Szechuan Taste

Wow. This menu is huge. Most people seem to enjoy the hotpot, but we really liked the family style dishes. The Orange Chicken comes in long skinny strips and is not overly breaded. The Spicy Eggplant is good. The cold dish spicy bean curd/​tofu appetizer is bomb! In fact, everything has a perfect amount of chili oil in it. Finally, a Chinese restaurant that caters to my spicy tastes!

As a Chinese Chinese instead of a banana living in San Diego, I’ve got to say I’m really impressed by how good this place is, cuz in most cases when me and my other friends try to find a good Chinese place to eat, we end up in Americanized Chinese restaurants. This place is spacious, clean, and you do not need to wait long to be seated and served. Food is definitely authentic Szechuan taste, exactly like how they advertised. You need to prepare yourself for the hot and spicy if you have never had real Szechuan food before, and since this is Chinese Chinese place, they eat like Chinese, which means you need to be okay with sharing food from the same dishes. Price is also reasonable, given the dishes’ size here. My friend who came and visit all the way from Australia was very impressed.
This place is definitely one of the best places to go to in San Diego if you are in town and looking for a authentic Chinese, more specifically, Szechuan dining experience.

What. The. Fuck.
Run. Do not enter. We should have known not to sit down when there was no other customer in site. We ordered Kung pow chicken and their spicy chicken. Rice is not a part of the entrée, weird. Shrugs* food came out, they give you a hefty amount of rice for $ 1, cool. But then, he brought out the spicy… Chili peppers? Where is the chicken? Seriously? For 13 dollars I got a huge plate of burnt chili peppers. There was tiny pieces of chicken every five big spoons of chili peppers. The Kung pow chicken was very very sweet, not what I had expected at all. The waiter ate and watched TV the whole time sitting right in front of the tv. Easy job I guess. We got our check, and we didn’t tip. Waiter was no help, and I’m not paying extra for burnt peppers. Guess what the waiter does? He stops us at the door and asks us loudly where is his tip and why is there no tip and we just stare at eachother. One other couple had come in after us and he seriously tried to embarrass us into giving a tip. Here’s a tip: don’t be a rude douchebag. Sorry, I’m not going to tip someone who didn’t do any service besides watch TV.

I bought a groupon for Szechuan Taste and 4 of us went to have dinner last night. We were seated right away in the dining room that was half empty at 7 pm. We were only given 2 menu’s so we shared and began looking through the menu. Shortly after we were seated several other tables arrived. Then a few more tables. The servers never came to our table but kept going to the new tables. After 15 minutes EVERY single table that had been seated after us all had beverages taken and some were ordering there dinners. Still NO ONE had come to our table. I did my best to get the attention of the servers to no avail. It was literally like we were being ignored. The groupon had never been taken out of my pocket so that wasn’t it. Was it because we were the only table that was not Asian? Not sure. After watching EVERY OTHER TABLE get served while we still sat with NO ONE ever greeting us or acknowledging us at all we had had enough. We got up and left. There are no shortages of Asian restaurants in this area to be treated like second class citizens. I would recommend that anyone thinking about dining here should visit any other restaurant on Convoy (around the corner) instead.

I walked out when I found out that they only serve swai (basa) for their fish fillet dishes. Swai may be the cheapest fish and most unhealthy fish there is. When I asked what they served for their whole fish the waitress just said a river fish. Another bad sign.
I left the building like Elvis did.

They have a well priced lunch menu (prices start around $ 6.99) and ample parking. The staff I have encountered (female) have been friendly.
What I’ve tried:
Orange Chicken, mandarin crispy chicken, chong qing hot chicken, Kung pao chicken and chicken with black bean sauce.
The orange and mandarin crispy chicken are pretty much the same thing taste wise. They are both fried the same way and have the same consistency sauce wise. The only difference is that one is spicy/​sweet and one is just sweet. I suggest the mandarin crispy chicken if you are craving orange chicken. If you are looking for ‘orange chicken’ similar to Panda Express this will not be to your expectations.
The chong qing hot chicken (otherwise known as Spicy Chicken) had red chili peppers, green onions, Sichuan peppercorns and dark meat chicken. I didn’t like this one because you literally get more chili peppers than meat! I opened the container and saw only red chilies on the top. Once I tossed these and picked out the rest of the chilies there was barely any chicken. Not worth it for $ 12.99. However, if you actually eat these chilies then this dish would be perfect for you. If you were wondering why your tongue is tingly after eating this dish it’s because of the Sichuan peppercorns. According to Wiki it «has a lemony tang and causes a tingly sensation that sets the stage for spicy food». These hurt my teeth to eat so I made sure to avoid them. Upon eating the chicken I found it to be covered with so much oil that it coats your tongue with a film so you’ll need to eat this dish with copious amounts of rice. Also, this wasn’t something I actually ordered. Apparently their takeout menu is numbered differently from their in house menu. When I ordered by item number from the take out menu I was given this instead of their fried cilantro chicken. Just an FYI to those who order to go. I ended up just taking the hit on this one because I didn’t want to argue over it. Plus, I wasn’t given a receipt so there was no way of knowing beforehand.
I think the chicken with black bean sauce would taste better with dark meat. The breast meat tasted fairly dry and stringy.
The Kung pao chicken wasn’t very good because the meat was overcooked and chewy/​stringy. The overall flavor was okay. At least this dish wasn’t inundated with chilies.
Their dinner prices are around $ 9.99 and the portions are huge. I always have leftovers. They charge $ 1 per rice per person for dinner but they give you a generous portion. Their rice is so fluffy and amazing. I could just eat this from here and be happy.
You can also order to go. I usually order to go and they have always been fast. Just make sure to check your boxes as they put sauce items on top sometimes and it always ends up spilling in the bag into the rice (which is oddly placed on the bottom…)
If you are meeting friends here it’s got the best landmark in Kearny Mesa. It’s right by Cheetahs (and pretty much everyone knows where Cheetahs is whether or not they want to admit it).
Oddly enough I’ve never been given fortune cookies here even though I’ve been many times…

Perhaps the experience might be different if you come alone, but this restaurant does not seem to know how to handle groups. Even though the waitresses will write down the table number on orders, when the food eventually does come out, they have no idea who ordered what and many people don’t even get all that they paid for. The food itself is okay but not very remarkable. If a dish is made with peppers, it may be more hot and spicy than you expect and I don’t think there is an option of making it more mild. Parking is shared with other businesses.

A nice choice for Szechuan-​food enthusiast:) the hot & sour soup was vinegary but I like it, the kung pao chicken was a little bit too sweet but not bad in balance. Mapo tofu was perfect! What impressed me is their excellent service:))

Just tried this place for the first time. I’m always looking for a great cashew chicken, so I couldn’t wait to try theirs. While it had a little more flavor than most, it was lacking one key ingredient — cashews! Chicken, water chestnuts, peas and carrots, but not a single cashew… I won’t be going back.

Tasty mandarin chicken but peking pork was too salty too saucy. Fried potstickers were nice but not like the size and shape of picture. Shanghai dumplings were the best out of everything. Nice décor but bathroom smelled like rotten eggs probably just dranoed the main drain.

We used a Groupon. This place sucks. You call this Chinese. I don’t! We ordered combo fried rice that isn’t even fried. Hot n sour soup that is vinegary, thin and tasteless. We also ordered pot stickers which were ok and hot chili shredded pork which was tasty but not what I’d expected. Parking was tough also. Must have busy at cheetahs… Well it was Friday evening.

Always on the lookout for amazing Szechuan. This is not it. Hot and Sour soup was not very good, the spicy wonton was actually quite awful. And it was drowning in oil. The Szechuan chicken was passable but oily as well.
We were provided with very good service, but that will not be sufficient to bring us back.

We had a Groupon for this restaurant, and always happy to find a authentic Szechwan restaurant! I ordered the egg drop soup and my friend had the sweet and sour soup both were very good, and came out fast! We also ordered the combination chow mein and kungpow chicken. The chow main was perfect and the kungpow chicken wasn’t to spicy if u didn’t eat the chili’s! Very fast service!

I spend FUCKING $ 12 for only 13 piece tiny rib?! The WORST!!! Trust me don’t try this place!

I’m a sucker for food so spicy that it’ll numb yo mouth (and burn a hole in your you know what)! Sichuan food is one that definitely goes up there on my top favorite spicy cuisines.
I’ve dined here about three times and have received good service each time. Unlike other Chinese joints that can care less about customer service, the staff at this place is quite friendly and attentive. They’re happy to give recommendations on what to order based on what you like, along with what are their personal favorites.
Right when the dishes arrived, first thing you’ll notice is that it isn’t as greasy compared to other Sichuan joints. And the portions are perfect! If you aren’t used to Sichuan food, I recommend you ask them to make it less spicy. After you get your palate adjusted to the spice level, step yo game up and get it extra HOT!
I recommend coming with at least 4 or more people. That way, you can have more variety on the table and figure out which dishes you’ll like the best for the next time you dine out at a Sichuan joint!

Good lunch spot. They have lunch specials from Monday thru Friday. Comes with soup, salad, rice and your entrée. Perfect portions and prices range from $ 6.99 to $ 8.99 spending on what you order.
The service is always top notch. They are very attentive with you and very friendly.
Place is pretty authentic Chinese. When you order, they write down what you got in Chinese lettering. (Pretty freakin cool!)
The food tastes really good. Fresh and not too greasy or salty.
I will be coming back many times.

When I first walked in I was really impressed… The décor on the inside definitely exceeded my expectations! They definitely seem like a new restaurant though. The place had pretty much no one in it, but our service came very awkwardly… We had to draw a lot of attention in order to give our order. We weren’t asked about beverages, we had to bring that up… We were served soups about 10 minutes after we ordered. Then we got waters. Then one person was served his meal about 5 minutes before the rest of us… Awkward again… The food tested really good and the portions were huge! I got Kung pao prawns. It was very tasty, there were a ton of peanuts and water chestnuts and slivers of garlic and ginger which I loved. The spice level was just right too. They don’t have brown rice, which may disappoint some. Everyone else enjoyed their food too, it’s just not quickly or efficiently served

first time visiting
had a decent lunch with friends
service is sketchy

Yes, look for the Cheetah’s sign and be cautious when inhaling the smoke from the bar next door.
Based on my dinning experience, I would give this place a 2, but because the take out was good, I’ll bump it up to a 3.
About a month prior to dinning here, my mom brought take out home. The Szechuan wonton dry style hit the spot in terms of flavor and spiciness, but it definitely wasn’t the best. The combination chow mein had excellent flavor. It reminded me of Mandarin Garden of Mira Mesa (prior to the change of ownership). The eggplant in garlic sauce was probably my favorite of the night. It wasn’t overly spicy and had great garlic flavor.
When I came here a couple of weeks ago, I couldn’t help but be disappointed in the Mandarin chicken dish. It tasted like a poor version orange chicken from Panda Express. I also didn’t feel like their chili pepper scale is very accurate. I would rank it at a level 2 spice level.
Overall, I didn’t think service was all that great. I had to ask for water 3 times. I do feel deceived that rice isn’t included in the meal. If you’re going to ask the guest if they want rice, you should let them know that there’s going to be a $ 1 charge per person.
Not sure if it was a change in policy or they forgot, but my mom didn’t get charged for rice when she did take out. Perhaps they didn’t charge her because she has a prettier smile than I do. Who knows?!?

Anyone else cringe when they drive by Cheetah’s and see the Free Cheeseburger sign. I always wondered how good a that cheeseburger could be…
Excuse the random brain fart but the newly opened Szechuan Taste is located in the same strip mall (no pun intended) as Cheetah’s.
I recently visited and actually had a nice meal (table for 1 please).
I ordered:
SZECHUAN WONTON $ 6.99
I settled for this appetizer because 1) they said their xiao long bao wasn’t made in house and 2) I was praying the spicy oil in this dish would HIT THE SPOT that my stomach was craving that day.
Maybe everyone has their own particular fond memory of Szechuan food but this oil really captured it for me. Gosh it was GOOD. There was an intense flavor of sweet spiciness that’s hard to explain. I can only explain it as a spicy savoriness tinged with just the right amount of sweetness that captivated me.
I can’t remember if I asked if the wontons were made in house but it wouldn’t surprise me if they were not (or if they were to be honest). There was very little meat in the wrappers and the wontons, for me, were just used as a warm vessel to slurp up more of that ridiculously good chili oil concoction.
GARLIC PORK BREAST $ 7.99
I don’t think I’ve seen PORK BREAST listed on a menu before. I’ve heard of Pork BELLY but BREAST? Me thinks not. No matter as I figured it would be fatty (which makes me wince now wondering ‘why Faye’).
I was actually tearing up with glee when this item arrived on the table as it smelled exactly like the previous dish. The pork breast pretty much was pork belly as I had expected. The belly tasted a bit warm so not sure if they blanched the sliced belly pieces before dousing it with the spices and oil. Some of the slices were stuck together at the belly fat section and not all the slices had the red oil/​spices on them. I enjoyed this dish and think it’s one of the best Szechuan ‘cold’ appetizer dishes I’ve had here in San Diego.
CHICKEN WITH BASIL $ 6.99 (LUNCH SPECIAL)
Don’t ask why I ordered this. I should have ordered a more traditional dish but I was curious about their well priced lunch specials (for those reading this post who wanna find a new affordable Asian place to try during lunch). The lunch specials come with a cup of soup, steamed or fried rice, and a salad. I wasn’t a fan of the salad as it had a strange sweet soy dressing that I didn’t care for. But the chicken basil itself wasn’t bad.
I assumed their chicken basil would be similar to the Taiwanese Three Cup chicken. I’m not really into the sweetness of the Three Cup chicken so this particular chicken basil here at Szechuan Taste wasn’t really my thing. But I appreciated how they didn’t skimp on the chicken (white meat by the way) and the chicken AND basil all tasted incredibly fresh.
I eat like I’m crazy. The pork belly actually tasted pretty good even a few days later. I let it warm up on the counter as eating it straight from the fridge is pretty gross (imagine cold bacon sitting in spicy, fatty chili oil).
I originally thought the prices of the appetizers were over priced but they seem to be rightly priced for what’s being offered out there in the competing area. I definitely would come back to try more of their items. BUT, their main entrée items do seem pretty expensive. I definitely hesitated to order an entrée that day because of the price tag on the majority of their entrees. I also noticed they have hot pot so that would be another reason to revisit Szechuan Taste when the cold weather hits.