HUIXIANGSIYAN - Chinese restaurant in Thao Dien, District 2, Ho Chi Minh City

I would skip eating here in favor of the much better Chinese restaurant about 1km south. Slow/minimal service, zero atmosphere, pricey for what you get. The mapo tofu was tasty if a bit bland bit reasonably priced. the fried chili chicken was the worst dish I've had in Asia in recent memory and the white rice was sticky and not fresh. I should have read other reviews before eating here. Another table ordered and left after 20 minutes without service updates. They did have one waitress that spoke good English though.

Let’s get the bad out of the way first. Absolutely ZERO atmosphere. Set in a private Thao Dien villa with barely any effort made to convert or decorate it into a welcoming space. On a Sunday morning, I felt the life sucked out of me to the very audible hum of the fish tank in front. Prices, as noted are high, even for Thao Dien. But, and we here transition to the positive, portions are massive. I ordered two dishes (Mapo Tofu and the “water dumplings”) as a single diner and just finishing up the last of it 2 days later. I got at least 3 meals out of it. Mapo Tofu is killer. Maybe the best I’ve had anywhere in a long time. I would go out of my way for this dish. The water dumplings were exactly as described. Dumplings didn’t look so appetizing, swimming in a bowl of flavorless water and bok choy, but were quite tasty. Dipping sauce with sesame seeds is divine and I appreciated that they included a large portion of it and vinegar when I asked them to pack up the leftovers. Didn’t have an issue with the service. I really don’t think there’s anything else like this in this part of An Khanh. It’s not perfect, but I liked the food and would return.

Some dishes are pretty good, others not really. My favorites are the 2 way ribs and the pumpkin cake. Rib is very tender and I like the dipping powder and sauce. The fried cake is not too sweet and crispy on the outside Hargow skin is too thick. The other dishes are quite spicy. The soup, we were expecting would be similar to the sour fish soup at Szechuan Mountain House in NYC but it is completely different, in a negative way. The fish has lots of bone so it's quite annoying to eat. Another problem of this place is the portion varies drastically. The rib, hargow are normal size, but then the soup is gigantic, like it would feed 3-4 people probably, so it's hard to order just enough for everyone.

This place offers a solid dining experience with authentic Chinese food. The Chillies Chicken stir-fry is flavorful, and the spicy noodles have just the right kick. The deep-fried pork is nice and crispy. Pairing it all with a cold drink really helps balance the spices. Overall, it’s a satisfying meal worth trying.

The price is definitely to be wary of, it is typically higher than other budget chinese food locations. However, this restaurant delivers authenticity and quality that is proportionate to the price. I can tell they use the proper oils and ingredients to ensure authentic taste. Their spicy and mala dishes are perfectly replicated to Sichuan and Chengdu standards and taste as if I'm back there. The pricing can be a bit more reasonable, but overall I'm still satisfied with the level of food quality and portions we received. If it was 15% cheaper, I'd say this is great value and I would frequently come here. However, I dont think I'd come back unless I was absolutely craving Chinese food.