A New (And Only) Sichuan Restaurant in Grand Rapids Called ChuanCai Fang.

There once was a wonderful Chinese restaurant in Grand Rapids called Peking Wok. Serving authentic Chinese cuisine, this establishment served fantastic food with friendly service and incredibly low prices. Unfortunately, they were located in a dead strip mall in an area hardly anyone goes to, and it was very sad but not surprising when they closed down. Alas, Grand Rapids went back to only having American Chinese restaurants in its growing foodie roster. Until now.

Chuancai Fang is a new Sichuan restaurant that has only been open for a couple of months now. Located on 28th street, it’s not an ideal area but it’s not bad. I first read about the new establishment from EatGR (big thanks to whomever posted this blog on there!) and I was appalled and even a little angry that I hadn’t known about  it earlier. I had a new mission.

Spicy Boiled Wontons. Some of them were just shy of being completely cooked, and there was a sweetness in the chili oil that I wasn’t crazy about.

Spicy Boiled Wonton

Cucumber in Garlic Sauce. One of dishes I will always love. So simple but so tasty.

Stir Fried Shredded Potatoes with Green Peppers. I was spoiled growing up by my mom and dad cooking these, so there was a high bar that wasn’t fully met. But still good!

Sichuan Cold Noodle Salad. Addicting! A new love.

Green Onion Pancakes. These will always be one of my favorite foods of all time.

Spicy Beef Tripe. A little bland.

Mala Spicy Chicken. Eat with rice!

Five Spicy Beef. Much better when eaten with the sprouts hiding underneath.

Lamb with Cumin Seasoning. This was Nathan’s dish but he absolutely loved it. I was actually surprised at how enthused he was.

Spicy Poached Fish. I want some right now. Rice is a must.

Boiled Wonton. The filling tasted old and flavorless.

Gele Shan Spicy Chicken. Terrible, completely overcooked.

The photos are taken from a combined three trips, excluding repeated dishes. One lunch with Nathan, a dinner with my friends Jose, Jen, and Eddie, and the last visit was take out. The first two times were great! Delicious food, friendly service, and reasonable prices. Not to mention that hey, Grand Rapids has a Sichuan restaurant now. Hell yeah! The last two pictures are from my take away order and it felt like I ordered from a different restaurant. However, that just means now I have to go a fourth time to see if it was just a fluke, right? If you’ve been to Chuancai Fang, let me know what you think!