Dropped by here close to my hotel because I was craving some noodles. Had the clear bone broth beef noodle soup since I wasn't fond of spicy stuff. Ordered to-go and service was great. They let me sit down at the hotpot tables and there was just a short 5 minute wait. The interior is contemporary and airy with nice big windows. Noodle soup was great and probably Szechuan style with lots of spices and sesame oil, smells good and tastes good. I did drink the soup but I didn't feel too thirsty which means not much msg read more

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The food here is properly spicy like you would find in China. It is as authentic as you can get from a Chinese restaurant in London. Warning tho your bathroom visit the next day won't be so fun. read more

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The waitress there was very friendly and patience. We mentioned that we come from New York do some of the dishes are different from what we used to have, she took time to explain the ingredients and the way how they prepared the fish which is very unusually to me. The food is good but the portion is a little small to our standard read more

Ended a day of walking in windy London with a meal at Chilli Cool. We ordered the following: - Chicken and taro - Lotus in dried pot - Qiaojiao beef noodle soup One sip of the beef broth and I sensed danger. Considering we were sat in a Sichuanese restaurant you come to expect a certain level of spice with some bold flavours which this did not have. It wasn't exactly plain, there was a gentle meatiness to the soup but when looking at the other plates we'd ordered I could just see this dish disappearing once the palate had been exposed to the oils and heat of the chicken and lotus. A quick and generally effective fix was to order some chilli powder and soy sauce to the table. The saltiness of the soy brought out the flavours that the dish did have and the chilli proved an excellent accompaniment to the gorgeous (and generous) cuts of meat in the bowl. The chicken and taro come in a delicious numbing-chilli sauce. Be aware of the broken bits of bone and also make sure you do not waste the lovely chunks of garlic swimming at the lower depths of the dish. The star of the show which I will remember Chilli Cool most fondly for was the lotus. Incredibly moreish crunchy, savoury delights, I would recommend a visit for these alone. I've eaten a fair amount of lotus but mainly in soups so to have these in a drier form was a mouthwatering treat. One thing I would say and have alluded to is that this is a Sichuanese restaurant but not one that will knock your socks off with heat. The flavours alone were enough to satisfy me but fair warning to those spice junkies after that "extra la" punch at least from the things we ordered. One last tip would be to order "yē shù pái yē zhī", a canned Chinese coconut drink not on the menu. For me to recommend this despite not being big on coconut just shows how special this creamy goodness went down. Not too sweet with an amusing amount of advertising on the can, definitely worth a try! read more

Aw guys! Whats with the low ratings here? I'm LOVING this place! 7 of us came to this place, and we were sat near the end of the restaurant (near the backyard). There are two parts to this restaurant, making it easier if you have big groups. I could tell the authenticity of the food here by the amount of Chinese/locals you see eating here. The smell of hot hot chili.... mmmmm! We ordered 8 dishes to split between the 7 of us. Cabbage, chili dumplings and four season beans came first. It took around 15-20 minutes but that's fine with me. Then came beef tendons- chewy and jelly-textured but flavorful yet spicy. Hot and spicy spare ribs cooked fried with chili smelled amazing, and tasted heavenly. It was crispy, spicy, and the sesame that it was cooked with brought out the best of the ribs. Highly recommended. The hot and spicy cold noodle (with shredded chicken and cucumber) was refreshing. The cold glass noodle was spicy and cooked to the right chewy-ness. Then came the delicious fish dish- it wasn't the water cooked fish. It's called sliced fish in homemade twin chili sauce- BEYOND!!! The fish was SO smooth and tender, fresh and just, indescribably delicious. Highly highly recommend again. The dish was HUGE, cooked with tons of fish meat and some vegetables. Not to mention, the chili had a sweet aftertaste... mmm.. The beef with chili and Sichuan pepper was alright, with a fair amount of bean spout, but also spare amount of beef- it was alright. The total we spent for 9 dishes plus 6 bowls of rice equals to around £88. 10% off cash payments!!!!! Overall, a wide range of amazing classic Sichuan food, would definitely recommend this restaurant to all my friends who LOVES spicy food. PS. VERY SPICY. VERY DELICIOUS. AUTHENTIC GOOD FOOD, and 10% off cash payments. DOUBLE THUMBS UP!!! read more

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Chilli Cool is an aptly named semi-hole in the wall type of place. It's definitely worth a visit as it serves up some delicious food (mostly Chinese I think) in generous portions at reasonable prices. At least half the dishes help support the name choice as they are absolutely loaded down with dried chillies stir fried or simmered with the dish. This isn't a place to eat daintily. Rather, one must aim to determinedly continue to stuff food done one's gullet while mopping away the chilli sweats. The heat builds gradually in the way of scotch bonnets rather than smacking you upside the face like habeneros. I'd love to tell you what I ate, but to be honest I'm not quite sure as we just pointed at the pictures that looked the tastiest and asked for those. The menu is in Chinese and the English translations don't quite always make sense. I will say the meat was tender, the veggies crunchy and fresh, and the sauces bursting with flavour. And of course the plethora of chillies adding all the spice you could want. Service is okay but requires a bit of confidence and assertion as they will tend to ignore you unless you make yourself noticed. The bathrooms are possibly the dingiest dirtiest place possible so avoid if you can. Overall, it's a good place for a meal (especially after a day of drinking) but not somewhere I'd consider worthy of a trek on its own accord. read more

Chilli Cool - Chinese Near Me - London, XGL

Chilli Cool - Pics @ The London Foodie I first learnt of Sichuanese Cuisine when reading Fuchsia Dunlop's book "Sharks Fin and Sichuan Pepper". Fuchsia is an engaging writer - it was great fun reading about her adventures as a Westerner living in Chengdu, and learning about Sichuan and its cuisine. I have bought both her cookery books which are also very good. After reading a positive write up by Mr Noodles of Eat Noodles Love Noodles (this is his favourite Sichuanese restaurant in London), I decided to try Chilli Cool last week. Mr Noodles is a real authority on regional Chinese cooking, and his blog is an excellent source of information on the subject. Dr G and I arrived and headed to the wrong entrance of Chilli Cool - there are two: one for the Sichuanese hot pot restaurant on the left hand side, and another for the a la carte menu on the right. We were directed to the correct entrance (a la carte), and were soon seated. The staff's level of English isn't great, although I found them to be efficient and polite. The decor was simple and with no frills, and the lighting was strong and bright. One unnerving aspect of the restaurant is how greasy the floor was - I could hardly stand on one spot without sliding away. If you can put that to the back of your mind though, you are in for a culinary experience. The menu is well laid out and contains many pictures of the dishes to assist ordering which I found very helpful. Following the recommendations of Mr Noodles, we ordered a selection of dishes from the menu. We started the meal with the less hot "Sea Spicy Shredded Pork" @ £7.80. This was utterly delicious, with the slivers of pork, julienned bamboo shoots and black fungus making for a sensational combination of flavours. The sauce was rich and very flavoursome (I believe this to be also translated as "Fish Fragrant Sauce"), and despite the name, it has no fish ingredients - it is sour, sweet and spicy and made from ginger, soy sauce, garlic, chinkiang vinegar among other ingredients. We also ordered "Sliced Beef Sichuan Style Lavishly Topped with Chillies and Sichuan Pepper" @ £8.80 (Also known as "Boiled Beef Slices in a Fiery Sauce" - shui zhu niu rou). This was another rich and delicious dish, and one of the highlights of the evening. The beef was coated in flour and then boiled in stock and soya sauce giving it a silken texture. The addition of finely julienned celery and spring onions to the rich sauce made it hearty. It was fiery but bearably so. It was about zero degrees outside but I was pouring with sweat - a perfect dish for this type of weather. To accompany the meat dishes, we ordered some plain steamed rice @ £1.50 a portion, and two of my favourite Sichuanese vegetable dishes - "Dry Fried Green Bean with Minced Pork" @ £6.80 and "Sea Spicy/Fish Fragrant Aubergines" @ £6.80. The greens were dry fried until tender and slightly wrinkled, and tasted delicious with the minced pork, Shaoxing wine and soya sauce. This was a simple but very satisfying dish. The aubergine dish was the better of the two though - the fish fragrant sauce was complex and bursting with flavour. I have made this dish many times at home but have never managed to come close to the richness and concentration of flavour of Chilli Cool's version. We also ordered their "Chengdu Dan Dan Noodles" @ £5.80. I have tried this dish at several restaurants but Chilli Cool's was I think the most authentic. It was seriously spicy and delicious with a generous helping of "Ya Cai" a type of Sichuanese preserved mustard green, and a rich sauce made from an assortment of spices. We thoroughly enjoyed our meal, and it cost only £44. We ordered enough to feed 4 or 5 people as the portions were rather generous. Verdict - Authentic Sichuanese cuisine in Central London at very reasonable prices. A must for anyone who appreciates this type of cooking. Delicious fish fragrant aubergines, sliced beef and shredded pork and charming service. Highly recommended. read more

Chilli Cool - Chinese Near Me - London, XGL

*Avoid at all costs* Went for dinner here as we saw okay reviews for hotpot. Arrived straight from an uber and prebooked half an hour before arriving. We turned up and the waitress looked confused when we said we had a reservation. She told us to wait a few mins whilst another table left. We saw a fridge area with meats and veg on shelves. And a table with sauces laid out. None of us had been there before hence we didn't know if it was a buffet. We looked at each other then said we needed to make sure we boiled everything thoroughly in case we got food poisoning as the ingredients didn't look fresh. We didn't leave as it was raining heavily and we were hungry. We were finally sat down at our table and the first thing we all said was...the floors feel super oily, sticky and dirty...anyhow....We wiped our cutlery and asked for a menu as we had no idea how it worked. It was a buffet for £22 and as guessed, we help ourselves. The mix of sauces didn't taste great (because maybe I'm crap at mixing sauces?). The broth was half spicy, half mild. The mild side didn't bubble much so we cooked our food mainly on the spicy side. After a little while, we all commented that everything was extremely salty. Hence I started *washing* the food on the mild side. The waitresses were not friendly and looked extremely busy. They kept walking in and out of the restaurant. We assumed their kitchen or second half of the restaurant must've been next door/nearby. Paying around £30 each in the end. We all vowed to never go back as the quality was so bad and 3 out of the 4 of us ended up with diarrhoea which continued to the next day...meaning that the food/sauces must've been contaminated in some way. Avoid at all costs!!!! I would give it no/negative stars if I could... read more

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4.5 If you are staying in the neighborhood, especially at the Generator hostel this is the perfect place to eat because it's just around the corner. The food here is definitely legit, but I was disappointed to find that they don't serve beef noodle soup for dinner (which my friend told me is actually quite common at many restaurants). Too bad I ate here my first night in London and was disappointed with bad Chinese food elsewhere the rest of the trip. read more

All day long I was jonesing for some spicy Sichuan and I have to admit, this was a bit of a disappointment. That said, I ordered only one vegetarian dish with rice so I'm sure there are better things in the menu. I had a veggie stew of dried tofu, black fungus, mushrooms, potato slices and sweet potato noodles in a red chilli filled sauce. The veg was fine but the sauce fell a bit flat. I wanted it to really wake up my senses - this didn't quite happen. Nice staff though although they wanted cash payment. Cheap owners! read more

Crucial to the whole experience of eating in Chilli Cool is to go in a big posse of ravenous bellies. This way you can sample a decent spread. An experienced memeber of our gang actted as Sherrif, taking control and ordering a plethora of exciting plates. And out they came, one after the other, veiled in a chilli laced fog of inviting aromas. Thank goodness someone kept track of what was what, because soon after my first bite I sank into a chilli induced trance as flavours I didn't even know existed befuddled my poor brain. First out of the kitchen was sliced Pigs ear in sesame sauce, followed in quick succession by beef and ox tripe in chilli sauce, sea fragrant aubergine, hot and chilli crispy pork intestine, sea spicy shredded pork, sliced beef Szechuan style lavishly topped with chilli & Szechuan pepper, stir-fried pork and green beans, mini-lamb skewers fried with chilli & chilli powder, and stewed beef tendon. I won't even try to go through all nine dishes individually, because there isn't space. And because the whole experience blended into a whirlwind of new tastes and textures as I dug into one plate then another eager to pile as much into my gob as I could. It was like feeding burgers to a starving man, I just couldn't get enough. The chilli heat was as intense as anything I've eaten while the Szechuan peppercorn induced numbness added whole new layers of dribbley fun to the experience. Highlights were the pigs ear, served cool, it was chewy, porky, hot and cold at the same time, with helluva chilli kick that rose up from the back of your throat after your first nutty bite. Crispy pork intestine was full of texture and flavour,a crispy exterior giving way with a crunch to a meltingly porky morsel inside. The beef tendon wibbled and wobbled in my chopsticks like a giant beefy jelly baby, and incredibly satisfying to eat But for me, king of the table and as luxurious as a Raja's palace, was the sea fragrant aubergine. Eating it was like having your mouth massaged by soft silk-gloved hands. Hands covered in chilli. Once the smooth rich fleshy aubergine slices were messily finished, it was all I could do not to thrust my face into the oil and slurp it up. I made do with pouring it over my rice (and liberally down my shirt). If like me you are new to the cuisine this is a great place for an intro. Don'e be frightened by the offal, dive in and try it out. Order liberally and widely and be prepared for an assault on the senses. Oh yes, make sure you don't wear a white shirt. That's very important. Mine looked like I had executed some messy gangland hit by the end. Not that I cared. I was replete with a full belly and the fading whiskey warmth of a lot of chilli. read more

Chilli Cool - Chinese Near Me - London, XGL

Chilli Cool - Pics @ The London Foodie (http://www.thelondonfoodie.co.uk ) I first learnt of Sichuanese Cuisine when reading Fuchsia Dunlop's book Sharks Fin and Sichuan Pepper. Fuchsia is an engaging writer it was great fun reading about her adventures as a Westerner living in Chengdu, and learning about Sichuan and its cuisine. I have bought both her cookery books which are also very good. After reading a positive write up by Mr Noodles of Eat Noodles Love Noodles (this is his favourite Sichuanese restaurant in London), I decided to try Chilli Cool last week. Mr Noodles is a real authority on regional Chinese cooking, and his blog is an excellent source of information on the subject. Dr G and I arrived and headed to the wrong entrance of Chilli Cool there are two: one for the Sichuanese hot pot restaurant on the left hand side, and another for the a la carte menu on the right. We were directed to the correct entrance (a la carte), and were soon seated. The staff's level of English isn't great, although I found them to be efficient and polite. The decor was simple and with no frills, and the lighting was strong and bright. One unnerving aspect of the restaurant is how greasy the floor was I could hardly stand on one spot without sliding away. If you can put that to the back of your mind though, you are in for a culinary experience. The menu is well laid out and contains many pictures of the dishes to assist ordering which I found very helpful. Following the recommendations of Mr Noodles, we ordered a selection of dishes from the menu. We started the meal with the less hot Sea Spicy Shredded Pork @ £7.80. This was utterly delicious, with the slivers of pork, julienned bamboo shoots and black fungus making for a sensational combination of flavours. The sauce was rich and very flavoursome (I believe this to be also translated as Fish Fragrant Sauce), and despite the name, it has no fish ingredients it is sour, sweet and spicy and made from ginger, soy sauce, garlic, chinkiang vinegar among other ingredients. We also ordered Sliced Beef Sichuan Style Lavishly Topped with Chillies and Sichuan Pepper @ £8.80 (Also known as Boiled Beef Slices in a Fiery Sauce shui zhu niu rou). This was another rich and delicious dish, and one of the highlights of the evening. The beef was coated in flour and then boiled in stock and soya sauce giving it a silken texture. The addition of finely julienned celery and spring onions to the rich sauce made it hearty. It was fiery but bearably so. It was about zero degrees outside but I was pouring with sweat a perfect dish for this type of weather. To accompany the meat dishes, we ordered some plain steamed rice £1.50 a portion, and two of my favourite Sichuanese vegetable dishes Dry Fried Green Bean with Minced Pork £6.80 and Sea Spicy/Fish Fragrant Aubergines @ £6.80. The greens were dry fried until tender and slightly wrinkled, and tasted delicious with the minced pork, Shaoxing wine and soya sauce. This was a simple but very satisfying dish. The aubergine dish was the better of the two though the fish fragrant sauce was complex and bursting with flavour. I have made this dish many times at home but have never managed to come close to the richness and concentration of flavour of Chilli Cool's version. We also ordered their Chengdu Dan Dan Noodles @ £5.80. I have tried this dish at several restaurants but Chilli Cool's was I think the most authentic. It was seriously spicy and delicious with a generous helping of Ya Cai a type of Sichuanese preserved mustard green, and a rich sauce made from an assortment of spices. We thoroughly enjoyed our meal, and it cost only £44. We ordered enough to feed 4 or 5 people as the portions were rather generous. Verdict Authentic Sichuanese cuisine in Central London at very reasonable prices. A must for anyone who appreciates this type of cooking. Delicious fish fragrant aubergines, sliced beef and shredded pork and charming service. Highly recommended. read more

Chilli Cool - Chinese Near Me - London, XGL

An authentic Szechuan restaurant but kinda tucked away from the main streets. Clean and bright seating environment but the kitchen downstairs which is next to the toilet looks oily and bit dirty. Service was just okay. The waitress forgot to give us menus so we had to help ourselves to take some from the counter. But she's responsive to our requests and polite as a whole. Food was served quick. The portion of the boiled fish with pickled cabbage and chili was huge. The fish fillet was tender and the broth was quite savory tho not spicy. But the griddle cooked lotus root slices were mediocre, oily and didn't taste fresh. read more

Not the cheapest place to eat but one of the best quality Chinese food I've had in London! CASH ONLY read more

Chilli Cool - Prawn - Chinese Near Me - London, XGL

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I came here with low expectations after having tried expensive, mediocre Chinese food in London for a year. I have to say this is the best Sichuan restaurant I have experienced in the UK (way better than Bar Shu and far less expensive for the same dishes). Don't come here for the atmosphere---it's a very casual hole in the wall (full of Chinese students), and typical of Chinese restaurants outside of China, it has shabby service at times (although I speak Chinese, so I didn't find the service that bad---I suppose they treat Chinese customers differently). But the food surpassed my admittedly low expectations---I was quite happy with my "Mouth watering chicken"---it didn't taste like the sauce just came right out of a can, unlike at Bar Shu (and if it did come out of a can, then they bought a good brand!!!). I highly recommend this if you would like to try some decent Sichuan food in the UK!!! I will most definitely be back (and never again will I go back to Bar Shu after having discovered its less expensive competitor). Side note: Half of the restaurant is also dedicated to Sichuan style hot pot-----I HAVE BEEN SEARCHING FOR HOT POT EVERYWHERE IN THIS CITY, AND NOW I HAVE FOUND IT---AND NOT JUST ANY HOT POT! MY FAVOURITE SICHUAN STYLE HOT POT!! Needless to say, I am happy. Edit: Oops I just found a review for Little Fat Sheep Hot pot, which is my favourite hot pot chain in China & California ---Will definitely be trying that. So ecstatic that it made it all the way to London too!!! read more

I love Sichaun food - the layers of dried red chilli peppers over oily broths of fatty offal with sprinklings of lip-numbing peppercorns, mountains of garlic and ladlefuls of salty soy sauce and sour vinegar. It's like ramming the volume dial up to 11 on every tastebud bar sugar. It's the full-on inversion of sucking a mint. It's good because it's so hot and bad. But Chilli Cool was cold and bad. Not the food, that was decent enough when it finally came, but the atmosphere. We were their on a chilly and cool evening last weekend and practically froze to death in their Arctic restaurant. Please get some heating! Despite being prompt at ordering even with only 1 and a half menus given to us, we were left to wait 45 minutes to be served. Not because it was busy but because it wasn't - so the staff were all in the back not working and we were left to become hungry icicles. Our main course of boiled beef in chillis came first followed 12 minutes later by the rice we needed to eat it with. Vegetables came a few minutes later and were really quite good, packing more punch than the disappointing beef. Finally 20-odd minutes later our appetiser showed. It was no longer so appetising, especially with the rude staff, the long long wait and the dirty dishes left out on tables around us. We left full and well-spiced but cold, disgruntled and down on cash. We'll stick to Acton for Sichuan for now which is far superior on all fronts. But spare a thought for our neighbours who arrived 5 minutes after us. Despite a few protests they were left sitting for 1 hour before getting to even place their order. Only when the customer began literally SINGING his frustrations did they show to take his order and then when that arrived the poor soul had a plate of beef, vegetables and a (??) pitta bread (!!) Didn't look very chilli or cool to me. read more

A perfect meal in a hidden gem around Bloomsbury/Aldwych. Awesome. As expected with any authentic restaurants, you will probably get a crappier version of the dishes if you don't speak the native language. Thank god my family calls me once a week so I can practice my broken mandarin. Things you must remember in Mandarin: how to pronounce food dishes and how to ask where the bathroom is. Survival.done. My fellow bay area buddy and I indulged in the traditional Szechuan faves of dan dan noodles, fish fragrant eggplant, water boiled beef, and some green beans to round out our 5 a day. Every dish was tasty and seasoned properly, although I would have preferred my noodles to be a little thicker (homemade). Spice level was moderate, which is good if you don't want to leave the place with your mascara running down your neck and potential pit stains. Overall, TASTY...CHEAP (44 squids for everything + tea and beers) and lovely. Nobody was rushing us out as we gorged and chatted for over 3 hours. 4 stars cuz Bar Shu is still my fave. A cheaper Bar Shu version this surely IS however, highly recommended. read more

Horrible, horrible service. They really wanted us to leave so that they can serve more customers waiting. Is this how Chinese people in the UK treat others? I feel ashamed to be from the same country with them. Well, not like they'll care about my reviews. Don't come. Don't come. Don't come if you want a remotely positive experience. read more

This is probably the best Sichuan restaurant I have been in London, very tasty, big portion and reasonable price. but it's a bit out of way, so can't go there often. read more

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I would have never found this place if my parents hadn't stayed at a hotel about a block or so away. Lucky they did because this place is great! It's a Sichuan restaurant so that means ordering the spicy things things on the menu. The level of spiciness in the dishes we ordered were SPOT ON. The yuxiang rousi (fish flavored pork strips) was EXACTLY how it should be--pleasantly spicy and sweet. The fish soup we ordered (the yellow one, not the super spicy one) was also a good choice, but was a little on the salty end. However, with rice, this wasn't that big of a problem. We also ordered a side dish of vegetables and it helped serve as a counterweight to the spicy food. Overall, the entire meal fit together. I definitely want to come back, hopefully with friends next time. read more

Chili cool brings you the authentic flavor of the shihuan kitchen, spicy is an understatement. Always people eating here even though it is on quite a dodgy looking street. Menu is reasonably priced although some may label it as expensive for chinese food - but if I may offer my humble opinion: worth every penny! Buy it, do it, download it, book mark it, I don't know put it in your Ipad - just make it your business to come. read more

Chilli Cool - Food - Chinese Near Me - London, XGL

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Do you like spicy food? Leave now if your answer be negative... I don't think China's Sichuan Province wanted to feed you anything that didn't make you sweat. Really tasty Sichuan cuisine, everything I've had here has been delicious, but my staple orders must include the double-cooked pork belly with Chinese leeks, cold chilli-noodles and aubergine in yellow bean sauce. Oh dear, I just ate my weight in pork fat and chilli oil again... read more

Perfect place for a big group dinner (as long as you're with people who don't mind eating family style!) I brought a group of 11 people here and we all fit snugly around the round table at the back of the restaurant. Was a bit cozy, sometimes our chopsticks hit one another as we ate, but that added to the fun! We ordered 8 dishes to split among us, with a big steaming pot of rice to pass around as well. Everything was delicious, spicy spicy spicy, but the perfect amount of food to try more than a little of everything and walk away feeling completely sated. In the end it came out to less tan £17 each, and that was with everyone having at least one beer (two options: Tiger or Tsing Tao) to wash away the heat. read more

We were brought here by some Chinese friends, who said they come here every month or so. I think I may join them. The highlight for me was the giant cauldron of sliced fish soup. I really could have had just that with rice, though it's really a 2-3 person portion. I would go back just for that. The aubergine was another hit. We also ordered something like a salt and pepper prawn, which was a bit overdone. Despite having been warned about it, I didn't find the food to be that spicy. A lot of chillies, yes, but not actually very spicy if you just eat the underlying food. I think I was disappointed, and the boy was relieved! The waiter told us it was cash only for lunch, which I'm pretty sure is wrong if you're not a cash-only establishment, but whatever. Service was functional, and we came for a very late lunch, so we had to chase down a waiter to get the bill, since I think they were eating their own lunch. Atmosphere is plain, but you're really just here for the food anyway. read more

The service here is the worst I've experienced in a long time. The staff are rude, we waited 15 minutes to have a drink order taken, our rice came after our main dishes, our meals did not come anywhere near together. The ambiance of the restaurant teeters on the edge between basic acceptable and "buffet style" basic. It just about gets away with it. Taken on these points alone I would not only recommend you not to visit here, but I would recommend that it should be closed down. However, the food was excellent. Sadly, for me, that isn't enough. I won't be going back. Learn some manners and standard of service! read more

Most disappointing service ever received. Two of us ordered four dishes. Took an hour to arrive and even then one of them was missing and never arrived. We refused to pay the 10% service charge. "Two minutes" is an excuse I don't want hear again. Won't be back. Seems a shame because the food seemed really good and other people seemed to be getting their orders on time. read more

Chilli Cool is great if you want decent quality Sichuan food at a reasonable price. The service is brutally efficient (they gave our table away because we were 4 minutes late!!...but they quickly found us an alternative!) and the decor is a strange combination - cosy cafe in the front, giant greenhouse in the back!!.. however, the food is good value compared to some other Soho based Sichuan eateries and the portion sizes generous. On my most recent visit I opted for the chilli chicken and the sliced fish with twin chilli sauce - really great dishes although not that spicy. The chicken was perfect, really soft and succulent with just the right amount of spice. The Fish was in a giant bowl swimming in a sauce that was tasty but a little oily. The flavour and texture of the fish however was spot on with an almost smoky after taste. read more

I wonder what people who have eaten Sichuan food outside London think about this place. We found the food unpalatable. Meat: Ugh :( Rice: Not sure how it can be quite as gross as it was. Probably because it was very stale. Flavors: Not right. Too much fish sauce and vinegar in the wrong places Service: After all of the above, I'm not sure how they can afford that attitude! Rude, uninterested, unwelcoming, sloppy. Space: The best part of the experience. Sadly, it seems this might be one of the better places for Sichuan food in London. So end result, no more Sichuan food for us in London :( And definitely not here. read more

Another major ding for service - I will caveat that I did not eat here. Was dying for some Sichuan and noticed that, although google maps showed them open, yelp did not so I gave them a ring. It took me three times of asking the woman who works there for their hours before she finally got it. Language barrier - all good but seriously can you answer 'are you open?' If not, maybe manning the phones at a restaurant isn't your calling. But she informs me they are open and will be up until 10:30p. Great! I'll make the walk over there. Upon arrival I asked if they did takeaway at which point she says their CHEF IS GONE ON BREAK. As I turn to leave in frustration it occurs to me that the dimwit speaking to me is the same moron that was on the phone. At which point I turned around and said, 'I just called you literally five minutes ago and asked you if you were open' to which she asks 'oh you called?'. Yes - she nervously smiles. Sweet merciful lord in heaven why are people this dumb allowed to walk amongst humanity? Long story short - I wanted Sichuan food and ended up questioning why humanity exists in this paradox. Probably not a good sign. read more

Easily in my top 3 Sichuan favorites. Prices are competitive to Chinatown and servings are fit for families. Patronage among non-Chinese is growing, speaking to Chilli Cool's appeal to the wider neighborhood. Good to see spicy food commanding such popularity. They're great with big cauldrons of sliced fish, the more elaborate the better. Spicy pork ears are served with an equal measure of chopped garlic, making it one of the zestiest openers in the menu. The house chicken is a bit on the lean side but the marinade goes great with rice. Consider yourself warned: the chefs can be quite liberal in their use of chili and garlic, which makes for extreme deliciousness but also exacts price to be paid later on. Think about that. read more

Sometimes it pays off to walk off the beaten track and drift along some side streets. Especially when you start the night in Kings Cross and don't fancy an open plan dining experience but are just after a decent meal over which to finish a conversation. How wonderful to stumble across Chilli Cool - mind you, my date may have known about it all along and didn't want to make me feel bad for having missed out for all these years ... Chilli Cool is two restaurants right next to each other. We went to the one on the left first which specilises in Sechuan hot pots. Almost all tables were taken with steaming fondue-type pots surrounded by massive selections of skewers yet to be cooked. And a lot of happy diners. At £20 per person this looks like extremely good value - for another night when you haven't eaten all day ... Next door serves a more conventional menu of individual dishes. We were lucky to find a table, just like next door the place was packed - with an encouraging mix of Chinese and locals. The couple next to us looked like they knew what they were doing and I ordered by pointing at one of their orders rather than trying to make a choice based on the menu. As a lapsed vegetarian some of the dishes posed a bit of a challenge (pigs intesintes, anyone?!) but I think they really have something for everyone - provided you like chilli. The portions are massive, and one main course between the two of us would have been plenty. My pork stir fry (fresh green and red chillies) was delicious and my friend's seafood dish looked amazing too (I don't think I've ever seen such a large amount of dried chilli in one serving!). I always thought Chinese food was my least favourite Asian cuisine - until now, a new favourite!! read more

Quick glance: + authentic Sichuan cuisine + attractively priced + good portion size - service can be slow Full review: I came here for a colleague's leaving party and was pleasantly surprised that this part of London harbours this little gem of a restaurant. The food is authentically Sichuan, packs a great flavour and even has hot pot on offer. The dishes don't hold back on the chili peppers but isn't killer hot in an unpleasant way. If you don't like spicy food then you won't get the full Sichaun experience, but there are some non-spicy dishes on offer too. Service could be slow and at times it felt like we had to wave madly to get the waitress's attention. Perhaps it was an off-night or we had a new waitress, but we had the wrong plates delivered to our table only to be promptly seized by the next waiter abruptly who realised it was for the next table. That aside, the food is faultless and not too oily as could be from some Sichaun restaurants. The price is right and it feels like I was momentarily transported to Sichuan as I tucked into tasty kung pao chicken and ma po tofu while hearing snippets of neighbouring conversations taking place in Chinese. read more

Worst gdamned service ever. Came here for a later dinner, as we had been out in London doing our tourist thing. We asked if they were still opened, and they told us they closed at 10:30. Problem was, it was about 9:55. I'm sorry, Chinese food doesn't take too long to prepare, and we weren't looking to dine and hang out; we were pretty famished and wanted a hot meal and to go back to our room to rest. So they sat us, almost reluctantly at a table. We put in our orders quickly enough. My mom and cousin got their food within ten minutes of us putting in the order. My food? Had to wait on it. A 45 minute wait. I know things get lost in translation, but it was crystal clear that they had lost my order and did not put it in, since I ordered pretty much the same noodle dish my cousin got, just different meat in it. I know certain things get lost in translation, but there was no explanation, no 'sorry, we forgot to put your order in' whatever. When I did go ahead and ask about my food, the waitress snapped at me and said 'some food takes longer than others'. Anyway, my food finally came out and I took my damn time eating it, because it was well after 10:30, as they started to clean quite noisily around us. They made it clear tat it was my fault that they were still in the restaurant, even though I ordered a simple noodle dish thirty minutes ago. Whatever, the food was good despite all that, but I've never felt so demeaned in a restaurant situation before. They happily sat two groups of Chinese people well after seating us, so to us Filipino-Americans, we weren't deserving of any such service. Whatever, if you're staying in Bloomsbury avoid this restaurant at all cost. read more

For full review and pictures see http://hungryinlondon.com/2010/08/chilli-cool-bloomsbury/ I was in desperate need for spicy food and what better place could there be than a Sichuan restaurant called Chilli Cool ? Especially as it has been favourably reviewed by a horde of fellow bloggers and they are usually not wrong. You have to know about this place as it is located in a residential are South of King's Cross where no one would ever expect an exceptional restaurant to be and you would never just walk past by chance. My experience with Sichuan cuisine was thus far restriced to Barshu and its siblings Baozi Inn and Ba Shan, and until a couple of years ago I was not even aware of the existence of this very distinct Chinese cuisine. Sichuan (or Szechuan) province with the capital Chengdu is in South-Western China and its cuisine is characterised by loads of chilli (fresh and dried) and the unusual flavour of Sichuan peppercorns which tingle on your tongue. And there seems to be a lot of oil everywhere, which is unfortunately a real challenge for my sensitive digestive system (which does not deal very well with fat/oil/grease and refined sugars). But once in a while I can take some subsequent days of suffering for a hugely pleasurable culinary experience. I regard the food at Chilli Cool as equally good as at Barshu, although Chilli Cool is substantially cheaper. The service is not very polite in either of the places and if you go there for friendliness you might be disappointed to appalled. For seriously interesting, tasty and different food however I highly recommend it. It was already a good sign that there were loads of Chinese customers, I must have been the only Caucasian in the whole restaurant. The Chinese people there obviously knew what to order we did not (even though my friend C is (Malay) Chinese herself, but is an expert only regarding Cantonese cuisine, so apart from the very pleasant company she was utterly useless) and ended up having enough food to feed us for the next few days to come Really, the waiter could have told us that we ordered far too much instead he asked us full of astonishment if we really only wanted one rice (mind you, the one portion rice we finally got was more than enough for 2 people). We randomly chose some dishes, and even though not indicated on the menu some portions are huge. I mean HUGE. They were so enormous that they followed me into my dreams and caused me nightmares chased by a fish in chilli oil). Our favourite dish was the the dry fried beef with chilli (8.50) with perfectly tender beef. Even though as one can see there were loads of chillis in this dish, it was not overly spicy, as the the chillis are not supposed to be eaten but only provide the superb flavour. We also went for a so called 'Appetizer, the aubergine with red & green chilli (5.90) which was nicely flavored but not hugely exciting. This was NOT an appetizer size, and we would have had enough with these 2 dishes already but there was more to come We did not order the Fish with Fresh Red Chilli and Chilli Powder (15.60) which appeared to be the signature dish of the restaurant as everyone around us was eating it, because it was humongous (but a hugely attractive dish overflowing with red chilli). We chose another dish instead (The Sliced Fish in Two Chilli Sauce (12.80)) which seemed smaller from the pictures in the menu. But whoever has done internet dating will know from traumatic experiences that pictures can lie. This dish was equally huge and even though we really managed to eat loads of it (we thought) there was still enough to completely fill two takeaway boxes (just to give you an idea how big it was). The fish was very nicely cooked, in oil-broth with chilli and vegetables. Again not overly spicy but full of flavour. I loved the dry fried green beans with pork (6.80). As opposed to conventional Chinese sir fries, the beans were cooked until soft and tasted delicious together with the chilli and minced pork. Very addictive I have to say. We paid 20 pounds each this time, but could have done with about half the food so basically it is a bargain (if you know what to order) and really good. read more

As a self proclaimed halfie (half English, half Malaysian-Chinese), I know decent Asian food when I taste it, and the complete dearth of good food in Chinatown led me to explore further afield. Chilli Cool had some great reviews and I went along with one of my English mates to try it out. Sichuan food is pretty different to your Anglo-Chinese food but the lack of prawn crackers and sweet and sour pork didn't disappoint! The hot pot looked incredibly good, and authentic, with hard to find ingredients such as Jin Jiang Gu (thin, chewy mushrooms). At £20 a head, the hot pot is a little bit pricey, but then again, it is all you can eat and it did smell mighty fine. However, we decided to go back for hotpot with a larger group and instead plumped for dishes to share. Having travelled much of China, including Sichuan province, the menu was pretty authentic, but not wanting to put off my English guest, I ignored the tripe and intestinal dishes, instead choosing dishes that were a bit more mainstream. The Jin Jiang Rou Si was better than you would get in most Chinese restaurants, but the accompanying pitta bread didn't really fit the authenticity bill. The beans and minced pork was tasty, although it could have been a bit spicier. The dried chillies didn't have much of a kick to them and the pork was quite dry. The final dish was a chilli fried chicken dish. Again, it was decent and better than you would get in Chinatown but unfortunately not mind blowing. The meal came to £30, including rice, tea and service charge which is good value - we were absolutely stuffed. I've given Chilli Cool a 3* rating, which I feel is a bit mean. 3.5* would be fairer (half stars aren't allowed on Qype!), but I have a feeling that if I go back for hotpot, or for some of the more authentic dishes, the rating will climb to a deserved 4*. Watch this space. read more

Chilli Cool is one of a new breed of Chinese restaurants popping up across London that cater to a largely mainland Chinese crowd. It's particularly popular with University of London students as its Leigh St location is very close to the Halls of Residence. There aren't many concessions to non-Chinese clientele so don't expect to order sweetcorn soup and sesame prawn toast. The few non-Sichuan dishes on the menu like dong-po pork and stir-fried shredded potato are those favoured by mainland Chinese. Now Chilli Cool isn't going to win any awards for its interior design, use of English in the menu or erratic service. However there is something about its home-style cooking that wins me over every time I come here. Although Sichuan food is associated with being hot and spicy, milder dishes shouldn't be ignored. There were seven of us so there was plenty of scope to order a wide range of dishes. In ascending order of heat, we ordered sea spicy shredded pork (yu xiang rousi) - mild, slightly sweet and served with woodear fungus - a gentle introduction. Double cooked pork (hui guo rou) - so called as pork is boiled then sliced and fried, looks like bacon and crisps up nicely when fried in the wok. Gong bao king prawn with peanuts - doesn't really need too much of an intro although I can't remember much about this dish as I only managed to bag one prawn ! Stir fried before stewing the jack bean dry (siji dou) better known as dry-fried green beans - a must-order in any Sichuan restaurant. Despite being fried with dried chillies, this dish isn't overly spicy. So far so tame but now we enter the heat zone, quick frying chicken with cumin & chilli (lazi ji) - deep fried chicken bits tossed in a wok with Sichuan peppercorns, ginger, dried chillies, cumin, spring onion and peanuts. Possibly my favourite Sichuan dish and as good as you get in China. Sliced beef Szechuan style beef lavishly topped with chilli & Szechuan pepper (shui zhu niu rou) - more commonly known as water-boiled beef - another must-order. Beef slices are served in a vat of chilli oil with beansprouts - this tastes better than it sounds. The double whammy of chilli and Sichuan peppercorns really does make your eyes water. As well as steamed rice, we ordered double portions of dan dan noodles and minced pork dumplings with chilli oil (hong you shuijiao) and these sound renditions of Sichuan street food just about finished us off ! It was lunch but if it was dinner, we might have ordered an extra dish or two. As you can see, we didn't leave much behind although they're happy to oblige if you need a doggy bag. If we ordered tap water, this feast would've only cost £11 per head but we had a couple of rounds of beers so the damage was £17 each still a bargain ! Even if you added some extra dishes, you'd struggle to spend a fortune in here. read more

As an Asian (not Chinese though), I know what is good or bad when I visit Oriental restaurant. And obviously, this place is the one I will recommend to my friends as the best Sichuan place in London without any hesitation. It. is. authentic! - You can see many Chinese customers there and even the servers there barely can speak English. Same as other Chinese ones, you should not expect service from here and that is only down point from me. If you are trmpting to A bit spicy chinsese food (FYR-it is not too spicy and my bf who is French really enjoyed a lot as well) go this place. You won't regret at all :) read more

This was the perfect end to a week in London. Wonderful, spicy food, terrific service and everything was delicious. The green beans with garlic sauce and pork were amazing. Also had Kung Pao chicken that was spicy and yummy. Service was excellent and the prices were good for central London. You can tell this restaurant is good because it was busy. Glad to know this is here and I'll be back. Thank you! read more

最好吃！Living in China was one of the best eating experiences of my life, but when I left, oh how I struggled to fill the hunger for authentic, spicy, Chinese food! But then, out of the darkness came Chilli Cool. Everything about it was what I had longed for: no pretense of formality, servers with a mild grasp of English, family style meals, and tasty, tasty food. There are so many items on the menu that I have barely made progress trying them all. Some of my favorites are the Mapo tofu, spicy cold cucumbers, and the northern dumplings. Really really seriously definitely check out Chilli Cool. read more

Decent service with very good chief special dishes. Nice spot if you are looking for a Szechuan restaurant. White Rice is nice too.