The first Chinese restaurant in the Netherlands with a Michelin star
The history of Sichuan Food, from a culinary first to today, and why that background still comes through on the plate.
Sichuan Food holds a special place in Dutch culinary history. The restaurant was once the first Chinese restaurant in the Netherlands to be awarded a Michelin star, at a time when those stars went almost exclusively to French gastronomy. For Chinese cuisine it was a first, and a recognition that reached beyond the restaurant itself.
A first for Chinese cuisine
When Sichuan Food received the star, Chinese cuisine in the Netherlands was known mainly as accessible, everyday food, not as something you associated with fine dining. That is precisely why the distinction meant so much. It showed that Chinese dishes, when prepared with skill and refinement, belong at the highest culinary level.
What a Michelin star means
A Michelin star is not about luxury or price, but about consistency, technique and the quality of what reaches the plate, time after time. For a cuisine that was still underestimated back then, that recognition confirmed years of dedication to the craft. Sichuan Food held the star for years.
Chinese cuisine, brought to the level of the great gastronomy.
Chinese cuisine at a culinary level
The philosophy behind that star has never disappeared: preparing dishes according to the art of Sichuan, one of the four great cooking styles of China, with the care and refinement of a true fine dining kitchen. Fresh ingredients, patient preparation, and attention to balance in flavour and texture.
From star to guest
Today we no longer chase a star. The focus is on what really matters: the quality of the food and the warmth of the service, in an intimate setting where you have the time to enjoy. The craft the star once earned still defines every dish, only without the pressure of chasing it.
The Peking duck as a common thread
The clearest example of that background is our specialty: the Peking duck in three courses. Lacquered and crisp, carved at the table, and served as tradition intends. If you want to know exactly how that ritual works, read our article on the Peking duck in three courses.
The place: the heart of Amsterdam
You will find Sichuan Food at Reguliersdwarsstraat 35, in the centre of Amsterdam and within walking distance of Rembrandtplein. A warm, intimate restaurant where past and present meet on the plate.