Spicy City

Located in a popular, restaurant-packed strip mall at the intersection of Culver and Walnut in Irvine, Spicy City is a Sichuan restaurant that practically warns fans of mild food to stay away. Half to two-thirds of the entrees have flame icons and other indications of heat, commonly in the form of tongue-numbing Sichuan pepper, and those that don’t are commonly flavored with garlic, onions, or other potent ingredients. As just one example, the Szechuan Cured Crispy Duck carried no flame icon and had only a hint of pepper in its skin, but surprised us by tasting more like ham than poultry – salt curing was obvious in the meat. Pork Ribs arrived flecked with chilis, while a wonton soup was as basic as could be, complete with mild chicken broth.

While Spicy City’s menu is authentically Chinese from edge to edge, it’s definitely polarizing – some of us liked the dishes more than others. Our group arrived with differing individual tolerances for spice, ranging from “try anything” to “those garlic pea leaves are hot,” and though we made it through this meal without a scratch, the more sensitive members had intermittent complaints about the heat level (and requests for additional water). Portions here are pretty consistently large, which will thrill those who enjoy the flavors, and turn meals into endurance tests for those who don’t. Give this place a try if you’re interested in an old school Chinese meal without any frills, at a reasonable price.