10 Sichuan Dishes You Need to Try at China Jade in Rockville, MD

China Jade's menu runs over 100 dishes, but the Authentic Szechuan Entrées section is where the kitchen shows its range: every dish there is built on Sichuan peppercorns, doubanjiang, and chili oil, prepared the way it's done in Chengdu. These are the ten worth ordering first—from the málà benchmark dishes to the street-food classics most local menus skip.

1. Mapo Tofu, Chengdu Style (麻婆豆腐) — $16.95

The dish to judge a Szechuan kitchen by. Silky tofu simmered in doubanjiang with ground pork, finished with a dusting of ground Sichuan peppercorn that brings the numbing half of málà. Ours follows the Chengdu preparation—the full story is in our mapo tofu guide.

2. Water-Boiled Fish (水煮魚片) — $19.95

The name undersells it. Shuǐzhǔ yúpiànis tender poached fish filet laid over vegetables, then doused in hot oil bloomed with dried chilies and Sichuan peppercorns. The fish stays delicate; the broth is fiery, fragrant, and numbing. It's the dish regulars point to when someone asks what authentic Szechuan cooking actually tastes like.

3. Chengdu Kung Pao Chicken (成都宮保雞) — $16.95

Not the syrupy American version. The Chengdu original balances sweet, sour, and heat in a glossy sauce over diced chicken, peanuts, and dried chilies. How the two versions diverged is covered in our kung pao guide.

4. Twice-Cooked Pork with Fresh Garlic Leaves (成都回鍋肉) — $16.95

Pork belly boiled, sliced thin, then returned to the wok with doubanjiang until the edges curl and crisp. The fresh garlic leaves are the authentic Chengdu touch most versions replace with cabbage. Here's how the technique works.

5. Dan Dan Noodles (成都擔擔麵) — $8.95

Chengdu's most famous street noodle: wheat noodles in a sesame-chili sauce with ground pork and preserved vegetables, tossed at the table. At $8.95 it's the cheapest introduction to real Szechuan flavor on the menu. More in our dan dan noodles guide.

6. Beef & Beef Tendon in Szechuan Spicy Sauce (夫妻肺片) — $12.95

Fūqī fèipiàn, the cold appetizer named for the Chengdu couple who made it famous in the 1930s. Thin-sliced beef and tendon in chili oil with crushed peanuts and Sichuan peppercorn—served cold, which makes the málà sensation even sharper. Order it while you wait for the entrées.

7. Diced Chicken with Dry Hot Peppers (辣子雞丁) — $17.95

Chongqing-style làzǐ jī: crispy nuggets of chicken buried in a mound of toasted dried chilies. You eat the chicken, not the chilies—digging for each bite is the point. Less numbing than mapo tofu, more chili-forward crunch.

8. Dry-Fried String Beans, Chengdu Style (干煸四季豆) — $14.95

Gānbiān(dry-frying) is one of Szechuan cooking's signature techniques: the beans blister in the wok until wrinkled and concentrated, then get tossed with ground pork and garlic. The vegetable dish spice-lovers and mild eaters agree on.

9. Eggplant with Hot Garlic Sauce, Chengdu Style (魚香茄子) — $14.95

Yúxiāng(“fish-fragrant”) contains no fish—it's the sweet-sour-garlicky flavor profile built from pickled chili, ginger, garlic, and scallion. Silky fried eggplant soaks it up better than anything else on the menu. Mild enough for anyone at the table.

10. Chengdu Zhong's Dumplings (成都鐘水餃) — $8.95

A Chengdu street-food institution since the 1890s: tender pork dumplings in sweetened soy and garlicky chili oil. No dipping required—the sauce is the dish. Compare them with our pan fried dumplings and you'll taste how wide the dumpling spectrum runs.

How to Order From This List

For a table of four, pick three or four dishes from this list and add a mild Cantonese plate for balance. If you're unsure how much heat you can handle, start with our Szechuan heat guide—dan dan noodles and the string beans sit at the gentle end, water-boiled fish and làzǐ jī at the fierce end. Every dish here is on the full menu for dine-in, takeout, and delivery.