Szechuan Restaurants near Monterey Park, CA

“We came here because our friends from China thought this is one of the best places for lamb dishes, in particular the lamb scorpion stew/soup (it is basically a pot of lamb’s spine with tofu and veggies and the reason it is called a scorpion is because the spine itself resembles a scorpion). It was a long drive for us just for a dinner in hole in the wall place. While dinning here, I began to enjoy myself very much as the waitress, the patrons and the basic set up truly reminded me of tiny mom and pop places in the alleys of any city in China. In China, people eat lambs during the winter months as lamb is the best way to keep you warm from inside. So, dining here in a cold night, it was pretty special considering that we were 10,000 miles away from Beijing. So, even it was a hole in the wall, I gave a 5-star on the atmosphere because this place looked its right out of an old Chinese movie. As far as the food goes, we had a scorpion pot and a lamb meat pot, both were pretty good, but on a salty side for me (which was actually quite normal for this type of dishes). The lamb meat pot was more tender with tendons and some fat. The scorpion (spine) has a lot of bones (obviously) and the meat was bit more tougher. Most people seemed to enjoy the scorpion more than the meat itself, but I prefer the meat with no bones. We also had the lamb skewers and they were very good and meaty unlike those one you get from a street fair. Finally, we had ordered “mild” for spiciness and it was pretty tame, though some prior reviewers thought “mild” was extremely spicy. I guess the level of spiciness is really very subjective. If you would like to experience a true authentic Chinese street food, then this is a good place to try.

Vegetarian options: This place does make some decent stir-friend veggie dishes, but people come here for the lamb.

Parking: Because of seating in the parking lot, spaces can be hard to find.

Kid-friendliness: Probably not that friendly with tight spaces, loud people and very hot pots cooking on the table.

Wheelchair accessibility: No, it is very tight in here.“

“Favorite Sichuan restaurant in California! Definitely the most authentic Sichuan food I’ve ever had in the states (yes I’m from Sichuan so take my word for it lol)
We live in the Bay Area, but whenever we’re visiting LA, we go to this place because of the great taste.
We ordered rabbit, beef and beef. The portions were HUGE. Every dish was flavorful, and it’s amazing that they picked seasonal vegetables to complement the flavor of the meat in each dish. And the spiciness is really close to what I had back at home in Sichuan. The chengdu fried rice(this should be the name if I remember it correctly) is also very good, not oily at all.
The restaurant owner is also very nice and she told us the rabbit meat is fresh from the butcher shop everyday, which sets this restaurant apart from others. (Well, this is the only restaurants in the states that I have ever been to that serves rabbit on the menu, so I really appreciate that)
100% recommend this place.“

“We stumbled upon this really great “street” Sichuan food and decided to wait in line with the rest of the crowd. The place is small, but definitely worth the wait in line. Even after we sat down and ate people were still waiting outside to order food and eat inside. My biggest complaint was all the plastic utensils you had to eat with. It really made the food taste horrible. You cannot eat soup with chopsticks. I’d gladly pay a few extra dollars and eat off of real silverware. Had it not been for the plastic garbage we had to use I would have given the place all 5 stars.“

“The best spicy Chinese Food in OC/LA area hands down! They have been Michelin recommended for a reason. Their food has lots of depth of umami flavors with a good amount of spice with a refined touch. Their none spicy broths are especially good too. My faves are their dry pots, toothpick lambs, Qiao Jiao Beef. We also like their spicy ribs and boiled fish in chilli sauce, and Mao cai. Service is great too!“

“Great vegetable dishes. Ma Po Tofu and Pea Soup yummy!! Fast service and Nice. Fast service workers and nice space dining. Flavorful!

Vegetarian options: Ask your server

Dietary restrictions: Ask for any mods.

Parking: Read all signs.

Kid-friendliness: Yes great for kids to eat

Wheelchair accessibility: Accessibility“

“One of the best ma la Xiang guo places in the sgv area. Sometimes the food is too salty and the service is not good sometimes. But it’s pretty affordable and it’s spicy and for $20 you get potatoes meat carrots and other stuff that makes it delicious.“

“The food was fresh, flavorful, and perfectly seasoned. Every dish had that authentic Sichuan kick—especially the spicy boiled fish and skewers, which were packed with bold flavors. The portions were generous, and you can really taste the quality of the ingredients.“

“The first few bites are OUT OF THIS WORLD! But then the oil and fat from the dry noodles hits and that's when it gets difficult. Definitely recommend the dry noodles, but not for those with high blood pressure. I haven't tried their soup noodles, but they should be good.“

“The food was amazing. Everything we had was good. They are a great place to visit late at night because of their late hours. The atmosphere was very upbeat and joyful. Service was very fast and on top of everything. 2 for 1 adult sodas were an unexpected plus also. Will definitely be visiting again next time I'm in town.“

“Food is delicious! If you like spicy can try it. If not, you can order one for non-spicy. Many different choices!“

“Sichuan dishes with real numbing heat—mapo tofu and toothpick lamb are standouts. Servers will warn you about spice levels if you ask. Interior is simple and clean. Good for groups willing to share plates. Parking in the plaza can be chaotic at dinner“

“This restaurant has all the qualities of an exquisite Szechuan cuisine. The typically fragrance of the famous dishes will inspire you surrounded by the authentic Chengdu ambiance is a highly recommendation.“

“I’m dinning in with a group of friends and we are making a lot of special requests but the host is very patient and is taking very good care of us. We finish all the food and order more to go. The spicy bowl is amazing! And we finished the spicy bowl and order another one to go!!! Loving this place and would come back again!“

“Very good food, and great cocktails. Wait staff was friendly and accommodating. We enjoyed our experience.“

“This was my first time trying Xiaolongkan Hot Pot and it won’t be my last! The broth was rich and flavorful, and the ingredients were all fresh. But what really stood out was the excellent service. Our server cookie was incredibly helpful, checking in often to see if we needed anything, and always making sure we were comfortable. They made the experience feel effortless and enjoyable.“

“Their service is really good, and I feel good every time I eat there?The pickled fish has no fish bones. Babies who don’t like to eat fish with bones can eat it! There are spicy and non-spicy options to choose from~sauerkraut is also super delicious! You must order rice, because they also have outdoor seating for Chao Xia Rice. You can enjoy delicious food with your furry child???? Service is really good, every time I can come back with a good mood?The fishes are highly recommended and they are boneless ! Tastes sour and fresh～There are spicy and not spicy options you can choose! The sour veggie inaide the dish is also yummy?They also have outdoor dining area ~ so you can enjoy your food with your
canine friends?“

“I googled "best Chinese in LA" and then this popped up as the #1 place. So we drove - and had a very good meal. However, if you expect the classic Chinese dishes, you will be disappointed. This is Shezuan, "a different animal". So no rice, no sweet-and-sour-this-and-that. So be prepared for very spicy Szechuan food. Noodles. No rice. Try the dumplings, they were delicious. We ordered mild (1 out of 5 spice degrees) and we were burning inside (we had two separate orders of dumplings - but spice grade 1. There is no consistency, so be careful). So if spicy is what you are "in" for, you'll love it. The ambiance is sort of authentic ;-) - the sign on how to use the toilet (outside the restaurant in the alley) says more than words. But then, it was $100 all-in for the four of us only. My advice: I could barely understand the service language. Better check the menu before you go. As we were first-timers, I wanted to share three starters and three mains among the four of us and leave it up to the waitress to make us explore - she did not understand. I asked if they served beer. The answer was "noodles or dumplings". :-)“

“Definitely, this restaurant totally hits the spot for me. The soup noodles with the tripe & beef, awesome!!! The pan fried buns, pan fried pie, wood ear mushrooms, seaweed salad, pigs ears, tripe & wash those down with a bottle of cold jasmine tea..... My taste buds are having a 🥳🎉🎊💞“

“This was our first time visiting this chain’s location in San Gabriel. It is more spacious and the food quality is good. There were only two minor issues: There was no one checking the waitlist at the main entrance when we got there. The bathrooms only allow one person at a time. Other than those overall it is a very well managed restaurant.“

“Try The Indo Fried Rice… You will love it😀“

“It's more like a new-style morning tea. The environment is pretty good and the dishes are pretty good. The service is very good. The roasted duck on the copper plate is okay. The skin is thin and crispy. The meat is very tender. The baked rice with seafood is in white sauce and has almost no taste. It's average. The black gold quicksand buns taste like the ones I bought in the supermarket. The mangosteen beef balls are almost as delicious as the barbecued pork rice rolls with mushrooms added in them.“

“Years ago my mom randomly came to this store after a gig in the area, and she was shocked by how good it was.

We happened to be in the area again, and my mom INSISTED on coming here. We ordered number 1 and some cucumbers. Clean, rich flavors. We got mild, and while there’s a kick it isn’t overwhelming. Numbing spice though!

Cucumbers were fresh, salty and rich on the outside and crisp.

Unassuming interior, delicious meal.“

“me gustó la sopa y los apps“

“This place is pretty good for szechuan food. The best fish was the cold pork belly with garlic sauce. The meat was tender and there was noodles underneath it and the sauce was very good. The steamed pork slices were also very good and hearty. The wonton in chili oil was surprisingly also good. The boiled fish with pickles and green beans were decent.

The overall taste of this place is interesting in that the mala isn't as strong as other Szechuan places. So that might be a turn off for some.

The staff was nice and brought out the dishes in a timely order but kind of inattentive at times like filling the water.

The atmosphere feels nice and quiet and homely.“

“Amazing Food. We ordered quite a few dishes and everything was delicious! The Peking Duck and green beans were my favorite!“

“Food was delicious, and service was great and friendly. Ordered scallion pancake, short ribs and soup dumplings it was plenty of food.“

“I have to say the taste was really good, truly the authentic flavor of Sichuan. However, they don’t accept reservations or phone bookings, and you have to go to the restaurant to get a spot, which is a bit inconvenient. We ordered three dishes, and each portion was quite large and very spicy. The service and taste were both good. The only downside was the wait for a table—we waited for 40 minutes.“

“The guy at the front desk was very nice. I ran out of change and looked for it in many stores but couldn't find it. He even gave me change even if I didn't buy anything. His attitude was also very good. I will definitely try it next time!“