grassy dessert on the house Great spot with a long, diverse menu. Definitely want to return and try different items. Eat what's in my picture.

We had an excellent meal here and I would certainly return! We had the Sea Bass with a milder spice level with cumin broth base, beef slices, golden combo, and noodles. For a group of 3 this was sufficient. The broth was still decently spicy and just perfect to complement all the ingredients. The sea bass was cooked very well and melted in my mouth, not a fishy flavor at all, really having a mild flavor that complemented the strength of the broth. Even the pot the dish came in was quite ornate - I was very pleased with all of the visual presentation involved in the meal. Thank you for the fantastic meal!

So grateful for the Chinatown in Philly - where else would we go for amazing food on Christmas day when everything else is closed? The obvious choice was to get a Fish hotpot - we chose the Striped Bass with Spicy and Cumin broth/sauce and the Chinese yam, sweet potato noodles and Lotus stem as add ons. There was a little bit of a wait for the food - a good sign that it is not something they just heat up and bring it to you. The hotpot came in two sections - one with the spicy broth and one with the cumin broth. The fish was sliced evenly between both sides. In addition to our add-ons, the hotpot had a tone of vegetables, peppercorns and chillies. Everything was fantastic and bursting with flavor. Having the sweet potato noodles added was the best decision ever! We definitely had a hearty meal here and would love to come back and try their different fish/broth combinations.

Food: Got the striped bass with golden combo in the hot & sour flavor. It was delicious, the fish was appropriately sized to feed 3 people. The broth was flavorful. Just would not recommend getting the really spicy ones as I felt like they are just filled with chili peppers and no other ingredients. I also would not recommend the appetizer. While the presentation was impressive, it just tasted like boiled pork belly with cucumber dipped into soy sauce. They also serve free edamame. I think I would say this meal is on the expensive side for what it is. Service: Food comes out boiling and hot. Ambiance: Big casual restaurant, nothing too impressive.

Came to this Sichuan style restaurant one afternoon with a group of 5. We ordered the spicy fish pot to share. 100% packed with bold flavors and spicy too (bring some milk if sensitive lol)! There was a bit of a wait, but not too long for something freshly prepared. We added a whole bunch of add-on vegetables which truly made the dish. The sauce was so lovely and the presentation was great. At the end, the gave jelly for dessert which my friends enjoyed. Definitely not cheap especially if you add multiple add-ons to the dish. Perfect for 3-4 people---5 was a bit too much as the last person did not get as much. Ambiance: casual. Wear something comfy (your belly will thank you later)

Nice spot for very authentic dishes, and excellent staff who can explain menu options. Their menu has pictures as well which help the experience. Very welcoming inside and the dishes are served in nice platters. Start with a small complementary bowl of edamame and pickled radish. Had the spicy frog which was loaded with nice Szechuan tien tsin chili peppers, wood ear mushroom, and other vegetable. Also comes with side of rice. Very good spice level even if I wasn't ready! Presentation is very nice with very generous portions. Other meals coming out from the kitchen also looked amazing, so desirable to try some more. At the end of the meal, some jelly is given as a small dessert to finish. Nice experience. Thanks

Delicious seafood! Our meal was so flavorful. Friendly service and very cool atmosphere

This has been on my bookmarks for a bit, and Monday we finally checked it out during the snowstorm. We thought we'd be the only ones there, but there were actually 2 other tables despite the snow! Service was friendly and they came to check on us at appropriate times. The server was also knowledgeable about the menu and was able to answer our questions. The menu was a little confusing our first visit. The way it's printed, it looks like it costs $9.99 to add the flavor - we didn't realize we had to choose the flavor, but the server explained it to us with ease. We tried the spicy peppercorn after consulting the server and he confirmed our spice tolerance, and it is not an extra cost for flavor - only if you need to add additional on top of the 1st included flavor. Most of the topping add ons are $2.5, some are more and they are listed separately. The "golden combo" didn't make sense - the menu read "choose 3 for $10", the server told us it was a mistake printed on the menu and should be 4. We liked the options in the golden combo, so we did go with that + handmade noodles. I really loved the handmade noodles, nice texture, very QQ! They serve with rice as well, no charge. Our total came to $63 before tax which I found fair considering the quality, and amount of leftovers we had - not cheap, but worth it. The Szechuan Peppercorn was so good, but make sure you're honest with your own spice tolerance. We loved it, but it's definitely spicy - it was so flavorful, and the fish was perfectly cooked, flakey - and all of our toppings soaked up the amazing flavor. We had enough for leftovers and took it home with us - that flavor was way too good to waste! I can't wait to go back and try some of the other flavors, although that spicy szechuan peppercorn will be calling my name..

We love this restaurant, I would go visit more often if it was closer to my home! So far every dishes we had here were all worth the repeat everytime I visit. Staff is friendly and restroom is clean.

We got the whole catfish in black bean sauce which was divine. Great taste and suitable spice level. We were two people, but size probably more appropriate for 3-4 people.

Hot Pot Heaven - A Fiery Feast in Chinatown! I always walk by Xun Yu Si Kao when I'm in Chinatown, drawn by the tantalizing aromas wafting from within. Finally, I got a chance to try this place, and it did not disappoint! As soon as you walk in, you're enveloped by the delightful aroma of Szechuan spice and peppercorn. The decor is authentically Asian, making me feel like I had been transported straight to China. The servers, hailing from China, and the predominantly Chinese-speaking patrons added to the authenticity. We ordered the string beans, dry pot, and the fish hot pot. Every dish was delicious, with substantial portions to boot. The string beans were spicy, flavorful, and perfectly cooked with a touch of deep fry. The dry pot was another hit - we selected our own ingredients, and it came out beautifully balanced with just the right amount of spice, meat, and vegetables. The main attraction, however, was the fish hot pot. It was AMAZING. We opted for medium spice, which was pretty spicy, but the sensation was addictive. The fish was generously covered in peppercorn and hot peppers, leaving our mouths tingling - yet we couldn't stop eating. The fish itself was sizeable and incredibly flavorful; we devoured it until nothing but bones remained. Xun Yu Si Kao is fantastic and I would highly recommend it to anyone, regardless of their spice tolerance - there's always the non-spicy option! Don't miss out on this gem in Chinatown.

Pros - offer two small complimentary appetizer dishes - the dishes here are authentic and delicious - menu is big with beautiful photos of the food: it makes you want to order everything - reasonable food portions - nothing is overly spicy, flavors bring me back to Chi Cons - our server wasn't that great, it was clear that he didn't want to be there - a bit pricey when comparing to other Chinatown restaurants - you need to find your own parking - gets crowded and busy at peak times!

Came with the family for lunch! I would say everything tasted good overall. I would give this place 3.5 stars if that was available. The fish and pickled mustard green soup was quite flavorful and had some hidden heat. The eggplant and green beans though good were quite greasy. The ribs steamed with spiced powder weren't quite cooked right and a bit dry. Things were also quite salty and left us quite parched for hours afterwards. The service was attentive, and things were priced well. We could have eaten just one dish and been full.

Good food, great service, comfortable environment. Cabbage was great. The fish was too salty at first and the staff offered to remake the fish for us. The new fish was much better. It was a good meal! We will return again!

This is one of the best places I've been to in Chinatown. Everything was very fresh and the presentation was great. The portion sizes were huge so we took home a lot of leftovers. We were here on a Friday night but it still felt cozy and quiet in the booth we were in. We'll definitely come back with a larger group so that we can try more dishes next time.

Everything was wonderful! This is our new family favorite! The food, ambience, and service were all excellent! Above our expectations in Chinatown. All the dishes we had were very savory and tasty. Nice presentation and friendly staff. This spot is definitely a return! Top it off gave us free black sugar jello!

By far, out of all the food we tried in Philly, this was one of my favorites! We got string beans, sour chicken, and pickled cabbage with sliced fish. Ordered rice to pair as well. You must order rice! I'm actually drooling writing this review and thinking about the food. Everything was so extremely flavorful. Welcome to flavortown, baby!! The sauce for the sour chicken was so good. I need a vat of that to bring home. Please sell it!!! We had enough leftovers that my friend was able to bring it home as well!

We came on a Saturday night, about two hours before closing and there weren't a lot of patrons. Service was great as our server gave great recommendations and was attentive. We ordered the spicy conch meat, spicy chicken feet, pig feet, griddle cooked pork intestine, fish pot-spicy (striped bass), and braised pork belly. Everything was pretty good, with my favorite being the braised pork belly and pig feet. The griddle cooked pork intestine seemed like it had more veggies than intestine. The fish pot was pretty good for a large group, but I wouldn't normally get it. The fish pot has plenty of options for flavors and you can add in a ton of add ons.

BYOB lmao i have never come here for the whole fish just fyi all of their actual dishes are delicious, really recommend the tripe appetizers, green beans, chili crisp chicken or chicken w/ green peppers, and their spicy fish stews (not the actual whole fish you buy on the first couple of pages of the menu). idk if they ask you for your spice 'level', but try to indicate that you can handle the regular spice if you are able bc i've noted the chefs can sometimes dial it back but imo the best experience is just full send can get quite busy on fri-sun after around 5:45/6 PM ish. had to wait ~25 minutes for a party of 2 @ 7 pm on a saturday, but then sat down immediately on a sunday with party of 4 @ 5 pm $28-33 pp after tax and tip for a huge meal, w/ leftovers

The price you paid for takeout order is slightly higher than posted on Menu. Anyway, the two dishes I picked, Mapo Tofu & Stir Fry Mixed Mushroom, were both delicious. The portions were huge and almost enough for four people. I was lucky to find the parking spot right in front of the restaurant after just circling around once. There are many entrée selections that look yummy. Definitely will come back for more or bring the whole family to dine here.

This place is packed with flavor. I came with 2 friends and we shared the whole tilapia in spice level 1 black bean broth with the sliced beef add on. We also got the eggplant as a side dish. Don't let the fish pot intimidate you - the fish comes off the bones so easily and it was so easy and pleasant to eat. We thought the spice was a good level for us but could've tolerated going up a level. The sliced beef was great too. I'm also not a fan of eggplants typically but this was pretty sweet and garlicky.

Service is pretty good here. My family loves to come and get some tomato soup with fish. My nephew loves the thousand year old egg with the tofu with something like a soy based sauce. It's absolutely delicious. We haven't found something we don't like yet. Their jelly dessert is also great. We've visited this place probably once a month or so. Recommend to everyone

My friend in UPenn suggested this place. The double flavored grilled sea bass tastes great (both tomato and spicy). The service is quick and efficient. And also, here plays Jay Chou as a nice background music! Having dinner here makes my visit in Philly much nicer.

Food was so so good. Not too busy when we went in but the vibes of the restaurant were really nice. They started us with some complementary side dishes and finished off with complementary pudding like desserts to cool off after those spicy dishes.

Last Sunday was our first time trying Xun Yu Si Kao and we really enjoyed it. I don't typically seek out Szechuan foods as I don't particularly enjoy the numbing spiciness of Szechuan food; however, a friend was in town, and was interested in trying the cuisine. We arrived right before noontime on a Sunday and did not have trouble getting a seat. For food, we ordered the Fish pot (highly recommended by Yelpers), and a Spicy pot. Both dishes were customizable, and you can choose the spice level and toppings for what goes into your Fish or Spicy pot. There are also plenty of other options on the menu to choose from if you don't feel like the Fish or Spicy pots. We were pleasantly surprised to see the menu contained many, many pages. But, we were committed to ordering the pots as they seem to be the featured dishes. The Fish pot was served in a shallow broth, in the most majestic looking, rectangular tray. Our tofu, noodles, and vegetable toppings were laid under the two whole sea basses to absorb all the flavors of the broth. The sea basses seemed kind of small, but there was definitely more than enough food between the fish and the toppings for everyone. It was delicious, but not as delicious as the Spicy pot. The Spicy pot, also a dry pot/stir fry was served in a round majestic looking pot. It ended up being everybody's favorite. Personally, I would recommend the Spicy pot over the Fish pot. I almost forgot, but dessert was a complimentary grass/turtle (not made of turtles) jelly. A quality, tasty, slightly sweet and healthy dessert. Definitely glad that we stopped by Xun Yu Si Kao. The servers were very nice and checked on us several times. P.S. they do not take reservations.

Came here and decided to try the grilled Fish with spicy flavor and ordered mushrooms and tofu as toppings. Also ordered couple of appetizers. Tofu century egg, roast pork knuckle, and fuqi fai pian. Flavor was just ok. Decent 3 star for Philly. Could work on the quality a bit more.

*HIGHLY RECOMMEND* This is my favorite restaurant in Chinatown thus far. If you're looking for delicious Sichuan food, you must go to this place. They are known for this fish pot which feeds a family, but their other entrees are just as good if not even better. I've been there handful of time and each time, everything was good. I have not been disappointed yet. Each dish is also large enough to feed at least 2-4 people, totally worth the price. My favorite dishes: Pickled cabbage pot with sliced fish - this is literally my comfort food. Sour cabbage was indeed sour enough to my liking. The soup was rich and deep in flavor, it was heavenly. They definitely did not skimp out on the fish. A lot of fish filets and other additional ingredients. Perfect for cold days. Cooked intestine with tofu - the pork intestine was sooo good, fresh with strong intestine flavor which I like. Also the egg tofu was very good at neutralizing the spice. Spicy but worth. *VERDICT* Definitely going to be one of my go to.

Went in for an authentic lunch. Was greeted promptly and asked the waiter for a lunch recommendation. After some back and forth he recommended the dry bamboo shoot with beef brisket. He mention the menu price was wrong and it'd be ~25% more than the listed price. It came out within minutes. I mean suspiciously fast, like someone sent it back or they just have a big vat of it in the back and it's not made to order. Didn't seem like it was the house specialty nor did anyone else in the restaurant have this at their table. The dish was three measly pieces of beef with more fat than actual meat. Didn't eat much of the rice and left hungry and disappointed.

The spicy whole fish was good but for the price and amount of food, it was not very outstanding. Their spicy chicken was all white meat and very dry

Excellent food but be aware that most of it is super spicy. Also, it is "authentic" northern Chinese food. If you do not have any experience with szechuan food try to find a friend that can come with you. Also, portions are really large.

This place is amazing delicious food and nice staff. This is also very chill area if u want to talk to someone but also want to have delicious food! I highly recommend this place for everyone that lives near here

Sun Yu Si Kao is now my favorite Szechuan restaurant in Philadelphia Chinatown. Not only is the food superlative, but the house is beautifully designed with high ceilings, stone accented walls, unusual rope lighting and attractive serving dishes. It's great to see Ctown dress up and show its more sophisticated side in the hot, spicy and numbing world of Chengdu cuisine. We ordered seven dishes for the two of us, with enough to take home for the rest of the family. Allow me to enumerate: * Sliced Beef & Tripe w Chili Sauce - Served cold but loaded with high temperature chilis, it was a great starting point. The textures of thin firm beef and loose tripe and the prickly feel of chili beginning the night of hotter and hotter choices; * Takoyaki - Try to imagine whipped squid shaped into large marble sized balls. Creamy, yet definitely crustacean; slightly sweet, but also mildly fishy and sticky on the teeth. Very unusual, but surprisingly tasty; * Spicy Shredded Beef - Tender mixed with pepper, onion, sprout, Szechuan reds and a smattering of black peppercorn and light film of chili oil, all of which continued to raise the Celsius in our mouths; * Cumin Lamb Chops - The star of the show. Eight baby chops grilled and covered in more hot peppers, with bone wrapped in foil for ease of handling. Absolutely delicious enough to allow us to ignore the growing conflagration in the quest to strip every morsel of lamb from the finger width bone. Simply amazing; * Pan Seared Green Shishito Pepper - Beautiful rich shiny green. An explosive pleasure to consume. These boys appeared to have an inner glow, and were as burning hot as they were gorgeous to behold. They may be an acquired taste, but thankfully I have acquired it; * Spicy Sliced Fish - White fish fillets is a large sculpted iron cauldron full of multiple peppers, including black peppercorns for numbing anesthetic effect on the tongue and gums, black fungus and sprouts in a deeply fired near molten liquid that both punished and delighted. Sure, there is a degree of masochism to loving Szechuanese food, but once the burn subsides as it always does, the full capsaicin rush can be fully appreciated as a successful challenge to the senses that grows on you. Overcome and carry on.

Wow, this place was a pleasant surprise. We were going to go to Chubby Cattle but because the line was soo long, we decided to come here, and we were definitely satisfied! Food: So this place focuses on big fish pots. Essentially, pick a fish, then add whatever ingredients you want and a sauce, and it comes out in a very lavish plate/bowl. The also had a ton of normal/side dishes you can order as well. We decided to do the pork belly appetizer and mapo tofu, which were both really, really good. The fish looked amazing and tasted good. We decided to have the Hot sauce since they recommended it, which is basically Szechuan. Really tasty! Because it's a pot and you can add whatever you want, it can come out pricey. They do not have a bar, so I suspect you can BYO. Environment: Service was good! Open space and the servers can easily see you if you wave them down. We didn't have a solo server; I think any server can take care of any table. Rating: 7.5/10 Pros: Fish was tasty, lots of different items, the pork belly appetizer Cons: Can be pricey!

We stopped by for dinner and absolutely loved the food! They are sweet, spicy, and tingly just as how Szechuan food should taste like. What I loved the most was the crispy and spicy fried chicken, fish and tomato soup, sliced beef and tripe, with their pickled cucumber! We also ordered the special sticky rice with ribs, Mapo tofu, and house tofu dishes. All were perfectly seasoned and portions were generous. Service was accommodating too!

Surprisingly good. Fish is super fresh. Nicely grilled. Soup is tasty n not overly salty or oily.so surprise to get such good quality of sichuanese food. I tried the Jue gen noodle also. It is a cold dish. It tasted so good. Refreshing n appetizing. I am planning to go again tomorrow.

I saw a few Yelpers saying this place can get pricy for its signature dishes and was a bit wary when I first looking through the menu However, at the end of the meal, I made an mental note to come back here whenever I come to Philly. The portion was big, the dishes were tasty, the services were decent, and the kitchen adjusted the spiciness just right to our taste. It was a pleasurable experience and the final check surprised me in a good way. It was super good value and worth every penny. Highly recommended.

Pricey but absolutely worth it. I have been here a couple of times either with friends or family it's great for sharing. Fish hotpot is a must. When I went with a friend we shared the hotpot combo where there's a specific # of options you have to include for a ~$35 hotpot. With family, we go for the stripped bass- there's 3 options on spice level but if you can't handle spice like my brother I recommend getting a garlic base. The hotpot itself comes in neat "chest like" pot or moon shaped hanging pot. The interior is very modern and I really like how they have outlets at the seats! Big plus since my phone is always dying. The menu is very vast - very, very vast. I'll be coming a couple dozen more times until I get to every dish offered here.

Passing grade, adjusted for scarcity in the US - a median level Chinese style grilled fish but lacked quality management. The fish I had was a bit overcooked on the surface and I could easily taste the burnt flavor. Add-on vegetables tasted way better than fish, but at best comparable to vegetable served with at some good hot pot restaurants. The staff was kind and responsive but can't help with the limitation in food. In fact the best part of the restaurant is the free appetizers - Chinese style pickled radish, and shell-on edamame cooked with salt and spices - perfect to serve with beer. Btw, the store is ranked as the top 1 Chinese food in Philadelphia among Chinese social media communities - I understand it is quite hard to find Szechuan style grilled fish here, but their product is not even a passing grade if they were in China. Only go if you miss this flavor to cure your homesickness.

Food was incredible, the atmosphere was lively and warm. I felt the service was super, helping me understand the menu and giving me tips with what I should order. This is the best Chinese food I've ever had, hands down.

Roast fish tasted very good, delicious beans in garlic sauce. Awesome appetizers and complimentary grass jelly for dessert. Tip: choose sea bass over flounder.

Always passed by this but never ventured in as there are so many options in Chinatown. My friend suggested this place and we came on a Saturday night for dinner. It was a bit busy but we were seated quick and they gave us small appetizers (pickled radish and edamame). We ordered a fish pot (bass) with sauerkraut and a spicy meat appetizer. The food was good but I felt like the fish was a bit bland since I had the appetizer first which was spicy. I was hoping that they gave us more sauerkraut but there wasn't much. Don't expect much service here. The waiter only came to take our order, bring our food and rushed us by bringing us the check while we were still eating (there were not that many customers). Keep in mind that it can get a bit expensive as these two dishes were over $70.

The best place you can go if you're in the mood for fish in soup/hot pot! Their specialty is whole fish in a giant pan mixed with whatever additions and broth you like - personally I enjoy their homemade noodles, mushrooms, and beef! Their whole fish will run you around $40-$50 for 2ish people, so it's not the cheapest option. But, you can get white fish in various spicy pots for around $20-30, and still add the mix-ins as well. Plus, lunch specials for less than $10! One of the cons is they added an atm machine to the store and now have a sign that says their credit card machine is broken (yeah right). Kind of shady - a way to advertise that they take card so you come without cash, but then they get you extra with that ATM profit!

Really enjoyed the spicy fish pot here. The location is conveniently located in Philly Chinatown. Wish we knew earlier, but you can order two different flavors at the same time so that you can try different flavors. It takes some time for the food to be prepared, but it's so worth it! The ambience of the restaurant is really nice too. Highly recommended!

Came with my parents after hearing good things, and ordered a bunch! My favorite things were the spicy numbing dry pot, along with the sticky rice filled lotus. We also ordered a red chili oil conch appetizer, and a fish. My parents swore they gave us a tilapia instead of the bass, but I have no idea! The food was all spicy and flavorful, and the dish decor was very fancy.

Great place for takeout! Highlights of the meal were the honey cakes (1000% recommend, are a great and light way to finish off your meal). Also loved the sticky rice ribs (糯米排骨). Can't wait to go back and try the dry pot sometime!

This is the my favorite Sichuan cuisine in Chinatown. Highly recommended for the sizzling fish.

Me and my family was looking for a new spot to eat in Chinatown instead of regular pho or dim sum. My brother suggest Xun Yu Si Kao. XYSK is located between Cherry and Race on 10th street. Just a few stores down from Tea Do or across from Vivi's. When we entered the establishment, we were greeted and seated immediately. We've ordered shrimp with broccoli lunch special and Hot pots with assortments of toppings. I don't remember everything we've added but toppings like enoki mushrooms, quail eggs, tofu skin, lotus, taro, mini sausage, braised beef, etc..... When our waiter brought our Hot pot, I was surprised. The hot pot looks very extraordinary, I've never seen anything like it. Very nice and expensive looking. I was looking from the top to the bottom, from side to side lol. I can't help it:) Food wise. Hubby love the Shrimp with broccoli. He says everything taste so freaking fresh, from the entree to the rice, soooo good. Me, my mom, and my brother were digging through the hot pot for our favorite add ons. We empty everything on the table, it was that good. Herbal jelly were given to us as complimentary desserts, definitely a plus.

Pretty good food and a vibrant atmosphere, which matches downtown Philly in general. We came here with a college student from China now studying in Philly and she did all the ordering. My mom and her husband were amused by the new dishes and their Chinese names the kids order these days. I guess hipsterism knows no geographical bounds. Nice to know there exists progressive Chinese food, though. We had the griddle cooked intestines which was the highlight of the meal and my day - definitely beat being a tourist on the UPenn campus. When done right, Sichuan mala numbing spicy taste is amazing. This place got it right. Also while greasy, it wasn't as bad as most Sichuan restaurants. Like a level down from that. Very spicy but delicious. Fatty beef with pickled peppers was not bad. It reminded me of a hot pot with fatty beef. The soup was rich and tasty with tasty vermicelli noodles at the bottom. The downside was a slight chemical after taste. I felt like this restaurant made cool progress and innovation for Chinese food but adding unnecessary stuff to a good dish just shoots yourself in the foot. Also I don't know how I feel about the sweet and sour flavor. Stir fried cabbage was amazing. A very simple dish but just the right amount of salt and pepper, garlic and ginger and cooking technique made it great. We also had the spicy pot with sliced fish. Pretty good quality fish and slightly less greasy than traditional Sichuan fish in chili oil. Price was amazing considering how much we ate and had leftover. It bumped it from a 4.5 to a 5 Yelp stars place for me. Overall a very good meal and I'm happy to see they also have a branch in Brooklyn.

This is my favorite place for mala dry pot now. It's affordable especially when you come in a group and they have so many options to choose from. We love to build our own since we have favorites such as lotus root, taro, mushroom, fish tofu, intestines, etc. The restaurant is a decent size so they can accommodate 4+ party. If you love numbing Szechuan spice, this is the place to go!

Pricey. Low energy monosyllabic counter staff. Excessive money spent for lackluster take-out that also skimps on serving size. I've self-shamed myself for doing business here. Chengdu Famous Food here I come.

I love Szechuan food and Xun Yu Si Kao did not disappoint. We ordered 4 items: * Crispy and Spicy Chicken * Fried Eggplant and Pork with Garlic Sauce * Sliced Beef and Tripe with Chili Sauce. * Spicy Shredded Beef The meal came with mini sides (e.g. edamame), and the specific dishes we ordered also came with steamed rice. The only dish I could do without was the cold sliced beef which was just okay. I couldn't really taste the spiciness in anything we ordered so next time I would ask for more peppers, but everything was so flavorful and delicious that I didn't mind. We also got complimentary sweet jelly for dessert at the end of our meal. Overall I enjoyed my experience - yummy food, great customer service. I would love to return to try the other dishes on their huge menu!