Xin Wei Spicy Kitchen
An excellent source of traditional Sichuan food and a recent and worthy entry into the ever growing Columbus ethnic restaurant scene.
Opened in 2022, Xin Wei brings traditional Sichuan cuisine to the Columbus area. The term “Sichuan” (along with “Hunan” and others) is often thrown about as a meaningless add word to random dishes in many American Chinese restaurants. Usually, the result is a sugary sweet concoction which is unlike real Chinese cuisine.
However, Sichuan cuisine in China means something much different. It is properly one of the “Eight Great Traditions” of Chinese cuisine and implies something specific. The most basic meaning of Sichuan cuisine is one that focuses on spiciness and especially spiciness from the numbing Sichuan peppercorn. It’s usually hard to find such real cuisine outside of Chicago, San Francisco, and (recently) Cincinnati.
Xin Wei Kitchen brings this tradition to Columbus and the experience is similar to dining at a Sichuan restaurant in China. The food can be as wild or mild as you want. If you do not like spicy food, they have plenty of high quality Americanized dishes which surpass the typical Chinese restaurant in Columbus; but the OH Food Guy doesn’t go for them, so we’ll focus on the good stuff.
The dining area at Xin Wei appears very small, but there ample tables including those in an outdoor dining area that is enclosed and heated in the winter. The decor is simple, but tasteful and also authentic. The food is spicy, but not painful. This is about quality, tradition, and the art of cooking…not causing pain.
As the OH food guy mentioned before, a lot can be learned by how well a restaurant serves the basics…but, a lot can also be learned by how well they master the complex. A good example at Xin Wei is with the fried intestines. Done poorly, this is a nasty smelly dish. However, Xin Wei does it well and the result is a flavorful, spicy and crispy dish which is like what we once ate in Beijing.
水煮自片 Boiled fish in spicy oil. A beautifully prepared and completely tasty dish with spices that excite the tastebuds.
An excellent spicy fried intestines (千锅肥肠) Not for the novices in dining or cooking.
Mapo Tofu – the traditional spicy (slightly) tofu cooked in a spicy sauce. A good dish for those who think they don’t like tofu.
The Xin Wei take on Kung Pao chicken. A little heavy on the sauce for us, but closer to real Chinese food than most.
BEST BETS
- Pork Rib Soup with Winter Melon (not spicy, very hearty) 冬瓜排骨汤
- Boiled Fish Fillet 水煮自片
- Sautéed Pork Intestines in Dry Pot 千锅肥肠
- Mapo Tofu
- Spicy Chili Oil Wontons
Xin Wei Spicy Kitchen in Columbus
Columbus is becoming an excellent ethnic dining city and Xin Wei fits in very well. This is a great place to try and keep trying various Sichuan dishes. After finding Xin Wei, it is becoming our go to Chinese spot when we go to Columbus. But, the menu might be intimidating if you don’t know the dishes or read Chinese; the translations are good, but don’t always help if you lack the context.
- Try one traditional option with dishes you are familiar with
- Take pictures of the menu and put the Chinese phrase into Google image search to get some perspectives
- After getting inspired here, explore the Sunrise Asian market next door.
Details
Before you go
Become familiar with other Chinese and Sichuan cuisine options.
Date of Last visit: December 2022
3
Times Visited
14
Rating
$$
Cost
12
Décor