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[BEER TO YOU?] Never before has any eatery licensed to brew its own beer been counted among the 100 best in town in this guide or The Oregonian's now-discontinued annual list. That changes thanks to this Szechuan-style Chinese restaurant in Rose City Park, which at press time had just begun serving beer brewed on its seven-barrel system. You'll need it, because the food here—fiery hot and mostly fried—demands suds.We were most impressed with the tempura-battered walnuts ($7) in a sweet-hot glaze with a few scraps of tofu, the nutty hot bowl of cellophane noodles traditionally called Ants Climbing a Tree ($11) and some peppers and the Szechuan Chix ($13), tender bits of bird coated in chili sauce and lightly fried with Chinese celery and cucumber. It could be hotter—see Lucky Strike's version, in which the chicken is buried beneath a stack of nutty-hot Szechuan peppers—but it's already among the better versions in the city. MARTIN CIZMAR.
So far, the house beer hasn't lived up to expectations—and an early batch of the IPA had an unpleasant corny flavor—but the guest list is extremely good.
The Directory: Our 100 Favorite Restaurants in Portland
By Neighborhood: Southeast | North/Northeast | Westside | Suburbs
2014 Restaurant of the Year: Kachka
Top Five: Old Salt, Ataula, American Local, Expatriate
Counter Service Spots: Latin | Asian | Italian | Sandwiches | Burgers
Wine Bars | Beer Lists | Veg-Friendly | Gluten-free | Elsewhere in Oregon
WWeek 2015