Wen's Kitchen

Traditional Sichuan food in a very lowkey setting. It's dingy, pretty empty, and just barely staffed which almost made us turn away at the door, if not for the intrigue of the photos of the spicy boiled fish special and the steady stream of loyal takeout customers.

Maintenance and decor are in the "hole-in-the-wall" category, and after being seated under the flickering neon window sign, I almost was ready to leave again. Strangely, much attention was given to the large, laminated menu which promises colorful and aromatic Chinese dishes traditional to Chongqing, and also that your wallet will take a small beating.

To test the waters, we got just two dishes - Chili Sliced Beef (a favorite cold app of mine) and the Chongqing Spicy Tilapia Special. The beef was tasty and tender, just the right amount of heat, and with a healthy dose of crunchy fried peanuts. We weren't sure what to expect of the Special, but we were not disappointed. Our friendly waitress brought out a large tank practically the size of her torso filled with bubbling, hot oil, HEAPED with fish, herbs, and inexplicably... french fries?

The Tilapia Special is quite heavy and very filling, but the tilapia was actually cooked just right without being too chewy. It's served Chinese style, meaning that there will be bones to maneuver around. I don't think it's necessarily worth getting the other add-ins like lotus root chips and mushrooms since we didn't find many in the oil bath, but you do you.

The sole front-house staff was our waitress/hostess who continually manned the take-out guests while pleasantly obliging all our asks such as extra rice, water, and napkins.

Overall: great flavor and friendly service, countered by overpriced dishes and shabby vibes.

Very authentic Chinese food. Tastes perfect and reasonably priced. The chef is so young and talented and I recommend everyone who’s truly interested in authentic Chinese food to come and try. Service is a little lacking since there’s only one waitress but the food is 6 out of 5.

Delicious food if you enjoy a little spiciness. Like Mala/sichuan taste. Braised pork is amazing, braised beef with tofu, cauliflower dried pot are all delicious. Our 2nd time and all been great food. A new hidden gem.

Amazing presentation! Great service some of the most authentic food around!!! The squid and peppers and frog legs were amazing!