Tin House — Restaurant in Rome

While exploring Rome, I stumbled upon a hidden gem—Ba Shifu, a Chinese restaurant that brings the bold flavors of Sichuan cuisine to the heart of Italy. To my delight, the dishes were not only authentic but genuinely satisfying, making it one of the most memorable meals of my trip.

Must-Try: Taro Chicken (芋儿鸡) This dish absolutely stole the show. The chicken was tender and juicy, perfectly complemented by the soft, melt-in-your-mouth taro. Every bite was infused with rich, spicy Sichuan flavors—fragrant, slightly numbing, and deeply comforting. The taro soaked up all the essence of the sauce, creating a wonderful texture contrast and depth of flavor.

A Classic Done Right: Fish-Fragrant Shredded Pork (鱼香肉丝) Another highlight was the fish-fragrant shredded pork, a classic Sichuan dish known for its sweet, sour, and spicy balance. The pork was finely shredded and cooked to perfection—flavorful, tender, and well-marinated. It paired wonderfully with rice and brought a familiar taste of home, despite being miles away from China.

The restaurant itself has a cozy and welcoming atmosphere, and the staff are friendly and multilingual, speaking Chinese, English, and Italian. Ordering was smooth and pleasant.

Overall, Ba Shifu isn’t just a place to eat—it’s a warm culinary embrace for anyone craving authentic Chinese comfort food while in Rome. Highly recommended for travelers who miss the taste of home or simply want to experience the richness of Sichuan...

DON'T GO THERE IF YOU DON'T SPEAK MANDARIN. 1 star because I can't give less, also for doing the effort to offer the worst dining experience ever. So basically we ordered a Platter of gamberetti in "agrodolce" as written on the menu. "Agrodolce" means sweet&sour as per any translator and based on my modest C1 level in Italian. And we insisted on the "agrodolce" and repeated it twice to ensure we get the right dish. We were served a totally different platter (different than the picture on the menu) With a super spicy sauce that one of us couldn't tolerate at all. We called one of the waiters who confirmed that this was the platter we ordered and that they don't have gamberetti on agrodolce on the menu. We insisted on showing her the menu to prove her wrong. Then came the waiter who handled our waiter with the brightest excuse ever: you should read the menu in Chinese, the translation in Italian is not accurate. And the kitchen staff does not speak Italian or English. Perfect excuse. They all insisted that no mistake was done.

Unprofessional, and not worth spending a dime there.

The waiter who took our order was kind enough to explain, yet took the side of the kitchen staff who blamed...

Don't believe the 3.9 rating. This is an excellent authentic Sichuan Northern Chinese restaurant in the Centro Storico near Cavour metro stazione. Skip the all-you-can-eat (aka tourist) menu, and ask for the Chinese menu for the really good stuff - it's in Chinese, Italian and English. These are large platters for family style servings. They speak Italian, Mandarin and English. They have generally toned down the spice/heat level for local taste buds (like all Asian/Indian/MiddleEastern restaurants in Italy), but you can ask them to make it typically Asian/Sichuan spicy. I have watched them handmake the dumplings during the staff family meal, like how I was taught to make them by my mom. Perhaps the menu needs some editing, but I think they are trying to satisfy very diverse customers ranging from local Italians who have a taste for sweet and an aversion to spicy, tourists who are looking for a good deal and AYCE sushi, and a range of Asians who are looking for a taste of home.

Get the braised Tofu di Famiglia, the hot plate Beef with cumin / Manzo con cumino, the steamed whole fish / Pesce al Vapore with white rice / Riso bianco, the spicy green beans / fagiolini, and the wontons...