5 spots for tongue-tingling & authentic Sichuan cuisine in Vienna

Ostwind knows how to do Sichuan kitchen and the spice that comes with it. The charm of Ostwind’s interior is that it’s laid out like a family restaurant, with big round tables amongst the mix of seating arrangements (which are perfect for big group dinners where everybody sweats together like they’re in a Finnish sauna). You’ll often see tables sharing dishes, which is the way to go if you can gather a bunch of people brave enough (ok, not everything in their menu is spicy). If you do share, we’d recommend you order one of the Feuertopf variations (minimum of 4 people, 30€ / person) – yes, they live up to their name.

While in general the Sichuan kitchen is known for having a bite to it, don’t let that scare you off. There’s a large variety of meals that aren’t filled with their fiery chilis and will still do wonders for your tastebuds.

The easy on the eyes colour theme of green, and the plants hanging from the roof give this neat location a very relaxed environment. Run by another proud Chinese family bringing the flavours of the Sichuan kitchen to Vienna, the China Kitchen are a friendly crowd that know their way around the kitchen. They’ve got all of the Sichuan favourites, from hot pots, Huigou Rou (double-cooked Pork Belly), the chili, chicken and nutty masterpiece, Gong Bao, and all the other delights of this kitchen that will excite your tastebuds and leave you superbly satisfied. Meanwhile, they also have more adventurous dishes amongst their house specialities, like jellyfish, or octopus salad. Plus, they’ve got a special menu for the Dim-Sums…num, num, num

We dragged our asses out to the 14^th district to check out this restaurant recommended by a Sichuan-lover friend of ours. The place was barely recognizable from the outside and didn´t make any special impression from the inside either. But when we got eatin´… ohhh, we knew this place was special. You could instantly taste their fresh, high-quality ingredients in every dish. We especially enjoyed the “Beef in spicy sauce” (dish Nr. 104) which is prepared in a special in-house way. We later learned that most dishes are made in the traditional way of the Sichuan cuisine that’s why some of them need a bit more time to be served.

>Most of their regular customers are from China, which says a lot about the authenticity of the place. There is even a special menu in Chinese and German that you’ll only get if you ask for it full with well known Sichuan dishes we rarely find in Europe – yes, chicken feet included.

Chili & Pfeffer reimagined take on Sichuan food is not only award-winning, but it’s also hands down delicious! They have a variety of fragrant, flavour-packed options for everyone to enjoy and arguably the best chicken nuggets in town. Next time you’re craving something different, head over to Chili & Pfeffer, take a seat in their modest restaurant and brace yourself for the food to do all the talking.

If you’re going to tackle the menu at Chili & Pfeffer and you’re not an avid fan of heating up your tastebuds, we do recommend going for the ‘Leicht Scharf’ option or sticking to the less spicy meals on the menu. Because, as the name would suggest, they put plenty of chili and pepper into their dishes.

Good to know… this restaurant, although small in size, has still managed to rack up two awards!

This relatively new restaurant specialising in the dark, delicious arts of the Sichuan kitchen has already become a favourite amongst the Chinese expat community here in Vienna, we’re told, and we’ve also spent some time slurping at its hot pots and sweating to its delicious dishes. It’s big in every way – it’s huge, it’s tables are big and made for sharing, and then there’s the flavours. There’s plenty to choose from in their laminated menu, which starts off with the spicy hotpot to share. Come here for tripe in spicy tasty sauces, fragrant and hot pig’s feet, stir-fried chicken guts and other fiery tongue-tinglers – just remember to order yourself a tea to soothe the tingling. Oh, did we mention the frog with chili, peppers and onion? As you might have noticed, this is the real deal. Also spend some time with the Dim Sum section of the menu – it’s all handmade and a fine example or this delicious cuisine.

Good to know… this Feine Sichuan Küche has no relation the the other restaurant with the same name in the 14th district