Lacto
Ovo
Chinese
Asian
Non-veg
Serves meat, vegan options available. Chinese restaurant with some vegan dishes, plus other dishes which could possibly be made vegan - ask. Note that reports have been made about being served meat in vegetarian/vegan dishes. Open Mon-Wed 11:30am-9:00pm, Thu-Sat 11:30am-10:00pm, Sun 11:30am-9:00pm.
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Last update on 22 May 2020 by Guest
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21 Reviews
First Review by nafanc
LadySnowIva
Points +156
A favorite among the vegan community - Edit
Expensive but well worth the price. Your mouth will be filled with amazing flavors. Not at all like any Chinese food you are used to.
Read moreGuest
Seagull
Points +20
Many vegan options, all extraordinary - Edit
This is my favorite restaurant in Portland. I've never had anything here that wasn't remarkably tasty and well-prepared. Big portions, very friendly staff, and multiple vegan options in each category of the menu. I recommend ordering family-style so everyone can try everything.
Read moreOur faves:
- Hot and Sour Potatoes (note that "sour" just means that vinegar is an important ingredient– the flavors are perfectly balanced and it's more savory than anything)
- Double-cooked tofu
- Eggplant (forgot the name)
- Tian Shui noodles (fat chewy house-made noodles– make sure you mix them up in the sauce!)
When you're done eating, walk a couple of blocks to Sun Market and get La Doubanjiang (Spicy Bean Sauce) and Sichuan peppercorns to keep the party going at home.
Pros: Tasty as hell, Large, sharable portions, I trust them to make my food vegan
Cons: On the $$ side, (but you get what you pay for!)
Guest
veronicajones
Points +305
Great Sichuan! - Edit
There’s a separate vegan menu so it’s clear what can be ordered — and there are a lot of options! We had the spicy noodles (insanely good, impossible to stop eating), the tofu skin stir fry w pickled peppers (yum), mapo tofu (yum), and the sour spicy cabbage side (also yum). There was a bit of a wait on a Friday night but it was SO worth it! Large portions, too — we took home enough for a second meal. Definitely recommend!
Read moreGuest
annielufkin
Points +24
Great for vegans! - Edit
Sichuan Kitchen has a ton of options for vegans!! My favorite entree is the double- cooked tofu. For starters, we love the cucumber salad and the Tian Shui noodles! One of the best restaurants in Portland, Maine for vegans/ vegetarians!
Read morePros: Lots of vegan options , Excellent vegan food
Guest
PennyAlice
Points +32
Addictive - Edit
I found the flavors deliciously addictive: umami, spicy, salty, complex. So many vegan options - don’t miss the cucumber salad, sweet & sour cabbage, fried green beans, ants climbing a tree, and double cooked tofu. The food is very oily since chili oil features heavily, so it’s a special occasion food for me. Also those who don’t like a lot of heat are going to find this food quite spicy. I’d say their “mild spice” is more like the “medium” at a other restaurants. But if you like things hot, you’ll love it!
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2022-01-04
Pros: Lots of vegan options , Available on delivery apps
Cons: Very oily
Guest
charlouie
Points +692
Good Chinese food - Edit
They have a few dishes, where you may ask for an vegan option (it’s written down in the Menu).
Read moreThe starters (especially tofu) were very good!
The sour soup is nice, it’s a lot. The spicy noodles are too oily for my taste
Guest
JennaWolfVeggie
Points +20
Meat found in entree (again) - Edit
I wish I could go back because most of our food was some of the best food I’ve had in Portland but my experience is that this restaurant doesn’t care about Veganism.
Read moreI ordered specifically all vegan food and got pork in my entree. When I called to inquire (hoping it was actually some sort of vegan alternative) it was confirmed that there shouldn’t be any ‘meats in the vegan version of what I ordered. So I explained that there was despite ordering it vegan and the man on the phone told me it should be “just a garnish” and our conversation would suggest he didn’t think it was a big deal because it wouldn’t have been a lot of dead animal flesh in my food…only a little on top. They are small crumbs so even if that wasn’t heinous they were kind of mixed in. I got off the phone without him acknowledging this.
Of course, my partner called back enraged and we got a refund, but I really don’t think rage should be needed in order for someone to at least acknowledge that this is kind of a big deal. It’s hard to find Vegan food in Maine and we really need to know that our food is made with love.
This seems to have happened to another happy cower with the same dish (Ants Climbing the Tree).
Pros: Savory and Delicious (when it’s actually vegan)
Cons: Pork in food regardless of being ordered vegan
NathanBroaddus
We had a talk with the owner about this too, since we thought this as well - but what we thought were small chunks of meat were actually fermented black bean. We have now bought fermented black bean to make our own version of their delicious mapo tofu, and it looks the same, with little black bits scattered throughout.
Read moreJennaWolfVeggie
Oh interesting! Did they look like the above picture? This was light looking ‘meat’ that honestly looks just like pork?
Read moreNathanBroaddus
They did not look like the picture - we thought it might have been some dark colored meat, and were relieved to find it was not. Sounds like you weren’t so lucky. Weird that they were so flippant about it! The owner definitely took our concerns really seriously.
Read moreGuest
Lilbrusselssprout
Points +227
MUST NOT MISS THIS PLACE for vegan food - Edit
If you like spicy vegan gourmet food you will LOVE LOVE LOVE this place. Not everything is spicy, but much of it is. Vegan items are clearly labeled as such on the menu. I've eaten here twice and we do a lot of sharing so I've been able to taste at least six menu items so far. The menu looks like a gourmet chinese restaurant but this place can NOT be categorized as the kind of chinese food restaurant you are used to. This place is SPECIAL, for seriously good food. You will be blown away by the flavors. Trust me on this, just go. We were there this weekend with a mixed group (vegans and non-vegans) for a special birthday dinner and everyone was blown away. Don't miss: spicy noodle appetizer, smoked tofu salad appetizer, eggplant side dish.
Read morePros: Gourmet, creative, unique, Items clearly labeled vegan, Impeccable service
Guest
sglcklch
Points +2895
Loved it! - Edit
This place is an absolute gem. Vegan options galore. We ordered six dishes and they were all fantastic. I believe you can order your food not spicy if you're not good with spicy food. Portion sizes were decent. Contrary to the comments about the service being bad, we thought it was fine. The owner (?) was especially nice and friendly.
Read morePros: copious vegan options, delicious food, good portions
Guest
lisakw
Points +1158
Get your spice on - Edit
Great szechuan restaurant with tons of vegan options. The daikon salad was way too spicy for us, but the ants on a tree, twice cooked tofu, and yu shiang eggplant really hot the spot. Entrees come with a nice amount of white rice.
Read moreGuest
emacduff095
Points +302
Delicious But Spicy - Edit
Lots of delicious vegan options available, but be warned the food is spicy. It’s a spice that builds as you eat more.
Read morePros: Lots of vegan options , Not too expensive , Speedy service
Cons: Spicy (not really a con)
Guest
SableStrout
Points +1258
Unenjoyable food & service - Edit
My husband and I have worked in the service industry our whole lives and are super understanding all of the time. The night we came in was met with a super rude server upon greeting us until we left. I felt so uncomfortable that we left without finishing our food, which we were too afraid to tell the server was completely not what we ordered. We still tipped, because this is how he makes his living, but we won’t be back. The food itself was fine, but nothing to write home about.
Read morePros: Some vegan options
Cons: Not entirely vegan, Disappointing service
Guest
MrsRita
Points +13
Beware Vegetarians! - Edit
Unfortunately I was put off my take out meal tonight as my dish - Ants Climbing a Tree - had pork in it. Their website has a dedicated vegetarian menu where they list this dish, meatless. When you call to order, they assume you are ordering the dish which, unknown to me at the time of ordering, is also on the standard menu with pork in it. They don’t ask you when ordering if you want it with pork or veggie. So you are supposed to guess that the dish exists on another menu with meat in it. They should update their website. Very disappointing.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2020-05-11
JennaWolfVeggie
Same thing happened to me- same dish :(
Read moreGuest
fitzdrake
Points +204
Good food bad service - Edit
The food was great and only reason I’ll continue to go back, but the service was awful. I waited over an hour, and wasn’t the only table to do so, to just order
Read morePros: Lots of vegan options
Cons: Poor service
Guest
sophiefrenchfry
Points +1333
Cozy place with tasty food - Edit
I really enjoyed my lunch at Sichuan Kitchen. It was a little more calm and quiet than some of the other places in downtown Portland. My food was quite good. I got a cucumber salad and the Mapo tofu, which were both delicious. I particularly enjoyed the fresh, delicate cucumber salad. Everyone here was friendly and attentive.
Read morePros: Vegan options clearly labeled, Yummy, Calm atmosphere
Guest
malzimm6
Points +367
Great vegan options - Edit
We went here 2 days in a row on our trip! Several vegan options or way to make vegan and clearly labeled on menu. Veggie dumplings and sweet n sour cabbage was amazing!! Great atmosphere.
Read moreGuest
MoniqueGS
Points +566
So much flavor! - Edit
This restaurant is so great. We went for lunch during the week and it was mostly empty so we were able to chat with the waiter.
Read moreThe food was delicious. We shared the Veggie Dumplings (spicy and so full of flavors), the Mushroom Salad (which was a first for me trying Cloud Ear mushrooms--delicious), the Mapo Tofu (soft tofu stewed in a delicious spicy and flavorful sauce) and the Double-Cooked Tofu (great bean sauce).
Everything was delicious and in quantities that allowed for us to have extra for lunch over the weekend!!
They also packed the leftovers in biodegradable packets which is great!
Pros: Lots of options , Great staff
Cons: A bit on the pricey side, but worth it, No vegan desserts, yet😉
Guest
Dr.KathleenBartlett
Points +73
Delicious Chinese Food - Edit
I have walked by this restaurant many times over the years and kept going. The facade doesn't draw you in. Too bad, as this restaurant is a real winner. I love the peanut tofu. The lotus root is a difficult to find dish.
Read moreI went with a group. It was fun too order a variety of dishes family style and share.
Don't judge a book by it's cover. . .
Pros: delicious food, fun to order family style and share, interesting and unusual dishes, such as lotus root
Cons: Blah facade: walk right by: don't give it a chance
Guest
madoublethew
Points +296
Best meal we had in Portland - Edit
The food here is great. There are loads of things on the menu that are vegan, and even more with a vegan option. The double cooked tofu is tremendous, as is the diced tofu with Sichuan pickle. Perhaps the best thing we had was the simplest: sweet and sour cabbage. Remarkable. Compared to Empire across the road, this is in a different class altogether.
Read morePros: Great flavours with interesting options
Guest
Blueviolingirl
Points +148
great food, slow service - Edit
We love getting take out from Sichuan Kitchen but rarely eat in because the service is often slow. The Mao Pao Tofu is delicious as is the seaweed salad. Be sure what you’re getting is vegan- there are a few things, like the tofu dumpling, that seem like they’d be vegan but they have dairy in them.
Read morePros: delicious , great for take out
Cons: slow service, make sure it’s vegan!
Guest
nafanc
Points +1615
Good Sichuan - Edit
It's great to find a Sichuan spot in Maine. Our group ordered a number of dishes to share. Our server was knowledgeable and helpful with vegan restrictions, and she helped verify that several dishes would suit us. My favorite dishes were the eggplant, the cold seasoned tofu appetizer, and the cloud ear mushroom salad. The noodles were just okay.
Read moreThis is one of the better Chinese restaurants I've been to in Maine. I like it better than Empire, which is down the street.
Pros: Sichuan, Good options
Guest
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