Mountain House Flushing 川山甲 — Restaurant in New York

【Chuan Shan Jia (Sichuan Cuisine) in NYC: A Soul-Satisfying Taste of Authentic Sichuan】

Finally checked off this hidden Sichuan gem among NYC’s Chinese restaurants—Chuan Shan Jia—and left already craving seconds (and thirds)! Came with friends based on word-of-mouth, and after one meal, we’re already brainstorming ways to order every red-sauce dish on the menu. Two standout stars? Their Twice-Cooked Pork and Stir-Fried Young Rooster—both absolute flavor bombs that’ll make your taste buds sing.

Starting with the Twice-Cooked Pork: It arrives glistening with oil, the pork slices evenly thin with edges gently curled—a dead giveaway of masterful stir-frying (that iconic “lamp holder” shape!). Each bite starts with the fatty parts surprisingly not greasy—first hitting you with a rich, toasted aroma of caramelized fat, then flooding your palate with the deep umami of fermented bean paste, balanced by the subtle sweetness of sweet bean sauce. Finally, a zesty kick of fresh garlic bolt shoots up your nose, growing more flavorful with each chew. The pork is clearly top-quality (probably pork shoulder), tender with zero off-putting gamey notes. Pair it with rice, and you’ll find yourself emptying the bowl (no exaggeration—we tested it).

Next, the Stir-Fried Young Rooster: This is the king of wok hei (wok breath)! The chicken chunks are coated in bright red chili peppers and golden garlic bits, their aroma wafting straight into your nose before you even take a bite. The first hit is tender, juicy chicken—surprisingly succulent, not dry or stringy like overcooked fried chicken—with a sweet, savory juice that lingers. Then comes the heat: mild but vibrant from dried chilies, mingling with the spicy zing of ginger and garlic, and a lingering numbing warmth from Sichuan peppercorns. Every layer builds, making your palate dance. The chicken stays incredibly moist (must be pre-marinated in soy sauce and cornstarch!), and even the chili peppers soak up the meat’s juices—so good you could snack on them alone.

Beyond the food, the service is incredibly attentive. Our server proactively explained the spice levels and even adjusted our order to a milder heat when they saw we had kids in tow. The ambiance? Cozy, homey, and unpretentious—red walls, wooden tables, and a lively hum that feels authentically Sichuanese without feeling cramped.

Final verdict: If you’re in NYC craving real-deal Sichuan flavors, Chuan Shan Jia is a must-visit. Those two dishes alone will have you scribbling down the recipe to recreate at home (we already are). We’re already planning a second visit next week to try their Boiled Fish in Chili Oil and Spicy Beef & Ox Lung Slices—and we’ll be dragging all our spicy-food-loving friends along. Trust us, you won’t regret it.

🌟 Must-Try: Twice-Cooked Pork, Stir-Fried Young Rooster

🌟 Rating: 5/5 (We’d give 6 if we could—this place...

Szechuan Mountain House is always a favourite of mine (both in Manhattan and in Flushing). The Flushing one is usually less busy -- usually a bit of a wait if you come during peak times, but I've never had to wait for lunch or early dinner. I am a big fan of the intricate "traditional" decor; the environment is clean, spacious, and very comfortable.

To start, I was a big fan of the starter plate of Chinese-style pickled cabbage. It had a really good spicy/sour flavour without being too strong -- we always devour this (and I think you can ask for more, too!).

I do like that their dishes are quite authentically spicy. I really liked the peppercorn beef 花椒牛肉 that we ordered. Portion size was really big, full of so many slices of beef, noodle knots, and a LOT of peppercorns. While it was really spicy, fortunately it wasn't unbearably so (and you could definitely feel the numb 麻 more than the spicy 辣 per se). The broth was really aromatic and paired nicely on top of white rice.

Their famous swinging pork 晾衣白肉 is also really good -- the popular acclaim is definitely deserved haha. The pork is simple and well-cooked and the thinly -sliced cucumbers were fresh and contrasted well with the more savoury pork. The spicy garlic oil was a particular highlight -- really fragrant and added a nice kick to the pork.

I always get the stir-fried cabbage 乾鍋手撕包菜 -- it's a common vegetable at Chinese restaurants and hard to mess up, but here it was a particular standout! The cabbage was cooked perfectly -- tender without being too soggy -- and while a bit oily, it wasn't too heavy at all. It was a great contrast to the other, much spicier dishes that we ordered.

I've also had the mapo tofu 麻婆豆腐 before, which was yummy and had a great flavour, but didn't feel as though it was too noteworthy; and the kung pao chicken 宮保雞丁, which was ... meh? The flavour felt very muted with a sauce that felt a little off (not quite sweet or savoury, just kind of bland).

Portion sizes are decently large, and the price point is reasonable (maybe around 30-40pp). Always keen to come back whenever I'm in the area -- they have so many delicious dishes that I'd...

I remember going to the one in East Village and how hard it was to get a table! This was a much different story. I came here with my parents around noon on a Wednesday and had no problem getting seated. There was only one other party, but the restaurant started getting busier around 12:30/1pm. All that to say, there's no need to methodically plan your trip here.

Overall, it was an excellent meal, albeit with a few small hitches. First, we were seated at a table that already had a bowl of spicy pickled vegetables. I love spicy pickled vegetables, but it just made my parents (and me) a little uncomfortable since we didn't know how long it was sitting at the table or if anyone had dipped into it before us (y'know what I mean?). Of course, the waiter assured us he had just brought it out, but as the customer we had no way of knowing that. Small thing, but so much of the experience comes down to presentation. Kudos to the waiter for taking it away and bringing out a new one.

The other minor grievances - the fried rice was not what I would describe as "hot" like it had just been cooked, but rather somewhere between warm and lukewarm. Also, the lotus root dish we got wasn't quite what I had imagined - not spicy, but more on the sweet and sour spectrum. It was still good, but probably would've ordered something else.

Otherwise, the food was great: You can't go wrong with the mapo tofu Or any of the whole fishes (although they overused Sichuan peppercorns IMHO - a small sprinkle would've been enough to numb my tongue, but it was like an entire bag spilled into the dish) Cumin lamb was on point Fried rice was very yummy despite not being "hot" when it came out Fresh sauteed veggies were great - we had the water spinach (kong xin cai)

Also, can we talk about the decor?? This place really does evoke a "mountain house" in China but considerably more decked out - everything was so sleek and gorgeous from the main restaurant area to the bathroom. And they have some very lovely dishware (serving pots,...