Mountain House Rowland Heights 川山甲 — Restaurant in Walnut

Szechuan cuisine, in my memory, once danced on the palate with a fiery tango of chili heat and nuanced spice. Sadly, my recent encounter at Mountain House in Rowland Heights was less a graceful pirouette and more a clumsy shuffle through a salt mine. This was not about personal bias, it was a culinary expedition gone awry.

The restaurant itself offered a promising first impression. Lush bamboo, a tranquil Koi pond, and décor more sophisticated than the usual Chinese fare hinted at a refined dining experience. Service, too, exceeded expectations, a refreshing departure from the stoic service I've often encountered.

Unfortunately, the ascent to culinary pleasure ended abruptly just past the appetizer. The lone lettuce salad, doused in an inferno of vinegar and chili, offered no respite, serving only to singe the palate. And so, to the main event: three dishes, handpicked by the waiter, arriving in unison, united not by the promised symphony of Sichuan flavors, but by a singular, tyrannic note – salt.

It wasn't a subtle salinity, a whisper of the sea or an earthy hum of soy sauce. This was a full-blown salt tsunami, drowning any hope of discerning the promised harmony of Sichuan peppercorns, ginger, and garlic. Mentioning this culinary assault to the waiter elicited only a nonchalant suggestion of "more water."

Undeterred, I persevered, but beneath the avalanche of salt, there was only emptiness. No savory counterpoints, no sweet whispers of caramelized sugar, no fruity echoes of citrus – just a monotonous, unrelenting roar of sodium. This, for the first time in memory, rendered my usually clean plate half-empty. The thought of enduring those salty remnants at home held not an ounce of appeal.

Even an hour later, the ghost of that sodium jungle lingered, parching my tongue and clouding my judgment. Looking around, I found no solace in the faces of fellow diners. Were they truly oblivious to the salt storm, or had they, like me, become prisoners of their own culinary Stockholm Syndrome?

My mind reeled with unanswered questions. Was this an aberration, a rogue wave in the vast ocean of Sichuan cooking? Or a reflection of my own palate, perhaps forever skewed by childhood memories of exquisite Chinese seafood? Only further exploration, guided by a seasoned Sichuan aficionado, can unlock the truth.

But for now, the $80 spent at Mountain House remains a bitter pill to swallow – a cautionary tale of misplaced hope and an unwelcome assault on the taste buds.

Verdict: While charming decor and attentive service offer a glimmer of promise, the overwhelming salinity of the food renders Mountain House an unfortunate misstep on the...

Mountain House is one of my favorite, if not the favorite, Chinese restaurants. The Sichuan style food they serve is absolutely delicious and authentic with fresh ingredients and generous portions. The restaurant is beautifully decorated and the ambiance is Oriental and tranquil. The service is good especially compared to most Chinese restaurants. There is one particular person working there worth mentioning is Ding. He is friendly, polite, attentive and engaging. Ding’s superb customer service skill deserves a six star rating.

My girlfriends and I are regulars of Mountain House - despite the long distance drive to get there -as we always had pleasant dining experiences at the restaurant. However, recently we had lunch the day after the Mother’s Day, we found the portions of the dishes were significantly smaller than usual. We brought the issue to the team leader’s attention (as the manager was off that day). We were told that they cut the portion for lack of ingredients as they didn’t expect the restaurant would be packed on Monday, especially right after the Mother’s Day. They offered us two free desserts to share as compensation. Today we had lunch at the restaurant again. I mentioned this situation to Ding. He totally understood our “complaints” and added that how the staff handled the situation was inappropriate. He said that the restaurant should have informed us they were unable to serve particular dishes for lack of ingredients rather than cutting the portion. He also informed that the restaurant holds regular training sessions for the staff and he would bring this issue to the manager’s attention. He offered us complimentary appetizer and the delicious plum juice for everyone as appreciation for our feedback.

If you like delicious spicy food and good dining experience, Mountain House is the place to go. Our favorite dishes include Jiang Bei style broiled fish, stir-fried cabbage, green pepper pork, stir-fried pork intestine with dried chili pepper, pepper lover chicken, Ma Po Tofu, and swing pork belly...

My family and I came here today to celebrate my brother’s birthday. To start, the atmosphere is incredible. As you step in the door, you’re instantly transported into a beautiful Chinese garden. The trees, dimly lit lanterns, wooden accents, and traditional music create such a cozy and calm environment. It makes you want to hangout for hours! Our server, May, was so accommodating and helpful. She helped us navigate the menu and gave us recommendations on what to order. When our food arrived, we were blown away. Everything was packed with flavor and the perfect amount of spice. If you come here you must try the pepper beef tongue, golden corn kernels, and my personal favorite, the swing pork belly (amazing if you’re a garlic lover like me). My favorite drink here is the watermelon slush- made with fresh watermelon and perfect on a warm day. May was always ready to assist us and made sure we had everything we needed. When we were finished eating, we asked May if we could have a small dessert with a candle so our family could wish my brother a happy birthday. Not only did she bring out the dessert swiftly, but she got the restaurant to play a happy birthday song and have all the other servers sing to my brother. At this point, we were overwhelmed with joy. But it didn’t stop there. May insisted that the dessert be on the house, and on top of that, she brought out a gift to my brother. We were thrilled. Everything about our experience today was more than I could’ve imagined. The ambiance, the food, the service- it was all through the roof. If I could give this place 6 stars I would, seriously. May and all the other staff made this a day to remember. We can’t wait to stop by many more times. Thank you so much...