Sichuan Impression

Reviews

• Amy H.

  star star star star star 20 July 2026

  I came here with a group of 6 on a Friday night, and we were seated after waiting for ~10 minutes, so not too bad. The menu is pretty extensive and includes lots of rarities like frog and intestines, but if these don't float your boat, there are a lot of more familiar ingredients you'd find at any Chinese restaurant. I was a bit overwhelmed by the sheer size of the menu at first, but there were illustrations which helped immensely. There were also little peppers next to each menu item corresponding to its spiciness level, which was great for a spicy food noob like me.
  
  We ordered a bunch of dishes to share, including mapo tofu, kung pao chicken, as well as a fish dish, a lamb dish, and a veggie dish that I don't remember the names of. We didn't order anything super spicy and I found everything really tasty. We each had a bowl of rice and shared the entrees. The atmosphere is pretty chill and informal, and it's a great place to grab a meal with friends and just comfortably hang out.

• Sudatta J.

  star star star star star_border 8 July 2026

  They have a very interesting menu. Tried the chilli chicken, fish soup in golden broth and mung bean sprouts sauté.
  The chilli chicken had the spice that numbs your tongue and mix of slit green chillies, celery, spring onion and garlic. Oily but pretty tasty :)
  
  The fish soup had an interesting broth - it was sour and spicy at the same time. Not sure what the ingredients of the soup base are ( it was very busy so didn't get a chance to ask). Please check with your server if you need more details on their dishes.
  
  They have a shared parking lot but it was full. They also have valet.
  Street parking can also be found around the neighbourhood.

• Max G.

  star star star_border star_border star_border 6 July 2026

  I was completely underwhelmed with the quality of the food at Sichuan Impression (West LA) restaurant.  The tea smoked ribs lacked good smokey flavor and the meat tasted old.  And at $25 for 6 ribs, we did not receive value for the money.  The kung pao chicken was bland, unless we ate the chili peppers. The dumplings were also a disappointment. The one dish we liked was cold Sichuan noodles.
  
  Our waitress was cold and unhelpful, bordering on surly. She didn't know the items on the menu well enough to offer descriptions or recommendations.
  
  I want to try the Alhambra location, but will not dine at the West LA location again.

• Daph H.

  star star star star star_border 3 July 2026

  If you're thinking about dining at Sichuan Impression, join the waitlist on Yelp. Seriously, don't even think about just showing up during some off hour because they are closed. Just do it. Done? Onto the review...
  
  At Sichuan Impression in Westwood, you'll find frogs, rabbits and intestines on the menu. If this doesn't float your boat, no worries - there are more accessible items like chicken, pork and shrimp to numb your mouth.
  
  Their menu is HUGE - from non-spicy vegetables to exotic fare like pork ear, trotters, intestines and duck tongues. Dishes are ranked from zero peppers to three peppers to indicate spiciness.  I was dining with a pescatarian, which immediately eliminated many of these more unusual dishes. Combined with my lack of tolerance for spicy food, it made narrowing down our choices much easier.
  
  Their Impressive Cold Noodles with peanuts and scallions was like a vegetarian version of Dan Dan noodles. With only one pepper to its name, the noodles were tolerable in heat for my wimpy taste buds. On a hot day, the noodles were perfect, though the noodles were rather ordinary and didn't quite live up to that "impressive" designation.
  
  Our other one pepper dish, the Boiled Fish with Rattan Peppers, seemed rather innocuous at first. The fish was melt-in-your-mouth tender with rattan peppers, sprouts and fungus. As you progressed lower into the very generous serving, the fish had absorbed more of the broth, making it more spicy.
  
  I have to give Sichuan Impression serious props for not compromising their food to accommodate Western palates, and they can still draw crowds of people. With such an overwhelming menu, Sichuan Impression has a lot to offer - no matter your dietary restrictions.
  
  Valet parking in the lot and metered street parking. Don't forget to sign up on the waitlist on Yelp!

• Kedar D.

  star star star star_border star_border 2 July 2026

  Sichuan Impression has a confusing menu (some dishes are listed 2 or 3 times on various pages) and doesn't offer a ton of options for vegans, but it does have a few things for the plant-centric diner.
  
  We got a "tender bamboo shoots in red chili sauce" ($9), which is vegan by default. This cold dish serves as a nice accompaniment to the mains, but I didn't find it all that spicy; in fact, it had a slight sweetness to it.
  
  The "Impressive cold noodles" ($9) came recommended by the waiter, as we didn't want white rice (they don't have brown rice, as you might expect) and they don't have dan dan noodles. This dish tasted okay, but I wish it had more peanut flavor. It's also vegan.
  
  The chili stir-fried mustard greens ($11) was excellent and, while not as good as pea shoots, provided a nice change of pace from your average leafy green.
  
  The mapo tofu can be made vegan if you omit the meat ($14). I liked this dish as it's hearty and savory, with a good dose of numbing szechuan peppercorn. That said, Meizhou Dongpo in Universal City has the best mapo in Los Angeles.
  
  Lastly, the street corner potato strips ($10) look beautiful, but basically are soft crinkle-cut french fries with some seasoning. Instead of this dish, go with the Shredded Potatoes in the vegetable section (it'll be a much crispier dish of lightly stir-fried potato with jalapenos).
  
  The service is friendly and the food comes out really fast.
  
  If you want better Szechuan food in the area, I recommend GuYi in Brentwood, which has a similar menu, but better preparations and more vegan options.