Large Portions, Tasty Food and Cheap Prices

August 7th, 2007
By: Steve G

Planted within the one of the many strip mall that skirts the outer ring of Bellevue is a Chinese restaurant that is a favorite among the locals: Sichuanese Cuisine. It offers authentic Chinese cuisine with all of the grease, aroma, family-scaled tables, and spices that one finds at a truly good Chinese restaurant.

After stepping through the doors, we immediately noticed that the restaurant features many large 12-seat tables meant for family and big group dining, as well as smaller tables. Be prepared for the loud atmosphere and large volumes of patrons as this is definitely a popular eatery. During lunch hours the Microsoft crowd takes over the place attracted, like moths to a naked light bulb, to the great deals of the lunch specials. At around $7- $8 for an entree, rice, and choice of soup, it is a big draw for locals and offers a deal that is hard to pass up.

When we made our appearance, we were somewhat surprised to find that we had just caught the tail end of the lunch hour rush, with several tables empty. As we approached the cashier, he somewhat curtly replied, "just take any seat." We were certainly hoping for a more personable greeting to say the least. Nevertheless, we cast that aside as set our minds to checking out all the good things that we had heard about Sichuanese Cuisine.

The first dish to arrive at our table was the Hot Chicken Sichuan Style Dish featuring crispy, tasty pan-fried chicken. You may have heard that the first bite is with the eye... and in this case, our eyes sent us a clear warning as the dish glistened with a fiery sauce that threatened great spiciness. Fortunately, this dish had more bark than bite and should be enjoyable even to those who don't frequently sample spicy cuisine. The moist chicken was deep-fried but surprisingly, it had no breading. Small bits of cooked cabbage and other veggies were mixed in among the chicken. Unfortunately, the Fried Rice that followed right on the heels of the chicken did not live up to our expectation as it was made with a sad mix of a loose scattering of peas, eggs, long grain mushy rice and soy sauce.

Next up was the Almond Chicken; this dish came with large helping of rice and cooked chicken mixed with chopped almond bits that had a pleasantly smoky aftertaste. Though the chicken was relatively well cooked and the portions impressive, the dish struck a mild chord and stubbornly balanced itself along the straight and narrow line of mediocreness. It does nothing superbly wrong but also, nothing exceptionally great. But if you're hungry, the portions are definitely hard to beat.

One of the major complaints we had with Sichuanese Cuisine was the general lack of service. Arguably, it's practically non-existent. It might have been on account of our table being near the back of the restaurant, but it still bothered us a little. We weren't brought any water until we could get the attention of a waiter, so we ended up drinking nearly the entire pot of tea to quench our thirst. Finally, it took an extremely long time to get our bill paid. In terms of ambiance we found the restaurant was a little dirty, and while the restaurant had ample lighting, the decor seemed a little drab.

On the other hand, if you're looking for the best bang for your buck, this is a great place to go. For around $7 you can grab a full meal. Sadly, that's where the bang stops.

Update (2/08): Sichuanese Cuisine has gone through a partial remodel of the interiors, with a new paint job, lighting and furniture. The restaurant looks much better from its previous style, though there is still a bit to be desired. The ambiance scores have been adjusted accordingly.

If you like Sichuanese Cuisine Restaurant, we suggest: