Chengdu Impression (Lincoln Park Szechuan)

Ever since Chengdu Impression opened in Lincoln Park a couple years ago, I find myself visiting Chinatown less often. The Szechuan food coming out of their kitchen is some of the best around and the list of great dishes is long enough that I never get bored with the menu.

Tony Hu's nephew, Ryan, bravely opened a restaurant serving the spicy, tingly cuisine of Szechuan province in the typically less adventurous Lincoln Park, but he quickly found his footing. The menu steers you towards the regional Chinese offerings and includes Ameri-Chinese as an afterthought. There is plenty of offal on the menu for the more adventurous and they don't shy away from the dried chilies or the Szechuan peppercorns that make the cuisine so delicious.

For me, the absolute must order dish on the menu is the twice cooked pork with pancake. The spicy, slimy pork belly counters the gooey, almost noodle like pancake in just the right way. I also love the cold wheat noodles and the fried eggplant that are spicy and numbing yet unique in their own ways.

Any time we're craving Chinese food, Chengdu Impression is top of the list. The board has sang their praises since they opened in late 2013, and I know I wasn't alone in craving them desperately when they were closed for renovations about a year ago.

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Some quote from fellow fans:

G Wiv "I was shocked beyond words at how much, at first blush, we liked the food."

Teresa "The dish [Suan La Fen] expertly combined all the right elements: tangy black vinegar, spicy chilli oil, ample fresh ma la, and noodles to sop everything up. It was as good as anything I would expect from the Szechuan favorites in Chinatown and elsewhere."

stevez "Let me add to the chorus of surprise and excitement that an actual Szechuan restaurant serving actual Szechuan food has opened in Lincoln Park."

boudreaulicious: "I don't think I've experienced longer lasting ma la"

wurf "it's legit! i need to go back for more!"

JayB "Loved the deep fried intestine! Porky. Crackly and chewy, but not crunchy or too dry. It's what a chicharron dreams it was. Really great."

nsxtasy "We loved the food at Chengdu Impression and it's now our new go-to place for Chinese"

Chengdu Impression
2545 N Halsted St
Chicago, IL 60614
http://www.chengduimpression.com/

I have only been a few times, but each visit was great. It is certainly the best Szechuan I have had north of chinatown, and I would be very happy to see this on the GNR list.

I've had a number of Chengdu Impression meals, both in house and at home, and the quality is consistently strong. I have a few go-to dishes and haven't had an opportunity to try much outside that zone but I've loved them all--Fu Qui Fei Pian, Bean Curd with Peanut, steamed sliced pork belly with preserved black vegetable leaf (one of my favorite dishes anywhere) and Tiger Skin Peppers are the items I've enjoyed most.

Definitely tastes like a GNR to me!

Crispy eggplant. This has become a favorite in our house.

And to have it a couple of miles away and with a Divvy dock just across the street is fantastic.

Yes please to a GNR!