Olathe’s Szechuan Dynasty serves spicy food inspired by China’s Sichuan province

In 2003, June Zhou and Jim Wang owned and operated a Chinese restaurant in Ottawa, Kan. called China Palace.

China Palace served typical American Chinese staples such as fried rice, General Tso’s chicken and moo goo gai pan. Those dishes were popular with American customers, but the restaurant’s growing Chinese clientele craved the flavors from home.

“In recent years, a lot of Chinese students have come to the United States to study,” Wang says. “They don’t want the buffet, they don’t want American Chinese food.”

So Wang and Zhou decided to start serving dishes common in their hometown of Chengdu, the capital of the Sichuan province in southwestern China. Sichuan cuisine is known for its bold flavor, which comes from garlic, chili peppers and tongue-tingling Sichuan pepper.

The Sichuan food was a hit at China Palace, so when Wang and Zhou decided to open a new restaurant in Olathe five years ago, they named it Szechuan Dynasty (Szechuan is an alternate spelling for Sichuan) and devoted a large portion of the menu to spicy specialties such as Ma Po Tofu ($8.50), Fish in Sichuan chili sauce ($12.95) and Chung King spicy beef ($11.95).

When I visited Szechuan Dynasty on a recent Tuesday afternoon, Wang brought a plastic bag of reddish peppercorns to my table and asked me if I wanted to try one. When I split a peppercorn between my front teeth, the bright, almost citrusy flavor inside burst onto the tip of my tongue, which felt tingly and numb at the same time.

Szechuan Dynasty’s menu has two sides — one features American Chinese specialties, and the other is strictly Sichuan cuisine. I ordered from the Sichuan side.

My meal started with tender, spicy pork dumplings ($4.95) and a small bowl of Dan-Dan noodles ($3.95) topped with pork, crushed peanuts, chili oil and sesame seeds. Wang instructed me to vigorously stir the noodles with chopsticks so every noodle was coated with savory flavor.

The dumplings and the noodles were only slightly spicy — but I did sample two other dishes that left me reaching for cold water and white rice. The Chung King spicy beef consisted of peppers, onions and other vegetables sauteed with strips of beef coated in crushed peppercorns and chili flakes. It was slightly hotter than the fish in Sichuan chili sauce, a bowl of flaky white flounder swimming in spicy red broth garnished with lots of grated garlic.

Not everything on Szechuan Dynasty’s Sichuan menu is spicy. The hottest menu items are designated by red peppers. Milder selections include chicken with fresh mushrooms ($9.95), sweet and sour pork ribs ($11.95), steamed mini buns ($4.95) and eggplant with sweet bean sauce ($9.50).

One of the most popular items among Chinese customers is the Mao-Cai Fire Pot, or “hot pot” for short. Here’s how it works: Customers order a pot of simmering broth for $7. The broths — one spicy, one mild — are served in a pot set over a gas-powered burner. Customers pick ingredients from a list that includes fresh spinach, raw mushrooms, lotus roots, potatoes, shrimp, beef, chicken, fish and tofu. Most vegetables cost $3.99; meat costs $5.99-6.99.

Customers use chopsticks to dip the ingredients into the broth until cooked. The interactive way of eating is extremely popular in China, Zhou says, and it’s catching on with Szechuan Dynasty’s customers. Many regulars, she adds, are Americans who traveled to China and tried the hot pot method there.

Zhou and Wang say they’re working on streamlining their long menu so it’s easier for American customers to understand. They’re also considering moving to a new space near the intersection of 119th Street and Blue Valley Parkway in Overland Park in two to four months.

They say that moving would allow them to add a full bar and upgrade the look of the dining room. They are also considering doing away with their lunch buffet — but the Sichuan specialties that Szechuan Dynasty has become known for aren’t going anywhere.

This story was originally published December 18, 2015 at 10:16 AM with the headline "Olathe’s Szechuan Dynasty serves spicy food inspired by China’s Sichuan province."