“ We got the whole catfish in black bean sauce which was divine. Great taste and suitable spice level. We were two people, but size probably more appropriate for 3-4 people. ”

“ So grateful for the Chinatown in Philly - where else would we go for amazing food on Christmas day when everything else is closed? The obvious choice was to get a Fish hotpot - we chose the Striped Bass with Spicy and Cumin broth/sauce and the Chinese yam, sweet potato noodles and Lotus stem as add ons. There was a little bit of a wait for the food - a good sign that it is not something they just heat up and bring it to you. The hotpot came in two sections - one with the spicy broth and one with the cumin broth. The fish was sliced evenly between both sides. In addition to our add-ons, the hotpot had a tone of vegetables, peppercorns and chillies. Everything was fantastic and bursting with flavor. Having the sweet potato noodles added was the best decision ever! We definitely had a hearty meal here and would love to come back and try their different fish/broth combinations. ”

“ Delicious seafood! Our meal was so flavorful. Friendly service and very cool atmosphere ”

“ We love this restaurant, I would go visit more often if it was closer to my home! So far every dishes we had here were all worth the repeat everytime I visit. Staff is friendly and restroom is clean. ”

“ Came with the family for lunch! I would say everything tasted good overall. I would give this place 3.5 stars if that was available. The fish and pickled mustard green soup was quite flavorful and had some hidden heat. The eggplant and green beans though good were quite greasy. The ribs steamed with spiced powder weren't quite cooked right and a bit dry. Things were also quite salty and left us quite parched for hours afterwards. The service was attentive, and things were priced well. We could have eaten just one dish and been full. ”

“ Nice spot for very authentic dishes, and excellent staff who can explain menu options. Their menu has pictures as well which help the experience. Very welcoming inside and the dishes are served in nice platters. Start with a small complementary bowl of edamame and pickled radish. Had the spicy frog which was loaded with nice Szechuan tien tsin chili peppers, wood ear mushroom, and other vegetable. Also comes with side of rice. Very good spice level even if I wasn't ready! Presentation is very nice with very generous portions. Other meals coming out from the kitchen also looked amazing, so desirable to try some more. At the end of the meal, some jelly is given as a small dessert to finish. Nice experience. Thanks ”

“ Hot Pot Heaven - A Fiery Feast in Chinatown! I always walk by Xun Yu Si Kao when I'm in Chinatown, drawn by the tantalizing aromas wafting from within. Finally, I got a chance to try this place, and it did not disappoint! As soon as you walk in, you're enveloped by the delightful aroma of Szechuan spice and peppercorn. The decor is authentically Asian, making me feel like I had been transported straight to China. The servers, hailing from China, and the predominantly Chinese-speaking patrons added to the authenticity. We ordered the string beans, dry pot, and the fish hot pot. Every dish was delicious, with substantial portions to boot. The string beans were spicy, flavorful, and perfectly cooked with a touch of deep fry. The dry pot was another hit - we selected our own ingredients, and it came out beautifully balanced with just the right amount of spice, meat, and vegetables. The main attraction, however, was the fish hot pot. It was AMAZING. We opted for medium spice, which was pretty spicy, but the sensation was addictive. The fish was generously covered in peppercorn and hot peppers, leaving our mouths tingling - yet we couldn't stop eating. The fish itself was sizeable and incredibly flavorful; we devoured it until nothing but bones remained. Xun Yu Si Kao is fantastic and I would highly recommend it to anyone, regardless of their spice tolerance - there's always the non-spicy option! Don't miss out on this gem in Chinatown. ”

“ BYOB lmao i have never come here for the whole fish just fyi all of their actual dishes are delicious, really recommend the tripe appetizers, green beans, chili crisp chicken or chicken w/ green peppers, and their spicy fish stews (not the actual whole fish you buy on the first couple of pages of the menu). idk if they ask you for your spice 'level', but try to indicate that you can handle the regular spice if you are able bc i've noted the chefs can sometimes dial it back but imo the best experience is just full send can get quite busy on fri-sun after around 5:45/6 PM ish. had to wait ~25 minutes for a party of 2 @ 7 pm on a saturday, but then sat down immediately on a sunday with party of 4 @ 5 pm $28-33 pp after tax and tip for a huge meal, w/ leftovers ”

“ This has been on my bookmarks for a bit, and Monday we finally checked it out during the snowstorm. We thought we'd be the only ones there, but there were actually 2 other tables despite the snow! Service was friendly and they came to check on us at appropriate times. The server was also knowledgeable about the menu and was able to answer our questions. The menu was a little confusing our first visit. The way it's printed, it looks like it costs $9.99 to add the flavor - we didn't realize we had to choose the flavor, but the server explained it to us with ease. We tried the spicy peppercorn after consulting the server and he confirmed our spice tolerance, and it is not an extra cost for flavor - only if you need to add additional on top of the 1st included flavor. Most of the topping add ons are $2.5, some are more and they are listed separately. The "golden combo" didn't make sense - the menu read "choose 3 for $10", the server told us it was a mistake printed on the menu and should be 4. We liked the options in the golden combo, so we did go with that + handmade noodles. I really loved the handmade noodles, nice texture, very QQ! They serve with rice as well, no charge. Our total came to $63 before tax which I found fair considering the quality, and amount of leftovers we had - not cheap, but worth it. The Szechuan Peppercorn was so good, but make sure you're honest with your own spice tolerance. We loved it, but it's definitely spicy - it was so flavorful, and the fish was perfectly cooked, flakey - and all of our toppings soaked up the amazing flavor. We had enough for leftovers and took it home with us - that flavor was way too good to waste! I can't wait to go back and try some of the other flavors, although that spicy szechuan peppercorn will be calling my name.. ”