Da Sichuan Bistro

Longstanding El Camino Real Sichuan kitchen famous for spicy dan dan noodles, mapo tofu, and owner warmth after six-plus years in Palo Alto.

Da Sichuan Bistro makes room for the spicy, numbing flavors that give Sichuan cooking its distinctive appeal. The Palo Alto restaurant's dry-wok hot pots combine a choice of protein with mushrooms, peppers, chilies, and Sichuan peppercorns over bean sprouts. We like that format for a meal built around a bold centerpiece and a few contrasting sides. Mapo tofu, Sichuan-style twice-cooked pork, and dry-sautéed string beans offer other recognizable regional choices. Pot stickers, kung pao chicken, chow mein, and fried rice keep familiar dishes in the conversation, too. The menu also dedicates several sections to vegetarian soups, vegetables, noodles, and meat-style preparations. Da Sichuan Bistro's appeal is the chance to build a shared Chinese meal around different textures and levels of heat, with enough breadth for diners to follow their own preferences.