New Restaurant Brings Traditional (and Spicy) Szechuan Cooking to Iowa City

Szechuan House Chinese Cuisine, a new restaurant located at 320 E. Burlington Street, certainly has variety going for it.

The menu logs in at over 200 different items, most of them derived from the popular Szechuan cuisine from the Sichuan province located in the heart of China, but there are also some Japanese and Thai influences visible.

The variety is clear just with a quick glance through the menu, with familiar favorites such as Kung Pao Chicken and a General T'So sauce dish sitting next to more exotic options such as San Bei Duck Tongue and Pork Intestine Guo Zai.

For vegetarians, there are a variety of options available as well, with tofu, bean, spinach, mushroom, and potato dishes.

Szechuan House manager Yuki Yu said that there is a section on the menu with items commonly found in Chinese restaurants that Americans will be familiar with. However, she says that she tries to get customers to experiment with the diverse menu and get a sense of what people like to eat in China.

She said adventurous eaters will be rewarded for trying something new.

"I had a professor at the University come here and tell me that he had spent time in China, and he said he was glad to finally have food here that is made like it is in China," Yu said.

Yu said that it's no accident, however, that the menu seems geared toward Chinese customers. She said she expects as much as 80 percent of her business could come from Chinese people living in Iowa City. She said Iowa City's was one of the main reasons she wanted to start a restaurant here. And she said business as been pretty good for the first month the restaurant has been open.

As for Americans, she is unsure how they will respond to traditional Chinese food, but she hopes the word about Szechuan House will spread by word of mouth.

"I hope people will come here and see it is traditional Chinese food, and say to their friends, 'Oh this Szechuan food is good, you should give it a try,'" she she said.

Yu said Szechuan's chef, Kevin Xu, is from Sichuan Province, where he worked as a chef at a large hotel. Szechuan cooking is known for its spiciness and its emphasis on strong flavors and aromas, utilizing ingredients such as Chinese pepper, ginger, and garlic. For those afraid of adding a little spice into their life, it should also be noted that there are several non spicy options to choose from on the menu.

In addition to the large number of menu items to try, Szechuan House also features a bar with Chinese beers and Sake available.

Szechuan House is open from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The lunch specials are available from 11:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Free delivery is available. The number to order is 319-338-6788.