Sun-Thu, 11am-10pm
Fri&Sat, 11am-11pm
Bar Basil,
Daily, 11am-1am
Editor’s Description
Last updated: Jun 28, 2019
Sichuan Citizen is the Sichanese restaurant/cocktail bar/tea house expansion of the popular Citizen Cafe. After the original building on Donghu Lu was reclaimed, it moved to Ferguson Lane in mid 2018. The new location is brighter and roomier, and now it has a balcony. It's still red, "exotic," and they kept the palm fans. It continues to serve up a sizable Sichuanese menu split into "New Style," "Signature," and "Classic" dishes, with everything from simple "twice-cooked" stir fry and diced dishes, to steamed dishes, vegetarian fare, Sichuan-style noodles and soups. Kung pao chicken to spicy pigs heart, tongue, and tripe. Notably addition here is Bar Basil, taking up a corner of the establishment, and serving up excellent cocktails, including their signature Basil Drops, for 60rmb.
I often walk past Ferguson lane on evenings strolls; the shops and eateries here always seem to be humming and actually rather welcoming once all the bridal photo shoots have packed up for the day. Sichuan Citizen sits on the second floor decked out with all things fire engine red, think sitting inside a giant chilli. There is also a nice outdoor patio - just in case you want to catch a glimpse of the action down below!
Happy hour provides some novel signature cocktails including their famous ‘basil drop’. It’s sweet and refreshing, but verging on basil overload.
Dishes of mention:
Dan dan noodle – Coated in a sweet and nutty sauce – delicious! But portion size was for an ant? (Ok fine a hungry ant)
All of the other dishes were doused in sickly sweet sauces and sadly any spices that may have been in there were drowned out. Admittedly we chose majority dishes on the sweeter side but they easily could have passed as dessert (not in a good way). A classic case of fusion cuisine that over caters for the Western palate.
Final grumble. I know they’re a thing in China but the pre-packed plastic cutlery/napkins have got to go. It’s 2019! Convenience, hygiene or whatever the excuse is not good enough.
It’s rare for me to leave a restaurant with food on the table but on this occasion it was better there than on my hips.