CHENGDU TASTE

CHENGDU TASTE
808 SHERIDAN STREET, #105
HONOLULU, HI  96814
808-589-1818
HOURS:  Daily 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM / 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM (Closed Tuesday)
www.yelp.com/biz/chengdu-taste-honolulu-3
www.facebook.com/pages/Chengdu-Taste-滋味成都-Authentic-Szechuan-Food-in-Honolulu/1817391465154695

I was excited when we entered Chengdu Taste.  The entire place was filled with Chinese people and every table was speaking Chinese.  The food coming out looked amazing and reminded me of my last trip to China where we enjoyed spicy Chinese food that looked just like what was being served here.  The menu had photos of each dish as many did in China.  Wow I thought this may just be the real deal Chinese food I have been waiting for in Hawaii.  We placed our order and then I got up and looked at all of the reviews mounted in picture frames on the walls.  The accolades and reviews were great.  One from Los Angeles named Chengdu Taste the 49th Best Restaurant in all of LA.  Others raved about the Chef and his culinary artistry.  I could not wait for our first dish.  The Spicy Boiling Fish ($17.99) came to the table in a large pot filled with Chilis.  Under the Chilis was a nice bit of perfectly cooked white fish. The fish tasted amazing.  Delicious.  The Broth was good too but then it started to hit the entire family.  A numbing antiseptic taste that filled our mouths.  I took a drink of water and the sensation was like going to the dentist.  Something about this dish was very different.  Our mouths were a bit numb.  My Wife started to get a bit sick and wanted to throw up.  My Daughter could not eat any more because her mouth "felt funny".  I thought it was the spice but as I ate more my mouth really felt like antiseptic.  My Wife said it as generous amounts of MSG but we could not confirm this.  Our second dish was Hot Clay Pot Chicken ($19.99).  The small pieces of Chicken all had bones attached so you had to eat this very carefully.  It was hot.  Really hot.  We dug in but there was the antiseptic taste again x 10.  Much more than the Spicy Boiling Fish.  So bad in fact none of us could eat it.  The aftertaste and taste in our mouth was beyond horrible.  My Daughter now was feeling sick.  Our last dishes came and my girls wanted to leave.  The Sautéed Beef with Onion ($16.99) came to the table and it looked good.  By this time the rice we ordered had still not arrived so I began to eat the Beef and Onion.  It was delicious.  The Rice finally came and I mixed the rice with the beef.  Delicious.  My Wife and Daughter however took a bite and said it had the same aftertaste.  I did not get the aftertaste with the Beef.  As you might imagine, we were quite disappointed.  Cannot figure out what the antiseptic taste was but it was real and really did make our mouths feel numb and funny.  Hate to say this as I really wanted this place to shine.  Something was not right with our food.  Wish I knew what it was.

CHENGDU TASTE

CHENGDU TASTE IN HONOLULU

DOZENS OF GREAT REVIEWS FROM CHENGDU TASTE RESTAURANT IN LOS ANGELES

46TH BEST RESTAURANT IN LOS ANGELES

RAVE REVIEWS

CHENGDU TASTE MENU

WATER COMES TO THE TABLE IN BOTTLES WITH PLASTIC CUPS

SPICY BOILING FISH

LOTS OF WHITE FISH UNDER THE CHILIS

THE FISH WAS DELICIOUS AND THEN CAME THE AFTERTASTE

HOT CLAY POT CHICKEN

SAUTÉED BEEF WITH ONION

CHENGDU STYLE FRIED RICE CAME LAST TO THE TABLE

72 CAR GARAGE IN BACK OF THE RESTAURANT  

COOL CAR ELEVATOR/STORAGE SYSTEM

TAKES A FEW MINUTES BUT MY CAR MADE IT OUT