How far would you drive for good food? In Alhambra, we have world-class restaurants only minutes away. Alhambra has six restaurants currently on the Michelin Guide, spanning from a dim sum parlor to a Malaysian cafe, and many more that were recognized in previous years.
The Michelin Guide originated as a way to get people to travel (read: drive) to new destinations and find food that would be worth the cost of a new set of tires, and it’s now one of the highest esteems in the culinary world. The name makes people pay attention.
One Michelin star means the restaurant has “high quality cooking, worth a stop,” and two means it has “excellent cooking, worth a detour.” Three stars, the highest honor, is given to restaurants with “exceptional cuisine” that are “worth a special journey.” In addition, Michelin recognizes restaurants that are “friendly establishments that serve good food at moderate prices” as Bib Gourmands – “good quality, and good value cooking.” Michelin-quality, but not fine-dining-prices.
Five of the six recognized restaurants are Bib Gourmands, a testament to the flavor, quality, and affordability of life in Alhambra. It’s one of the city’s draws, as people look for a place to settle down and start a family. Only a short drive, or walk, from anywhere in Alhambra is Sichuan Impression. A downtown staple, Sichuan Impression brings Chengdu’s iconic numbing spice to Alhambra. It’s recognized as a Bib Gourmand and has maintained its place on the Michelin Guide since 2019.
The restaurant industry is notoriously difficult to survive in, as it’s subject to the volatile economy with rising food costs, rents, wages, credit card processing fees, and ever-changing consumer trends. Virality only lasts so long and even small restaurants that are beloved by the community struggle to stay open. Sichuan Impression celebrating its tenth year in Alhambra is no easy feat.
Kelly Xiao, co-owner, attributes Sichuan Impression’s success and Michelin-level quality entirely to her team and their persistence in serving great food that represents their hometown.
Xiao’s family ran a restaurant when they first came to the United States, while her co-founder Yang Liu comes from a traditional culinary family, a match made in heaven. They started Sichuan Impression together in Alhambra in 2014. According to Xiao, the timing was good for opening a Sichuan restaurant in the San Gabriel Valley. While the competition has only gotten tougher with time, Sichuan Impression stood out when they opened and has focused on keeping that passion ever since.
Sichuan Impression’s menu started out the way every chef learns how to cook: with their favorites. “In the beginning, we put our favorites in the menu, but through running the restaurant we figured that it’s not that simple,” Xiao explained. “We have to think about where to get the material, how to prepare it, how to stock it, and how the employees would cook it. So we have to think about the whole line to design the menu, but the concept is to bring the authentic Sichuan flavor to the area. The food taste is the soul of the restaurant.”
For the test of Sichuan Impression to be appreciated by Michelin was just more motivation for Xiao to do better.
“Receiving awards is always exciting, but the more honors we receive the more motivation we have to do better,” Xiao said. She also credits the supportive community for giving her and Yang more inspiration and motivation through the ups and downs over the years. “It’s not easy. During Covid, I received a lot of inspiration from our customers. The people told me, ‘we need you, we want your food.’ That really inspired me to keep doing it.”
Sichuan Impression is far from the only Sichuan restaurant in San Gabriel Valley today; it’s not even the only Sichuan restaurant in Alhambra on the Michelin Guide (Chengdu Taste is also recognized as a Bib Gourmand.) Rather than focus on standing out from the competition, Xiao is more focused on preserving Sichuan Impression’s original spirit and drive.
“Every restaurant has their characteristics. For ourselves, I really focus on our restaurant. I don’t do comparisons with other restaurants, so I’m really dedicated and I want to put my soul into this business. We just keep doing the same thing, keep our quality. I just focus on ourselves. For the past ten years, we’re really dedicated to this business. Even now, in this moment, we’re still part of the daily management. During Covid, I came to Alhambra [from Irvine] every day. I think the core management remained the same, I have to say that persistence is our key.”
It hasn’t been an easy journey — far from it — but the appreciation for Sichuan Impression’s dishes, including from Michelin, helped Xiao and Liu open one location and then another in Tustin and West Los Angeles, bringing the same Sichuan taste to new mouths across Los Angeles.
Her advice to aspiring restaurateurs? “Don’t do it,” she said with a laugh. “It’s like a jealous lover. It’ll steal all of your time from your family.”
For those eyeing a nod from Michelin, in more serious advice, Xiao added, “For myself, I always learn from others. Now, if someone asks me ‘am I capable to do the restaurant business,’ I’ll ask her a question, ‘when you’re at home, do you like cleaning all the time?’ I think if you like it, then you can try.”
Running a restaurant isn’t just about being good at cooking, as Xiao pointed out, but about serving a community. In starting Sichuan Impression, Xiao and Liu were not only thinking of bringing Sichuan cuisine to Alhambra but also of introducing their hometown to more people around the world. This is still their goal, and hopefully the Michelin Guide recognition will convince more people to make the trip.
If you’re new to Sichuan cuisine or are looking for a recommendation, Xiao said the most popular dish at Sichuan Impression is the tea-smoked ribs, but her personal favorite is the big mouth ginger frog.