Taste of Sichuan Has Re-Opened in Beaverton

Back in March of this year we published an article called Taste of Sichuan Will Re-Open in Beaverton. Originally the plan sounded like they’d re-open in April, but delays happened. In the end, they re-opened on Sunday, November 2. Co-owner Dietmar Schimmel and I agreed to chat about Taste of Sichuan after they re-opened, and here is part of our conversation.

The People Behind Taste of Sichuan, and its Origin Story

The restaurant owners are the husband and wife team of Dietmar Schimmel and Stacy Zhong. They opened Taste of Sichuan in 2011, after having run Bamboo Garden (opened in 2006, renamed La Bu La in 2015) in Belleveue, WA for a number of years. It closed in 2021.

“Bamboo Garden—that’s where it all started,” Dietmar remarked. “My wife is the principal owner of [Taste of Sichuan], and I’m helping out where I can.”

They met their head chef of Taste of Sichuan while running Bamboo Garden. “He briefly worked with us there,” explained Dietmar. “And then he decided to do something else. Eventually we reconnected and he has been in charge here ever since.”

They started their time in restaurants as adults, too. Starting a restaurant was Stacy’s idea. “We were actually in Germany—my son was just born. And all of a sudden, she said, ‘OK, I want to open up a restaurant.’ And I said OK! And here we are.”

The Fire at Taste of Sichuan

The fire, which started in the kitchen, happened on Wednesday, December 13, almost two years ago. Here is what we wrote back in March:

“On the morning of December 13, 2023, a fire broke out at Taste of Sichuan; the cause was determined to be a cooking burner that was left unattended. Meaning, it was accidental, not arson. The firefighters got the call at 4:42am and they got it under control by 5:08am Nobody was hurt but there was extensive damage.”

That extensive damage led to two years filled with ups and downs, major curiosity from the community, longing for their food, “will they/won’t they” thinking, and excitement when guests knew they could return to eat at Taste of Sichuan. It took time to rebuild the physical space after the fire, with the property owner having to make a lot of the decisions (Taste of Sichuan has a lease; they do not own the building).

The Best Part About Re-Opening the Restaurant

I wanted to know what best part about reopening has been for them. Dietmar replied, “The best part of it was definitely this incredible outpouring from the community.”

“I mean, we were popular before,” he continued. “But it seemed like the time we were closed made people realize that they had a hard time finding something that’s equivalent from a flavor profile. I could see that on Facebook—there was a flurry of activity [about the restaurant]. And even people just coming by and noticing there is something happening outside.”

The Public’s Guessing Game

Over the years, I heard reports from time to time from people driving or wandering by, and seeing lights on and people working in there. Some of them even reached out to the restaurant—directly and on social media—to ask about the restaurant’s future.

“We didn’t officially announce our reopening, or that there was going to be a reopening,” explained Dietmar. “Timing was also kind of in flux as to when we actually could get in there. We didn’t want to create false hope.”

It wasn’t until they actually had the keys to the doors in their possession that they felt they could say something definitive to the public. And then there was getting everything set up for a restaurant to operate, the permitting process, health inspections, and the like. But in the end, it all worked out.

The Menu at Taste of Sichuan

In case you did not know, Taste of Sichuan offers a menu that is in two parts, basically: lunch and dinner menus that features familiar dishes like hot and sour soup, dry cooked string beans, green onion pancake, a variety of dumplings, Dan Dan Noodle, Ma Po Tofu, orange chicken, and others. Plenty of Sichuan dishes, too, of course.

Then there’s their Wild Side menu that features dishes familiar to folks from China but perhaps lesser-known to Americans. There’s mung bean jelly, jellyfish, rabbit, frog, offal dishes, Cheng Du BBQ Lamb, cucumber in garlic sesame sauce, and more.

Did the Taste of Sichuan Menu Change At All?

I was curious if they did any tinkering with the menus, and Dietmar told me that it essentially is still the same as it has been. He told me a bit about how they originally created the menu.

“So back in 2006, we started out in Bellevue in Washington—basically, I was providing the Western input into the whole thing.” Stacy first put together the menus, as Dietmar had another job (the restaurant was not his full time job at that point).

He continued, “I looked over the menu and saw very generic names. I had tasted the food and I knew this is really good food! But nobody’s going to order it if it’s called ‘House Special Fish.'”

The Birth of the Wild Side

He had the idea to reach out to an American friend who was fluent in Chinese. “We basically went through the menu and started renaming all those dishes that we liked so much into something that would create interest. It was some very fun, joyous several afternoons—with a few beers probably involved, as well.”

This is when they created their “Wild Side” menu where they could highlight all the dishes that makes Sichuan cooking special. “That was definitely a very successful decision to make because now people were actually drawn to those things.” He mentioned the “Swimming Fire Fish,” in particular, “which is the signature name now,” he said.

It was a way to market the food in an engaging way to an audience outside of the Chinese community.

Some Favorites

While Stacy’s family hails from the Fujian province in China—located across from Taiwan on the other side of the Taiwan Strait, about 1,240 miles away from the Sichuan province, both she and Dietmar love the Sichuan food and its flavor profiles. They have bet on others loving it, too.

I was curious to know what on the menu people were eager to come back and enjoy. That would be the Chongqing Chicken, which Dietmar is also a fan of.

“It’s fried chicken with lots of chili peppers and string beans,” he explained. “It combines those two flavors that are make Sichuan cooking unique, so the ma and the la flavor.” Mala is the signature numbing + tingling sensation from Sichuan peppercorns and chilis.

He continued, “You have two different kind of peppercorns and it gives almost this ‘medicinal’ taste to it, which is how I would describe it. Actually, the original authentic dish doesn’t actually have the string beans; that’s definitely a Western adaptation.”

He further explained that the original dish has bone-in chicken, but their version does not: “Western customers don’t find it too appealing.”

He told me that he also loves the pork kidney and intestines dishes. “And then the [mung] bean jelly. I definitely like spicy food,” he said. I, too, love their Sour & Spicy Bean Jelly dish.  

The Staff and the Tsunami

So what sets Taste of Sichuan apart from its peers? Dietmar replied, “I definitely think the quality of the food at our kitchen. And I also highly admire our waitstaff that is able to put on a smile, despite being super busy.”

He has been really impressed by how the staff have carried themselves during this initial time, and deftly handled the deluge of interest after the re-opening. I likened it to a tsunami, and Dietmar said that’s about right. “I mean, November has been essentially … I don’t really have the words for it, but … it’s essentially like having holiday business on every single day. Within ten minutes of opening the restaurant, the restaurant is full.

“And that’s the reason why we had to turn off online ordering—because we simply couldn’t physically handle the volume. If we would have kept our online ordering live, there would have been an enormous wait time in the dining room and an enormous wait time for the people to get their food delivered.”

They’ve also chosen to close on Mondays to give the kitchen staff a break—they are still understaffed compared to before the fire. “We’re missing at least three people and probably would need maybe two more and beyond that,” explained Dietmar. “So things will get better as we can fill those positions.”

So at this point their focus is on the people in their 164-seat dining room, and those getting takeout (for that to happen, you call them on the phone—old fashioned, yes—and go in and pick it up). And on that topic of pickup/takeout via phone. “If the staff has some availability, customers get lucky and somebody picks up the phone!”

As for reservations, they can accommodate them for parties of seven or more. And to make those, you’ll need to either email them or go into the restaurant and set it up. No online reservation mechanism is currently in place.

“It’s another level here,” Dietmar remarked. But they are getting great feedback. “I talked to my manager a couple of days ago and she said that all the feedback that she’s been getting really moved her, and it was just an additional inspiration to work hard.” He says he feels similarly inspired when he reads the comments on the restaurant’s Facebook page, which he has been updating.

Liquor License

While they had a liquor license prior to the fire, they had to start the application process all over again. They are looking to have a full on-premises license. And while alcohol is not the main focus of Taste of Sichuan’s kitchen, they recognize that it is important to their customers.

“Some of our customers were asking if we have the license, and they wouldn’t come in until we have a license!” said Dietmar. “There are definitely customers out there that really appreciate a beverage with [their food].”

It’s so great to see that Taste of Sichuan has re-opened, and is thriving. All the best to Dietmar, Stacy, and their team as they continue to offer delicious Sichuan food in Beaverton, to the delight of many in the area.

Taste of Sichuan [re-opened November 2, 2025]
16261 NW Cornell Road, Beaverton
Taste of Sichuan website | Facebook

Updated December 10, 2025 with corrected address.