If you have never had authentic Sichuanese Chinese food, or you're not sure if what you've been served is the real deal, then come to Sichuanese Cuisine. This is the standard by which to compare all others, not necessarily for taste, but for authenticity.

The menu says "Specializing in Hot & Spicy Food," so fair warning (not really a problem, though, for those who are used to spicy Thai food or hot New Mexico chile). I suspect some of the food will be unrecognizable to some who have only experienced Americanized Chinese food, even the so-called "Szechuan" variety.

One dish I tried, the Ma Po Tofu, was swimming in so much oil that it may not be necessary to do any more exploration on the North Slope of Alaska! It tasted the way ma po tofu should taste, and I felt cheated by other restaurants which do not do it right.

In observing the staff eat family style at a big round table after the lunch time rush, I decided that on one of my visits I would get something really authentic and unusual, so the next time I asked the waiter to recommend something. He suggested the Diced Fish with Pickled Pepper. I was a little hesitant because it is not local fish, but one flown in from China. But I did try it, and it tasted every bit as authentic and flavorful as the ma po tofu. The pickled pepper is hot (the hottest dish I had), but like New Mexico chile, it is as much about the flavor as the spiciness.

The flavors here are more in the chile and the oil, and the food may take a little getting used to, but it is quite good. Lunch specials are so cheap you can literally order another dish if you don't like the one served to you, so I strongly encourage people to experiment-- you don't get very many opportunities to taste real Sichuanese food.

The oolong tea was very good.

This restaurant is very "suburban," being located in a strip shopping center near the Microsoft campus. Microsoft employees are a large part of the clientele, and the fact that they come from all parts of the world may be why the owners decided to take a chance with this type of food (not all dishes are spicy, though). For a loyal group of customers it provides a respite from the seemingly unending proliferation of toned-down Asian restaurants.