Cie Sichaun Cuisine — Restaurant in Indio

Out of the gate just know... Food: Excellent! Service: Meh.

Ok, so this is the best Chinese food I've found in Coachella Valley since moving here a year ago. Chinese is just lacking here, especially up near Palm Springs, so thought I'd drive down to Indio to check this out.

Cie Sichaun Cuisine isn't fancy, isn't very fast but I'll be back for the food.

It's a simple dining room, kinda sparse and a little loud as the place started to fill up. They could use some lite background music. No big deal. Service was the only reason I docked a star. There was one wait person and they were quite overwhelmed. Could tell that after being seated and waiting about 7 or 8 minutes to get the menu. Waited another 10 minutes or so to order. But once the order was placed, the food came out at a reasonable pace, dish by dish and was very hot. Toward the end of our meal an older gentleman (probably the chef) came out from the back to help the person in the front. So I think they were just short staffed.

The pork dumplings were mostly standard, but the soups were very tasty. We had the won ton soup and the hot-n-sour. Wonton was delicious, and the hot-n-sour leaned onto the spicy side. Probably the "spiciest" or "hottest" I've ever had. After that was the garlic pork, and kung pao chicken. Both of which were flavorful and plenty of shredded meats.

Cie Sichaun Cuisine leans into the authentic side of Chinese. There's plenty of dishes to suit American taste, and there's some adventurous dishes for same Americans. There was a large Chinese family seated at one of the large tables when we walked in, so I felt we were in the right place for a good Chinese food experience.

If you're in Indio, want some good Chinese and got some time then GO! If you're in Palm Springs and don't mind the drive, then GO! But don't expect it...

What an absolute joke.

I ordered pick up while driving through indio 25 minutes before I was set to arrive.

When I got to the restaurant, it was empty except two tables. I tell the cashier I have a pickup order and my name. She rings me up and then brings out the food. Turns out she had charged me for the wrong order that twi e twice as large as mine.

She runs to get her boss, who immediately starts yelling at her in Chinese. The boss starts trying to refund my order but is unable to do so. She asks if I would like a credit, to which I refuse.

The guy who placed the order I paid for shows up, is able to pay cash and the problem is solved - they give me the difference in cash between my order and his.

At this point it's been almost 45 minutes for a three item order in an empty dining room as I wait for my order which is still not done.

If the food had come out without issue at this point, I wouldn't have left a negative review.

My food finally arrived and they ask if I would like rice with my mapo tofu. Most places include rice - it's like ordering guacamole and having to order chips on the side. Boss informs it will be $1.25 for rice. It took almost everything I had to not cancel my order right then.

The order took way too long and they rang me up for the incorrect order. It would take the tiniest shred of customer service to acknowledge the subpar service and throw in the dollar box of white rice for free.

Best part? The mapo tofu was the strangest I've ever had. It's a well established dish made with ground pork and tofu. This had no pork, instead being uncooked, unseasoned tofu swimming in a...

After reading the reviews for this place, I was excited to try it out. I was left disappointed. I entered the restaurant and needed to use the restroom where I was greeted by a cockroach. I debated very heavily about whether to continue or run. I thought...."look around, see if this is just a one off.... is it clean? This is the desert after all." I left the restroom and was told by the waitress not to sit in the one table that was reserved. (I hadn't asked to. I was just one person dining. I thought that wierd.) I looked at the menu and was starving so I decided to give it a go because the kitchen seemed clean from what I could see and I really was impressed by their selections on the menu. I was hungry. I ordered. The service was sub par. My meal came and it was the first time I really didn't enjoy my food. The egg rolls were mushy inside and blazing hot outside served with the tiniest portion of sweet/sour sauce. They charge extra for steamed rice to go with your entree. The entree was not very tasty. True, I could have been biased by the greeter in the restroom. I don't know. But, I do know that for the first time in YEARS, I didn't want to take home my leftovers (if you know me, this is huge)! I was sorely disappointed and doubt I'll return to give this place another try. I'm saddened. I...