Cindy Zhao established local restaurant Sichuan River on West Gate Boulevard in May 2015, moving the spicy flavors of Sichuan cuisine from Northwest Austin to Southwest Austin.
The restaurant serves family-sized dishes based on pork, beef, chicken, fish and other proteins found in most Chinese restaurants, but meals have a spicy flavor because of red chili pepper and Sichuan peppercorn, a spice that creates a tingly sensation in one’s mouth, Zhao said.
Customers can also request no spice or extra spice, she said. The dishes are meant to be shared, so sometimes customers may order too much, Zhao said.
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Sichuan River owners Chunlin Yang and Cindy Zhao opened the restaurant in May 2015.[/caption]
Before opening Sichuan River, Zhao owned A+A Sichuan China in Northwest Austin. A+A Sichuan customers coming from South Austin told Zhao that there was a lack of authentic Chinese restaurants in their area, she said.
