When I read about Trizest on ye olde yelp, I spent the next three days fantasizing about delicious little baa baa lambs spicing up my mouth, and dan dan noodles. (BTW, whoever thinks that it's okay to call those... those things... on the Pei Wei menu dan dan noodles should be deported.) After three days I realized I could take no more suffering and longing and pain and I high-tailed it over there. Verdict: At long last, I no longer have to dread the annual Christmas Chinese food trip to obnoxious establishments full of obnoxious people and obnoxiously gloppy, gross American Chinese food. Hooray! I agree with previous reviews -- the chef is heavy-handed with the salt. Although I think the saltiness tends to be present in the meats but not necessarily the vegetables. We got the dan dan noodles (better than anything I've had in the D, but mine came cold and weren't as spicy as I would have liked despite me instructing them "make it spicy"), Sichuan lamb, and green beans with pork. The lamb was out of this world and I can't wait to go back and eat more of it, and try the cumin lamb. The green beans with pork were also delicious. Best of all, Sichuan peppercorns all over the place -- zingy, lemony little husks from planet strange. My tongue is still tingling, although to be fair that's because I just ate leftovers for lunch, not because the tingle lasts 24 hours. Generous portions. We were there on a Sunday afternoon and it was dead inside. Hoping for similar deadness this xmas, on which I will eat a very kosher meal of double-sided pork.
(4)
John W.
It is an authentic Szechuan restaurant. Just want to clarify; Szechuan is only one region of authentic Chinese food, which originated from the west part of china. If you do not like spicy & hot food, probably it is not a good option for you. The spicy fish stew is great. Bamboo stir fry with pork is also pretty awesome. I took several of my American friends there, they all love it. I guess the tip is how to order the right dish.
(5)
Anthony S.
Most authentic Chinese for I've had in Michigan. For those that don't notice, the menu is split between the Americanized entrees and authentic Chinese entrees. If you want the good stuff order the authentic. If you want the Americanized stuff, go to PF Changs or Panda Express.
(5)
Rav J.
My go to place in Sterling Heights, MI. They have really good spicy Sichuan food and I loved their Sichuan chicken. The Lady at the front desk was very friendly and answered all my questions. Every dish I ordered had a different flavor.....that is different from any other local places I have been to. Unlike all the other places where they try to skimp on the meat and add a lot of onions and other veggies, this place has the right balance of meat and vegetables. I would say its more meat than veggies, thats the way at least I like it :). If you like good spicy food, look no further.....Its a clear choice above all the rest.
(5)
Nick G.
This place puts all sorts of wowie back into every kind of zowie you can imagine. I went here with morgan, ben, and joe wojtowicz and we all split a bunch of stuff family style. I have a good habit of coverting vegetarians into meat-eating creeps like me. We got the schezuan lamb, schezuan noodle salad and the general shrimp. The shrimp tasted like there was cream cheese in the middle like crab rangoon style but i don't think that's the case. The noodle salad made me piss myself and the lamb was danglin big time. All in all, it was good. The staff was super cool even though they messed up our order a bit. Total "better luck next time" sort of thing. Sick of lackluster chinese food around here? This place will convert you.
(5)
Grace Z.
The foods taste was pretty good. The only problem I had with the place is that the food taste is completely from MSG and it was too oily. Otherwise, restaurant is clean, and the staff is decently friendly.
(3)
Jess T.
Dustin and I complain about the lack of Mexican and Chinese food in Michigan. Unfortunately Michigan is just not a popular place for Mexican and Chinese immigrants that would justify more "authentic" cuisine choices. While Dustin was post call one day, and running a bunch of errands he had the good sense to try the lunch buffet here. He was so impressed that he decided to bring me here for dinner later that week. First they have pork string beans. I mean this is what string beans should be! Flash fried in a wok with garlic, chili and bits of pork. If you have never tried this dish before - please do so. It is one of my all time favorite Chinese dishes. This did not disappoint either, as the string beans were perfectly cooked, not over fried, or soft. We had the spicy lamb, at the suggestion of Janelle. Dustin loved it - I am not as big of a fan of lamb and it was a little too spicy for me, but it was tender. The orange chicken was good too, just a touch of sweet orange sauce. Not as good as our favorite tangerine beef back home, but close. The service was good, albeit the language barrier made for interesting ordering. The waitress seemed to think that we were ordering items that she would have to check to see if they had. It was also nice to see several other tables of diners enjoying their dinners.
(3)
rs k.
best Chinese food I ever had!! I would like to clear up to those who are not familiar with the variations in chinese cuisine. This is Schezuan meaning that food recipes are from a part in china where food is made extremely spicy.. I had gone to eat in some authentic chinese restaurants in many years and this is as close as it gets to authentic chinese and not some watered down version!! 5 stars!!!
(5)
Jennifer H.
I have to admit I was tempted by the promise of "authentic" Chinese menu items, but once I actually looked at them, I changed my mind. Sorry, but I'm just not into tripe, fish-scented pork, or pig's blood. EEK. So I went with my usual, hoping I would be happy. And I was. But first, a word or 30 about the service. Everyone was nice and friendly...but the waiter we got was...strange. He seemed to understand and speak English (not great but good enough), but he just couldn't grasp taking an order. The first of our four-top ordered and he said "Is that all?" as he looked about to walk away and ignore the rest of us. Then when #2 was ordering and was asked about soup, he chose Won Ton and the waiter looked at us and asked us to explain Won Ton to him. Huh? What? No, he WANTS to order Won Ton, he isn't asking about it. Whatever. When I went to order, I said the name of the item (Mongolian Beef), the number listed on the menu, and he still asked me to point to it. Overall it wasn't a big deal, but it was strange...and we all got a good laugh out of it. Other than that, it took some time for our waters to be filled the first time, but they were good about it after that. The food came out quickly (both the appetizers and entrees) and it was all quite tasty. The cold noodle appetizer was just spicy enough to leave a little tingle on your lips, but not too spicy to prevent you from eating it. I was also very happy that my Mongolian Beef was served with, simply, beef and onions (as opposed to other places that give you tons of veggies). This is definitely some place we would go back to.
(4)
Leslie H.
It was my first time ordering from here. Got a carry out, sesame chicken with fried rice. It was delicious. The restaurant was very clean and the staff was very friendly. A new gem.
(5)
Kris C.
My stop at Trizest was truly the work of my fellow Yelpers. Craving chinese after work, I knew I could count on ya'll to provide the perfect stop on my quick ride home. While I cannot blame my one star on my fellow reviewers, I just don't get the hype. I really liked this place when I stepped in. Lots of light, a friendly woman at the counter, clean and easy parking. All those positives aside, I knew something strange was afoot after I recieved my carryout container and wasn't instantly salivating by the aroma. I am adverturous but not enough to try the intestines or pig's blood anything, so I stick with what I know I tend to like when trying a new restaurant. Mongolian Beef, fried rice, egg roll and a small order of wonton soup. Maybe my taste buds have been spoiled by the Americanization of chinese fare. I know the gravy-doused, fried patties 'o meat isn't authentic far east eats, but it's what I am used to and generally like. When I finally got home and was able to dig in, the first thing I tried was the soup. One lone wonton, floating in urine colored water that had no flavor whatsoever. The wonton was good though. Next was the beef. This was the source of the strange smell. I mentioned that the aroma didn't leave me excited and opening my little plastic container, it just got worse. I read the portions where huge. Also that the mongolian beef wasn't loaded with veggies. I guess my opinion of huge and not alot of veggie's differs. Opening the container, it was 80% onions (not green onion but your standard yellow cooking onion), a vegatable, 20% beef. The meat was strange. Very tender but almost spongy in that pre-chewed way. I always had mongolian beef that was a little sweet, a little heat. None of that madness going on here. Infact, no spice or flavor whatsoever. None. Zero. Nada. Zilch. It was by no means horrid but it definately isn't something I would order again. The fried rice was dry. The egg roll was passable with it's cabbage filling. But again, no flavor. The menu is interesting enough to peak my interest. Maybe Trizest's MB just isn't for me and I'll give something else a go. The Green Bean Chicken sounds good and I might give that a try in the near future if I decide to go back. Which, I kinda doubt. If this is considered authentic, I guess I will be best served to stick with the gravy-laden US version. And I am perfectly okay with that. Trizest: Bland. Blander. Blandest.
(1)
Mike Y.
Not good. Greasy egg rolls and dry fried beef that is disappointing. I have had several dishes and been underwhelmed by all.
(1)
Sayooj V.
BAD customer service and experience
(1)
Brian B.
Confused by the high ratings from other Yelpers. Our order consisted of Mongolian Chicken, Crispy Sesame Beef, Veggie egg rolls, and chicken fried rice. If i could sum the meal up in one word, it would be 'greasy'. 1/4 into eating I felt the need to wash my face. The beef was anything but crispy, more of a gooey brown sauce with sesame seeds thrown on top. The chicken in the mongolian chicken was spongy and bland. The fried rice had the same chicken from the mongolian chicken, only with no sauce. The carrots and peas were from a frozen bag. The food was edible, but pretty much on par with the food court at a mid-class mall. Very unlikely that I would go back.
(2)
Alan L.
This is the best Sichuan Chinese food I've had in over thirty years!!! I haven't enjoyed Chinese food this much since I ate it in New York over thirty years ago. I usually follow the advice of fellow yelp reviewer janelle w and her tastes were impeccable as usual. I ate the spicy dry tofu, the Sichuan noodle salad, the Sichuan lamb, and the fish-scented pork. All of them were wonderful. I had some other dishes that were heavy handed on the salt but for me this just added to the charm of the place. The chef is from a region of China whose biggest industry is mining salt. If I was being more critical I would give this restaurant only three stars but its pluses outweigh its minuses by so much I have to give it five. This is a place for people who enjoy spicy food and not for people who make a lifestyle whining about it.
(4)
Kari Jo M.
When it comes to good chinese food in the sterling heights area, you can't beat trizest. The portions are huge, and the hot & sour soup is absolutely the BEST hot and sour soup I have ever tasted. It has lots of mushrooms and has a very nice broth/liquid consistency, unlike other hot and sour soups that are very gelatinous or thick. I always get the sesame chicken or the vegetarian general tso's. Like I said, portions are huge so you can usually get away with splitting something.
(5)
Ken S.
I've now dined twice at Trizest Restaurant fully satisfied with the unique dishes I came here for - Squirrel Fish & Mapo Tofu. Apparently, the oddly named Squirrel Fish is a hearty portion of flounder, battered and fried then topped with sweet&sour or sweet&spicy sauce. I'm a big fan of fried fish and this dish is notable. The Mapo Tofu. Outstanding! I'm crazy about that spicy bean sauce. Perfect heat. There's a bowl of Boiled Fish pictured that looks fantastic and a must order. It'll be tough to not go with one of my previous 2 above orders.
(5)
Shirley R.
My Background: Grew up in Thailand, and authentic chinese food is just as prevalent as thai food. So I consider my palette asian-oriented! Summary: Best Dish: Szechuan lamb & Mapo Tofu Ambience: Typical chinese restaurant interior, quite large, can accommodate large groups well. Portions: Generous, most dishes can be split between 2-3 people. Wait staff: Don't expect them to go the extra mile, but they get the job done. Tip: Order off the chinese portion of the menu for a more authentic experience. Review: This restaurant is NOT for people who believe chinese food to be General Tsao's, Orange Chicken, Chicken & Broccoli etc....highly americanized menu items. This is a szechuan cuisine, so you're going to get the szechuan peppers and the like as your main flavor trend. For this, this restaurant earned the 4 star review. What took away from a 5 star was service, as they waiter seemed more concerned about getting us out before closing time then tending to our needs. In terms of authentic fare I think this is one of the closest you can get in the Detroit land area. If you're not into authentic Chinese, this may not be the place for you.
(4)
Sarda P.
My all time restaurant....the only Chinese place that will customize my meal. ..top dishes: Garlic Cucumber; Crispy Tofu, Corn Soup; Sliced hot and sour Potato; Peapod Leaves; Sichuan Lamb ...yum :)
(5)
Ron C.
Well I knew it would happen, bragged & bragged about this place & decided to show it off to the bride. Walked in at 6:30 on Friday and were sat fairly quickly. I encouraged the bride to order the Chicken , Mushrooms & pea pods dish $11.99 Which she did, she loved it and had enough left over for her lunch on Saturday Taste A+ But one thing, that disappointed her was she really wanted a rice or udon noodle as she is riced out these days Jay our server, said NO! I said I'm not looking for a freebie, I'll pay for it, Ill buy it.. Jay . .NO! white rice of fried rice only. Okay whatever... I ordered the Popcorn Chicken as I had 2-3 pieces of it before at a UYE & wanted more. $10.99 I asked for medium heat, and that was plenty warm enough for me. Red Flags or annoyances on this visit. 1.The old tired booths are raggedy & need to be replaced Lord help you if a family of four is behind you, you will be shake-rattle & rolled ( we both were from our neighboring booths ) Choose a Table! 2. Jay or his helper, never once came back to check on us during our 55 minute dining event. No Not Once. I'll consider it an "Off Night" and hope to return..
(3)
Allen L.
LOVED the food. 5 stars. The best szechuan food I've had - surpassing YpborYan. Flavors were great - fresh - clean - on point. Service was odd - slowwwww. Friendly. Dated - not the shiniest place but the food would bring me back.
(4)
Theresa A.
I've only dined in once but I think once is enough for a review. First off, I need to thank the fine people in Detroit's Yelp Talk for recommending this place...so THANK YOU. To be honest, I rate my Chinese food experiences by their noodles. I will always order the house noodle or a noodle dish depending on my mood. This particular time I ordered the shrimp lo mein. FINALLY. A restaurant that knows my heart when it comes to my love for noodles. Right off the bat, I knew it was fresh noodles; not dried or dried out. It didn't matter that there was *not* an over abundance of shrimp. It was not mushy, it wasn't overly sauced, it was fresh. There wasn't a flavor component that over powered anything. & it was noodles, no extra bs, only delicious noodleness. You see how serious I am about noodles? It was my kind of noodle & It is how I'd make my noodles at home. I will be ordering that again someday. When I go to eat Chinese food, It's always family style when ordering. So aside from noodles, I will usually pick two (or 3, or... ) other dishes to share among us. Since it's usually just 2 of us, we will have extra food to take home, that is secretly my plan anyway. I ordered Stir-fried beef with green bean (long bean) and Stir Fried Pork w. Dried Soybean Curd (Tofu). The beef and long bean was my next favorite dish. I could snack on those long green beans all day long. And I love that deep brown sauce, my favorite of Chinese food sauces and if you can see in my picture it's not drowning in it! You can taste the tender pieces of beef and green beans with hints of ginger, garlic, oyster sauce? and whatever magical ingredients they add. (& I definitely try to guess what ingredients are in the dishes at the table; some may find it annoying but I can't help myself) The pork and dried tofu was mixed with celery. I found the play on textures interesting; strips of dried tofu, strips of pork and celery. We didn't devour that dish as quick as the others, so I'll be repurposing those leftovers in a future fried rice. At the end of the meal, our waitress gave us a small warm bowl of red bean and rice dessert. Yum. Slightly sweet, glutinous, yet palette cleansing...just like popo used to make. I'm rating this restaurant a 5 because it's the best Chinese Szechuan cuisine I've had so far in Michigan which is not always an easy mission to find, I already know what I'll be ordering to try on my next visit.
(5)
D S.
I finally made it here and was not disappointed! I ordered the hot and sour soup, veggie spring roll and gong bao chicken but asked for mild spice. It was incredible and perfectly spiced. Wait staff was friendly and helpful, but a little slow on water refills. Will definitely be coming back here and will be more daring next time around
(4)
Nick V.
Hands down the best Szechuan Style Chinese in the Detroit area. I do not want to give too much away, because I do not want it too busy lol. Seriously, absolutely serious Chinese Cuisine. Love It.
(5)
Rob B.
I had to add to the review. This is our go to spot! Wonderful every time. We've been here now nine times and never have been disappointed. I am always amazed how good the fish soup with pickled vegetables tastes. It is just as wonderful each time around. Important, I've had Tea Smoked duck (not on the menu), it was the best I've had!! I will now ask what else is available. Make that note.. Hope this helps and thanks again to everyone here!
(5)
Michele S.
Let me give you my Chinese cuisine background: I have lived in Asia for 13 years and spent most of my time in California where most Asians live. I would say this is the most authentic Chinese food in Michigan. The reason why i gave 4 stars out of 5 stars, because it is the best relative to other Chinese restaurants I have tried in Michigan but if i were to compare to other Chinese restaurants I have been to it is hard for me to give out 5 stars. I have been here couple times already. I would not recommend lunch buffet or lunch special. They are cheap, but if you really want to get authentic Chinese food, i would order food from the REAL Chinese menu. My favorite dishes include: 1. Sichuan Style Green Bean w. Pork: flavor is great. the string beans were cooked right, crispy but not soggy. 2. Mapo tofu: don't get me wrong, it is a really spicy dish. not just spicy, it give your the numbing type spice..awesome! (if you really enjoy eating spicy food) 3. Stir Fried Lamb w. Green Pepper, Onions, Cumin Flavor...love it!..if you like lamb..i highly recommend this dish 4. Fish in spicy oil..fish is tender and strong flavor I would not recommend boiled pork dumplings in red chili oil mixture..NOT GOOD Overall, I had a great time dining there...if you can not handle spicy Chinese food, don't waste your money coming here..The price is on the higher end..I would not pay this much money for Chinese food in California...three dish is about 40 bucks..
(4)
Sam P.
2nd time to this restaurant, almost a year apart in visits and I can honestly say one of my favorite Szechuan restaurants in the city! While the outside I the restaurant is not going to grace any magazines ever, don't let the lack of ambiance fool you. The salt 'n pepper squid is a must, as is the hot pepper chicken (or Szechuan as a nice alternative!) Service has been a little sketchy both times, until the employees find out your from a city that has a Chinatown and know the lingo! Overcome this moment by sharing a few photos of your favorite dishes and see if they have something like it on the menu. Here's the thing I love best... There are always people there that are Chinese (read that as the food is authentic if someone is of the same nationality!) You must try this place!
(5)
Sarah C.
Came here per another Yelper's review. I wanted to show my friends what hot pot was. I called ahead of time and asked. They said they do. I show up with my friends on a Wednesday night expecting hot pot. They have hot pot alright but it should really be clay pot. What a disappointment. The food we did order was good and came in big portions. The service was very lacking. They only had two waiters. I am not sure if I will come back unless someone I know want better Chinese food for a good price. To me, I think its alright Chinese food.
(4)
Iris S.
This place is terrible! I'm actually posting this as I'm sitting at the restaurant. The waiter is rude and slow and he walked away as my dad was talking to him! I have been waiting here for one hours and 35 minutes. It took 30 minutes to get a table. Then the waiter said the food would be out in 30 minutes, it's been 65 and still counting. I've been here a couple times before too. Service is always shabby. On average, the waiter came around once an hour to refill water. The food is fine most days but they always seem to run out of food or not have fresh food. It's kind of nasty.
(1)
Jeff H.
I used to come to this place semi-regularly back when it used to be China Garden. The food wasn't great but they served up an above-average General Tso's, with whole chile peppers added for extra spiciness. A good thing, and a former guilty pleasure of mine. One day I showed up and China Garden had become Trizest. I tried the General Tso's and wasn't impressed. I came back and tried their Mapo Tofu and while it was much better than the Tso's, that was sadly my last time coming in here for a couple of years. I say sadly because last week I just had the best Chinese meal I think I've eaten in my life here. Oops, I've been missing out! I met up with a group of seven Yelpers, we sat at a big round table with a lazy susan in the middle, and everyone just started ordering random dishes to split. Most of what was ordered was off the authentic Sichuan Chinese half of the menu (full of flavor and spicy hot). TAKE NOTE: You are best advised to stick with the contents of this menu and leave the Americanized stuff to the amateurs. They are straight PROS at Trizest. Seriously, for all you gringo Americanos like myself, the farther outside your comfort zone you go while ordering here, the happier you will probably be. We had wantons and dumplings, steam pork buns, Sichuan beef and lamb, "popcorn chicken", Sichuan green beans, spicy squid, a big delicious plate of pork innards stewed with onions (which was fabulous by the way) and other dishes which I am forgetting. But the common theme is that everything was delicious, expertly done, eyes-rolling-back-in-the-head good. Everyone was satisfied and everyone got to try some things they have never had before. The whole table was suitably impressed and could not stop talking about a return visit. I went back today for lunch, just to make sure our amazing experience wasn't a fluke. I tried the Sichuan Cold Noodles and the Crispy Eggplant w/ Garlic Sauce. Both were sublime. And there was tons leftover to bring home. Trizest has instantly become my favorite Chinese restaurant, and just in the nick of time. I had all but given up on eating Chinese food in favor of the more interesting (or so I thought) flavor profiles of Vietnamese, Thai, Korean, and Japanese cuisine. But apparently I just haven't been going to the right Chinese places.
(5)
Roxanne I.
Per a friend's Yelp review I ordered the Mapu Tofu and man was I not disappointed. The spiciness was to the level that I loved (will warn it is a bit more than the average person could handle) and the tofu was the perfect texture. Will admit that I can't compare it to other Mapu tofu's I've had (was my first time) but man it was delicious. My parents ordered a couple other dishes and I loved all of them. Definitely a place to check out
(5)
Tracy K.
The flavors of the food were delicious. Everything blend very well. The staff were really nice which is hard to come by from Chinese restaurant. I've lived in the area for a long time and just found out about this place. Will definitely recommend for anyone who's is looking for great flavors.
(5)
Tara L.
Whooo-eeee! Spicyyyy!! I am a huge fan of Sichuan cuisine, and I was not disappointed with my recent dining experiences here at Trizest. Thanks to all my Yelp buddies who rave about this place, we ordered some of the staples, and most of them were the house specialities. Thank you guys! :) On our first visit, we ordered their Sichuan Lamb, Dry Fried Green Beans, Ma Po Tofu, and Tomato Fried Eggs Soup with Bok Choy. The second time we decided to get two newer dishes: Squirrel Fish and Stir-Fry Eggplant in a Fish Sauce. Let me say that the eggplant dish is a Sichuan specialty, and although the spices were a bit on the mild side, the flavor was 100% there. A bit on the oily side, but nothing eating a bowl of rice couldn't solve. The Squirrel Fish was delicious. It was fried perfectly, and the breading wasn't too thick. Often times when you eat fried fish, all you can taste is the outermost layer and you completely miss out on the meat of the fish. Thankfully, at Trizest, this wasn't the case. To round out the plate, the sweet and tart sauce was the perfect "not too thick, not too thin" consistency. Though if you Google this traditional Suzhou dish, you will notice that it looks different. Tasty in its own right, and I'd get it again. :) Service was excellent, but they do get really busy on the weekends, so service might be lacking during that time. Just be patient. :) Overall, we had great experiences here so far, and can't wait to go back. Highly recommend if you're hankering for some home cooked Sichuan dishes.
(4)
Varun B.
Came here after the recommendation of one of my friends. I've had quite a bit of trouble finding excellent Chinese restaurants in the metro Detroit area. Maybe it's just me being picky, but it is what it is. The nice thing here is that the food is really spot on to what you would get in the China's Sichuan province. We started off light with the spring rolls. Nice, crispy and hot, just the way I like it. One thing I should mention is that everything here comes out steaming hot. The food was clearly just made and served right away without any downtime, which is key. Second dish we had was the mapo dofu (mapo tofu). Basically, this dish is tofu cooked in a chili and bean-based sauce. It does have ground pork in it, but I'm sure if you're vegetarian, you can just ask to take that off. Anyway, this was delicious. Flavors were all there and it was really enjoyable to eat. Last entree we ate was the Spicy Duck in beer sauce. Wasn't really sure what the beer sauce was, but this was also an excellent dish. It comes out in a wide mouthed metal bowl dish over a flame to keep it nice and steaming. The duck was cooked perfectly with the meat easily falling off the bone. The dish also had some tofu in it. Fantastic flavors. One of my favorite things about Sichuan food is the spicy and numbing taste that you get from many of their dishes as a result of the Sichuan peppercorns. It's like their classic flavor profile, and this place does it well. Their service can be slow since there are only 2 waiters, but have patience. The wait is worth the excellently prepared food.
(5)
Greg Y.
I have only been here twice but I am already a fan of their food. I tried the buffet once and really enjoyed it. I loved the spicy popcorn chicken, the miscellaneous vegetable dishes and the dumplings the best. Egg rolls and soup were also above average. I came back with my wife a second time for lunch hoping to find the buffet because we were in a hurry to get to a movie at the Star theatre, it must have been the weekend because there was no buffet that day. We ended up splitting a serving of the "popcorn" chicken which is technically their spicy sichuan chicken, and ordered some dumplings and egg rolls. The food came out fast and was delicious. Next time I want to try the lamb dish that I hear is very good. I hope to be back soon.
(5)
Holly S.
Can't believe I haven't written a review of this place yet! Hot and sour soup- delish! It tastes just like the hot and sour soup from PF Changs! Nice amount of veggies, a bit spicy, and super tangy! I would highly suggest a cup. Really really good! Chicken egg roll- on the smaller side but packed with veggies like cabbage, carrots, and bean sprouts. The sauce it comes with is superrrrrr sweet but actually pretty good. I was shocked to read all the reviews where people had issues with the egg roll but I really enjoyed it. Orange beef- one of my favorite dishes here! Beef has a perfectly crisp texture and the sauce is yummy! Not your typical "orange" entree. I was able to detect hits of garlic and ginger with a slight orangy flavor. There was orange peel and dried chilies too! General tso chichen- this was a confusing one for me. The chunks were huge so I had to cut them to make it more bite sized and it was kinda pink in the center like it could have been cooked just a tad longer. I didn't get sick or anything but just an interesting little observation. Flavor was fine, I prefer the orange beef or Szechuan lamb! Everything is ala cart here. When you order you just get your meal and rice. Other than that I would recommend this place! Very good food with great service! :)
(4)
R W.
After reviews I decided to try I had the Popcorn Chicken! It was ok. I needed to ask for sauce to put over the rice. The chicken was a lil Spicy for me But overall it was Good. I'll try the place again and try a diff dish. My friend had Gong Bo Shrimp he gives it a 4!! The overall atmosphere is Good. I would Definately return
(3)
Zack R.
This place was a revelation for someone who had grown up on Chinese-american food. Do not, under any circumstances order from the boring side of the menu. Choose something from the authentic side and the flavors will blow you away.
(5)
Abby S.
I ordered carry out and I was impressed. The person who took my order was extremely easy to talk to. The packaging for my food was above average and I preferred it to other Chinese restaurants with styrofoam containers. I ordered orange chicken and it is SPICY. I've never had spicy orange chicken, hence why I order it. I've never been a fan of spicy food so I try to avoid it as best as I can. Meals don't come with egg rolls, so I ordered an extra one and it was the best egg roll I've had in a long time! If the food wasn't so spicy, I would have given it a 5 star.
(3)
Layan A.
Came to this place thanks to Yelp due to having the highest reviews for a Chinese restaurant around. We were a group of 6. I had the hot and sour soup which was just average. We ordered family style: Mapo tofu, fried duck in spicy fire pot, sweet and sour shrimp, general tso chicken, fried eggplant, and a lamb dish (can't remember the name). Portions were generous. What I disliked what that everything was deep fried with SO much breading. It was just too much. Everything tastes greasy. I didn't like any of the dishes. They all came with sticky white rice (we didn't get the option of anything else). The food was prompt. After we paid my friend asked for a glass of water and the answer he got was "sorry we're closed." Seriously?!!! I won't be coming back again.
(2)
Albert K.
My Chinese wife tells me this is the most authentic Sichuan restaurant in the area. I have no way to dispute this and more importantly the food is great. Also, even though, my wife is not from this province, her former roommate in Detroit (who is from this province) agrees with her. This place is a staple in our monthly/semi-monthly rotation of Chinese restaurants. My personal favorites are the Kung Pao Squid and the Beef with chili sauce and cilantro. Along with the authenticity of the food, the service is solid. One word of warning is that the food here is spicy even by Asian standards. Thus, if you are sensitive to spice, make sure to to tell the staff. I will keep this review brief, if you like spicy Chinese food, you must go here.
(4)
Dave M.
I really enjoy this restaurant and I've been several times. I've had things that I have never seen before and I haven't had a bad meal. The service is friendly. The decor may be a bit worn and tired, but the food MORE than makes up for any decor shortcomings. Everything seems really fresh and well prepared. The broths and sauces are really quite well done! Portions are large and a good value. Give it a try.
(4)
Cathy S.
Good lord this food is crazy good! It's the kind of food you crave for days after eating it! It's not a fancy place by any means, kind of a hole in the wall. Don't let that scare you away, it's fantastic and plenty of vegetarian options. I can't wait to go back!
(5)
Zeid S.
This is supposedly the best Asian restaurant in Michigan by yahoo news. We tried it, and it really fell short of what we've been reading. Most dishes tasted similar, especially the deep fried ones. The breading was so thick it masked the flavor. Nothing unique about any of the dishes, and they were all pretty average, even in spicy-ness . Non-memorable experience. Service was mediocre.
(3)
Evan G.
I've ordered take out here twice for pickup. Both times I arrived the food was ready sitting on the counter and I was promptly greeted and checked out. Can't beat lunch - it's around $7.50 and the special includes an entree, soup of your choice, and an egg roll. I think their Hot & Sour soup was kind of bland though. It tasted like I was eating oil. Normally that stuff is good and spicy but it was all good the entree made up for it. Overall it's been awesome. General Tso's & Schezuan chicken are always my first picks when I do Chinese Food at a new restaurant and both were spectacular. Definitely might make the trip up from GP to eat here for dinner sometime in the near future.
(4)
Louise S.
Spicy but I can't enjoy the food much when the table and floor is sticky and the service is very slow. The bathroom is unusable. Too bad that many people say it's the most authentic Sichuan food around.
(3)
Rachel O.
This is the place to be for all your Chinese food needs. They have a comprehensive American/Chinese menu (you know, all your favorites). Plus they have a huge traditional Chinese menu. The dining room is always packed. They have a well stocked lunch buffet that I am lusting to try. We never seem to have the time though and have always carried out. The service is great. Efficient and effective, so to speak. With some pleasantries. I enjoy my interactions with the woman who is always manning the front desk. She helped me decide how hot to get my schezuan chicken. The food is great. Tastes fresh and well worth the slightly higher prices.
(5)
Noel L.
Incredible Chinese cuisine. Cukes in garlic sauce, dumplings, and schechuan cold noodles for appetizers, deep fried spicy chicken, wontons in chili oil, seafood hot pot and beef noodles for main. All wonderful
(5)
Matthew P.
This might be total cop out, but I don't care. Just read Jeff H's review. I was here as one of the seven Yelper's in the group, and I have absolutely nothing I could add to his review, or the other 5 star reviews. The only item I did not enjoy was the wantons & dumplings (we ordered both) in spicy soup broth. Broth was just a watery heat, and the wontons because a mess. Definitely stick with other wanton options, or wanton soup if you desire. The crispy salt and spicy squid I ordered, and the sizzling hot plate pork innerd with onions in a thick black like sauce was REDIC good.
(4)
Michael W.
Top notch Chinese food, a little pricier than standard takeout, but it's well worth it. If you like General tso, get it! I stopped myself from eating it all so I could have leftovers for the next day. Eat here.
(5)
Amy P.
Finally made may way here after reading many reviews on here. Ordered a few different things and the highs were high, but the lows were low. You definitely know you are in the right spot when you are the only caucasian table in the restaurant! We started our meal with chicken spring rolls. I was pretty disappointed. The filling was flavorless and we were not provided a sauce to go with the rolls. We then received our wonton soup. And again, complete disappointment. My bf and I contemplated whether or not they just added yellow food coloring to some water and decided to call it broth. It literally had not an ounce of any sort of flavor. The dumplings were bland and flavorless as well. So far we were not impressed. Then we got the sichuan cold noodle and everything changed. I could eat these noodles all day everyday and never get sick of them. They were amazing! Served at a room temperature, with a nice spicy yet tasty sweet sauce that wasn't heavy. The noodles texture was perfect. Just thinking of this dish makes me want a plate now. For entrees my boyfriend got his usual sweet and sour chicken and it was your run of the mill sweet and sour chicken. nothing to complain about there. I got the dry stir fried chicken? It's served with an array of peppers and it can make the dish quite spicy. The flavor was amazing and it was unlike any dish I've ever tasted. The chicken was very flavorful and I loved the spicy variety of the peppers. Overall it was a very mixed bag here at Trizest. But the positive notes of the meal will definitely make me come back and try this place!
(3)
Heather G.
One of the best Chinese places I've ever been to! I've been to the one in east Lansing and this one is just as good! The service was good and the food was amazing! Although we waited around 20 mins for a table around dinner time on a Saturday night, the food was well worth the wait. The food came out very fast, even though it was really busy. We ordered the sweet and sour chicken, general Taos, and almond chicken! Each dish was amazing!
(5)
Maureen M.
FINALLY!!!! I have found a Chinese restaurant in the area that I really like. This is all thanks to Laura K.. Trizest has been on my radar for quite some time because of Laura. I was a little intimidated to go because I'm not familiar with the traditional menu. So, Laura and I met for lunch. We ordered quite a few dishes. My husband was all about the American menu. He ordered chicken fried rice and the Mongolian Beef. These were both really good! I was impressed with the flavor. I'd like to think that chicken fried rice is easy enough, but I've had some really bad ones in the area. I ordered the Spicy Sichuan Chicken (I think that's what it's called), which is sort of like popcorn chicken. It had a lot of flavor and liked it. I don't think I would order it as a main dish in the future, but would definitely order it again. Laura ordered the Sichuan Cold Noodles as an appetizer. YUM! I wish I had ordered them. The spice and garlic was perfect. On a Sunday afternoon, they were pretty busy with families. Apparently it was a good sign that we were the only white people in the restaurant. ha! Our waitress was very nice and attentive. I am really looking forward to going back and trying other dishes.
(4)
Jordan P.
Really great sesame chicken, my friend got the broccoli chicken, looked fresh and tasted fresh. Would definitely come back here, it was also nice that there was a Chinese "knick knack" store right next door to browse while we waited on our take out.
(4)
S S.
Our month long Christmas celebrations ended on Christmas Eve night, such a relief, until I realized I never picked up the steak I planned on grilling Christmas Day. I turned to Yelp Talk, knowing someone would have already asked, "What is open Christmas Day?" I see Trizest mentioned. I have been wanting to try this place for months, so what better day? I start singing Farahrahrahrah, rah, rah, rah, rah. I didn't want to insult the workers, so I forced myself to stop before we entered. We sit down and see only chopsticks, uh-oh. To our relief, the waiter asks if we would like utensils. The egg rolls were excellent. The wonton soup was good but missing my favorite ingredient-the little bowl of fried wonton strips. We had the much raved about spicy Szechwan chicken, aka popcorn chicken, and orange beef. The orange beef was by far my favorite of the two. It was delicious. The popcorn chicken was also very good, but more of an appetizer type food for me, where you eat a few, not an entire heaping plate. We will order the beef again and try something new as our second dish next time. The place could use an update, a drastic one. But I haven't been in an Asian restaurant that couldn't use one. The service was charming and comical in an authentic sort of way. They were prompt and friendly, just awkward. I overheard one table behind us asking many questions and making special requests as they didn't like spice or sauce, someone on the phone asking what type of fish they use with the woman answering cod five times before she finally spelled it, and an elderly woman asking for takeout containers for her half eaten soup AND her half drank tea. So, it is a wonder they let us Americans in their restaurant at all.
(5)
Fran H.
This was my first visit here based on reviews from other yelpers. I decided to order the Sichuan Cold Noodle as my appetizer and Boiled Fish w. Vegetables in Chili Sauce. I'm a spicy nutcase so next time I'll kick it up a notch, but for some one not into the spice try something else. My meal was delicious and an idea dish for these cold winter days/nights. I chose to come after lunch and before dinner hours to avoid any wait at 3:30 PM. on a weekday which was perfect. I was the ONLY patron there. My food came right out. The portions was large enough to share with one other person and I ended up with ample take home. The meal was about $20 a good deal for two people. I'll plan to go again and try another dish I just hate the long drive, but the food I see is worth the travel. Nicked one star due to the long distance drive and ridicules traffic on I75 to get there. Give em a try!
(4)
Nancy M.
If you know what authentic Sichuan food should taste like, you would agree with my review of this place. The food is super authentic, it's just awesome! Majority of dishes here are spicy food because that's the character of this type of food. I recommended this place to several Chinese friends of mine and got thumbs up every single time!
(5)
Carey C.
The place was packed, great sign, and we only had to wait 5 minutes for a table. We decided on the mini pork buns (steamed) and the garlic cucumbers for appetizers. The waiter asked if I was sure I wanted the buns, they took 20 minutes to steam. We were in no rush, steam em up! 10 minutes later the woman working the front came to our table and asked us if we were sure we wanted the buns (weird), I said, the order is in, right? She said yes. It was just weird, it felt like everyone was trying to talk us out of the buns. We should've listened. I picked up a bun, and the pork fell right out the bottom. -1* for not being able to do a classic dim sum right (go to Shangri-la if you want that!). The cucumbers and garlic were good. There was a lot of them, and they were spicy and oily. They could've used a starch to soak up that, like rice or noodles. I ordered the Szechuan Lamb, and my date got the the fried eggplant in garlic sauce. I specifically asked if we could order it sans MSG, since it makes me terribly sick, and they said yes. Szechuan Lamb, you couldn't even tell if it was lamb it was fried so stiff. It could've been beef, or kangaroo. I could barely chew it, let alone taste that signature lamb flavor. The Szechuan flavor (at 2 peppers on the menu, some items went to 4), was entirely too spicy for my date. I didn't mind it. He said he couldn't take anything it was too hot (he eats Thai food at mild +, I eat it at med +). -1* for frying meat so long it's inedible & unidentifiable, and too hot for beginners. The Eggplant dish, well where do I start? I can agree with everyone else that posted about fried food from here, it tasted like the fryer. Being an ex health inspector, that tells me they very rarely change out their fryer oil, or clean their fryers. The first piece I eat is a piece of fish!!!!! A piece of fish in a vegetarian dish. Good thing I could give a shiznit about that, or have a fish allergy, but I did fetch the waiter and asked him if there is supposed to be fish in the eggplant dish. He nodded, smiled, and said he would send someone over, no one ever came. The garlic sauce tasted like a sweet plum sauce, no garlic to be tasted. The waiter never came back, so I couldn't even confirm if we ever got the right dish. Needless to say, that was the only piece of fish in the dish that we found. -1* for playing the 'no English' card rather than deal with a customer complaint, and sneaking in fish to a vegetarian dish, AND the dish was cr@p. The rice was decent :) I was telling my date, strike 1 for this place, but we got to give it another chance with different dishes, as long as I don't get sick when I get home (from the addition of MSG to the food, which they PROMISED they would not). Well serves them right, -1* for me vomiting in their parking lot.
(1)
Amanda T.
Absolutely terrible. Meat is worse than anywhere I've been. Traveled out of my way to go here for dried out refried chicken. Refried maybe a week ago!!! Absolutely disgusting and I'm pissed off that I tipped them now
(1)
Alyssa R.
This is not your mama's Chinese (read: American) restaurant. This is a Szechwan restaurant by the folks who created spicy for the folks who love it. And it changed my definition of "good Chinese" forever. My usual experience goes like this: "Can you please make it extra spicy?" They say "sure," but the execution tastes just like mild. I had almost given up when Trizest was recommended by a Mandarin friend as THE authentic place to go in the Metro Detroit Area. So I headed over and fell in love. Everything I ordered felt a little TOO spicy to me, but it actually increased my tolerance and love for truly spicy cuisine. Like any perfect meal, heat alone is not enough- complexity added through other flavors is a must in order to rise in the ranks to truly memorable. I remember cumin and smoky flavors, whole peppers and a variety of crunchy vegetables. You'll want to be adventurous and order based on reviews as I did. Or you can ask the staff what their personal favorites are- the two I asked did not steer me wrong. Here are my favorites: Beef w Jalapeño pepper: My first love! Not a tough bite in the whole dish- seared on the outside and tender inside, and surrounded by spicy perfection. Sichuan Lamb w Vegetables in Spicy Bean Sauce: Even better than the first, though I was nervous to order it. Fish-fragrant Pork w Garlic Sauce: The lady behind the counter swore it was one of their most popular and that I had to try it, so I reluctantly gave it a shot. Amazing. Side note: I didn't "smell" the fish as the title stated, or even taste it. A little fish sauce didn't stop this from being a phenomenal dish that I WILL order again. There are many others I want to try, and you'll be struck by the high prices for entrees ($11-$16 for the ones above, including rice). But they're large portions, highly flavorful, like nothing else in the area and enough for two people to have leftovers after. So share away!
(5)
Michael E.
We ordered a variety of dishes, both non-spicy and one-pepper spicy (dishes are tagged with one, two, or three peppers.) Even the one pepper dishes were too much for our more pepper-adverse diners, but everything was very well done, and as far as I know, very authentic. Service was very friendly and helpful. A bit slow, but that's to be expected when very large parties are present. The chicken corn soup was good, with (I think) the perfect balance of spices. One of our group prefers the soup at TK Wu in Ann Arbor, but I suspect Trizest's is a bit more authentically Sichuan. The Crispy Eggplant is fairly large pieces of Asian eggplant dipped in batter, fried, and served in a slightly sweet sauce, and it was a huge hit with everyone. (Two of us had the leftovers for lunch the next day). Highly recommended. Gung Pao Chicken: Very spicy, but very tasty. I have to admit I picked out the pieces of red pepper. Ma Po Tofu: Best I've ever had, I think, with a perfect balance of seasoning. Fish-Fragerant Pork: Also very tasty, and very spicy, though not as spicy as the chicken. If you love spicy food and you love Chinese food, definitely put Trizest on your short list. If you're not a fan of spicy foods, there are still plenty of good dishes to enjoy. I think I'll be back soon to try more of their menu.
(4)
Kirsten O.
I was very excited to try this place after a family member raved about it. I had also looked it up on the web and others had raved as well. I decided to order carry-out on my way home. My order was sesame chicken, hot and sour soup, and white rice for the kiddos. I was told it would take about 10 minutes. $16. About 3.5 minutes later, there was my food! I was on my way home smelling some delicious food. Then, slowly, I became more and more disappointed....the fried rice that came with the chicken was very dry.....the white rice was dry and had brown spots (?) in it....the chicken was - you guessed it - DRY. But the worst part was my hot and sour soup. It was so unbelievably greasy I took one bite and tossed it. Awful. And $16 for this junk? Yuck, never again. The only thing I can say is maybe eating in would improve the meal? Not enough though, most likely.
(1)
Tim T.
This day has been a long time coming. Thanks to Kevin for inviting us along, we finally ate at really good strip mall Chinese restaurant on the East side. I had given up hope and stopped looking. They did great with the basics, egg rolls, wonton soup etc. but they have a great selection that isn't the same old, same old. We had 2 appetizers that were spicy and delicious. Sichuan cold noodles and garlic cucumber. And don't let the name scare you off, the squirrel shaped fish w sweet and sour sauce was a hit with all of us. Best dish hands down was the orange chicken. I will be back!!!
(5)
Laura K.
Here's the scoop: If you think that Chinese food equals chicken nuggets with gravy or red ooze poured all over it then just keep eating at your favorite spot. This is authentic Sichuan food meaning it's hot and it's spicy. NO you can't have it mild or mild + (whatever the hell that means.) If you don't like it hot: read the paragraph above. There are a few stand outs on the menu that we tend to order over and over again. My bf, dad and I actually had our Thanksgiving dinner at Trizest last night. Always and I mean always start with the cold Sichuan noodles. My bf says it's his death row meal without a doubt. Cold, chewy noodles tossed in chili oil, garlic, scallion and sesame seeds. My go to dish is the Dry chicken with jalapeño. I have no idea how they cook it so that the flavor is infused into the chicken that intensely. It's like non-dried out,, fresh chicken jerky. My words can't do it justice. It's hot, with giant chucks of jalapeño and tons of chilis. My bf always gets the Sichuan lamb. Since I don't eat lamb I can't comment on the taste but it is one of their most popular dishes. Trizest is not your typical Chinese joint meaning it caters to Chinese people. So if the service is slower than you want it to be maybe you should just relax and in enjoy.
(5)
Neel A.
This is definitely one of the best Chinese restaurant that we have been do. Its not too pricey, food has good taste and lots of spicy options. The food may not be exquisite but they definitely taste good and worth going there once in a while. I go there once in a fortnight to have some spicy Chinese food.
(3)
Jessica X.
My family's favorite Chinese restaurant in the area. Super authentic Sichuan food and the food comes out fast. Every single time we run into family friends... everyone knows this place is the bomb diggity. If we hadn't been here for a few weeks, we will crave it and then want to go back.. they've got us hooked!
This place is fantastic. Living in Beijing and moving back to the U.S. really made me miss good Chinese food. REAL Chinese food. I take all my friends here and they always say, "wow, I feel like I just had Chinese for the first time." Make sure to try the cold cucumbers and the green beans. You won't be disappointed with a single thing on the menu!! Recommend to all who love a mouth full of flavor!
(5)
Sal G.
Everyone on Yelp was talking about this Sichuan Lamb...I had to try it. I was amazed at the flavor and quality of this dish. I went back the next day with some friends and ordered the gung bao chicken, which was also delicious. But I think I will get the lamb again next time, so good.
After my 69th visit I decided to finally review one of my favorite restaurants in metro-Detroit. Trizest is the real deal, amazing and delicious. Tonight I ordered the Sichuan Cold Noodle app and General Tso's Shrimp, it slayed me into a coma akin to a great night of partying with live music. This place is so good the wife and I get it biweekly if not more often. Heads up: Saturday nights are very very busy and usually do very big groups., so keep that in mind. Seriously, get the Sichuan Cold Noodle.
(5)
Dick E.
My wonton soup wasn't great but my almond boneless chicken was fantastic. The egg roll was an interesting flavor. For $6.99/lunch special, you can't go wrong. I agree with the other people who say this place needs to be redecorated ASAP.
(4)
Rina B.
This is the worst Chinese restaurant in Oakland county. I have been wanting to try this place for a while because the online menu had various items listed that seemed authentic. Today when I went there for lunch, the middle aged female hostess had a major problem sitting me at a table for one even though half the tables were empty. She actually rolled her eyes at me. The menu was the typical crap lunch menu that you would see at any Chinese restaurant. I'm not sure where the the online menu went. There wasn't a single vegetarian meal listed. So I ended up getting the sweet and sour shrimp with egg drop soup. Everything was flavorless. EVERYTHING! If you want fresh ingredients and food with flavor this is not the place. I will never go back to this dump again. Rude hostess and crappy food. But if you like greasy, low quality ingredients this is your spot.
(1)
Joe B.
This review is two fold since I came purely for the General Tso's, so I'll start there. I hadn't read too much about their General's in any of the Yelp reviews and once I walked in I knew why. This place has got to be pretty authentic given that we were one of two tables of white Americans in a restaurant filled with Asian patrons. This was not the place for me to indulge on my quest for good Tso's But I was with a lady friend so at the very least I'd get to try her Sichuan Lamb...so it was a win regardless. The Tso's was pretty generic. The chicken was dark meat and batter deep fried. The sauce tastes a lot like Trader Joe's jarred Tso's sauce...that's not an admonishment...I actually like there sauce for making pseudo-Tso's at home, but it wasn't what I was looking for and it was a far cry from gold standard at Szechuan Empire. It was on the sweeter side akin to a "Sesame" type sauce, and while they added a ton of chiles to make it spicy hot for me it wasn't quite hot enough. So for the Tso's alone I'd give them 2 stars. But more importantly was how everything else that we ordered made up for it. The pot stickers and garlic oil were phenomenal....pan fried crisp with a delicate and tasty filling, and the oil, while not very garlicky had star of anise in it and some other great flavors. The pot stickers are crave worthy...know this. My lady friend ordered the Sichuan Lamb on my recommendation given all the Yelp press it gets. She had asked them to go easy on the spice but it was yet a little too spicy for her while just about right for me. I loved loved loved the lamb with the green peppers!!! It was a solid dish, but for my tastes I didn't love the celery it's cooked with, but I've never been a fan of celery period so no worries. All in all the menu is insightful to say the very least! The Squirrel Shaped Fish...I have no idea what that means but I'm highly intrigued. The reviews I read about the Dry Chicken with Jalapeno...yes please. And the Cold Noodles sounded great from what I've read on here. I really liked this place and I'll be back to expand my limited horizons relative to their extensive and exotic menu, now that I have a better feel for what this place is all about. Bear in mind that service can be a bit slow....it's not because they don't care it's simply due to the fact that there is only two people working the floor and the register, so be patient, it'll be worth your virtue. That said, the service was very friendly and polite and they kept my water filled which I appreciate when eating spicy. This place is legit for sure!
(4)
Katy M.
Excellent food, I came with my husband and he's on his third visit. I had the general Tso chicken and pork fried rice, neither was a disappointment ... If you like you tso spicy be sure to make that request, for me it was just right though :)
(5)
Sriram E.
Got takeout. Took the advice of other Yelpers and had the Sichuan lamb, plus a shrimp dish. Quick service, and ordering wasn't too difficult (the lady at the counter didn't rush me). Sichuan lamb was yummy. Shrimp dish (can't remember the name) was ok, but a little on the salty side. Everything was spiced well, no complaints about spiciness (although I think some of my less adventurous friends would probably find the food too spicy -- beware!). I'll be back.
(4)
Rob B.
Selected this restaurant due to yelp providing such high reviews. I'm really surprised to see this restaurant listed as the "best Chinese restaurant" in Michigan. Then discovered I was here on a second visit although I could not remember my first visit - I can see why it was not memorable then and will be memorable now for the wrong reason - had the buffet $7.99 - my lunch companion ordered off the Menu. Got there a bit after noon - left at 1: 15pm the buffet was never replenished. Picked what I could to make a meal, several trays were down to the sauce and others were down to vegetable with small pieces of meat left. I selected what I could I had the hot and sour soup which was just average/ off tasting 3 spoonful's and gave it up the wonton soup was ok wonton dumplings were good. Spring rolls disappointed the filling was flavorless shredded cabbage. Breaded chicken for the sweet & Sour chicken were good pieces of chicken. The restaurant was filled - a bus load of Sr. Citizens was there. Good for revenue not good for the rest of us the buffet was picked clean and the kitchen did not replenish it. The place was overwhelmed - my lunch partners meal came 30 minutes later. it was good but the wait ate up much of our lunch hour. The booth we were in needs to be tightened up or replaced. The people behind me with normal movement caused the seat back to move which is not comfortable. Choose a table instead. I can consider it an off day and maybe give them another chance.. But maybe I will just go to Golden Harvest on 12 mile - I have not had a bad experience there.
(2)
Victoria A.
Did Carry out today. The food was very good and very fresh. I am normally not a fan of almond boneless chicken, but theirs is delicious! Big fan of the Sichuan beef - very good and love that Sichuan pepper! The woman who took my order was very friendly and polite on the phone and my husband was treated very nice when he picked it up. I ordered more common items that one would order when they go to a Chinese restaurant but will dive into their more authentic dishes on their menu next time. My husband didn't even have a taste for Chinese since our bad experience with wok 2 you and Golden Harvest, but I was persistent with trying Trizest and he finally gave in. He ended up eating Trizest for lunch and Dinner!
(4)
M S.
What a find! I have my fellow yelpers to thank for it as I would have never even thought of driving into this complex otherwise. We had an incredible dry spicy stir fried chicken that I'm thinking of with some salivation at this second. It's pretty spicy, not usually my thing, but the flavors are somehow very complete and satisfying. Bathrooms are deplorable (like, grody) but that's not why you're going there. Service is random/unpredictable -you will not care.
(5)
X P.
All our dishes were too salty...so salty that we couldn't eat it. I was really excited to try the mapo tofu but again, too salty to eat. The popcorn chicken was delicious despite the salt. Another good dish: the cold noodle appetizer dish that other yelpers recommended.
(2)
Dean S.
I'm really surprised to see this restaurant listed as the "best Chinese restaurant" in Michigan, as I had a rather unpleasant experience there last year. I ordered a chicken dish, perhaps garlic chicken or something else where the chicken was not breaded. The food arrived promptly and the server was polite though not exceptionally so. As soon as I popped the first piece of chicken I could tell it was spoiled. There is NO mistaking the taste of spoiled chicken for anything else. I put a piece on my friend's plate -- she had not ordered chicken -- and said "Try that" without saying anything else. As soon as she put it in her mouth she spit it back out and said "That chicken is spoiled." But, you know, it happens. Just bring me another dish. Easy-peasy, right? When I alerted the server, however, she quickly returned with an older woman who, without tasting it, said, "That's not spoiled. That's Hoisin sauce. You just don't know what Hoisin sauce tastes like." Well, a) yes, I do, and it does not taste like rancid chicken, and b) was she seriously standing there arguing with me? Then my friend said "That's not Hoisin sauce, that's spoiled chicken." So this went on for a half hour. Among other idiotic things, the woman said, "People come in here all the time and eat our chicken and no one ever complains." To which I replied, "That's because they've never gotten chicken that was spoiled." Finally she said, "So what do you want to do?" By that time I had no interest in giving them a second chance and only wanted to leave so that I could go somewhere else and eat. I was dumbfounded that this woman would actually stand there and argue with me for a half hour. How do people like that stay in business? Will NEVER go back there again!
(1)
Tony S.
Are you sick of the same old Chinese food? Try this place. Somebody on the talk forums had some pics of food from here and it looked awesome. I dragged my buddy from Boston with me and we had lunch. There were a lot of Asian people eating which is for me a good sign. I really wanted to try a soup dish but they were meal sized and what I wanted most was something like I saw in one of the pics. The good: They have an interesting variety of dishes that you won't see at other Chinese restaurants. I had Lamb with Cummin. Very good. They had the huge family style soup bowls that you can share. I just need to find some people who are willing to go outside of their comfort zone (Gen Tso's or Almond Chicken) to share with me. The bad: My buddy didn't like the disjointed service, but I say do what you want as long as it's done right. I think the staff was sensing my pals growing frustration and brought some food out before it's time. Maybe that's why the inside of my fried dumplings seemed like they needed to be cooked a bit longer... Conclusion: I'll be back.
(4)
Deion B.
This gets 4 stars for the food. Atmosphere was drab, but the place was full of Chinese (or Asians) so you know the food was good and authentic. Food was great - very spicy, which I paid for the next day. Had the Spicy Lamb (very spicy) and a spicy fish dish (would probably skip next time.) Overall a great experience due to authentic food...Would like a better atmosphere and some alcohol.
(4)
Johnny L.
Definitely Authentic Sichuan Cuisine on the outskirts of Detroit Trizest suffers from one of those occasions where "maybe I just ordered the wrong things?" The authenticity of this place doesn't come into question at all. Trizest offers up all the Sichuan classics that are known to burn the tongue. The place is pretty nice , though a little over the top with the dragon decor and such. The menu has both a Western menu and Sichuan menu. Service is spotty, but did the job. We ordered the Mapo Tofu (Tofu in Spicy Sauce), Pig's Blood Curd w Pork Intestine, Fried Duck in Fire Pot with Beer Flavor, Boiled Fish with Vegetables in Chili Sauce, and Boiled Dumplings in Spicy Soup. We ordered everything in spicy broth. The Mapo Tofu was excellent. I don't always eat tofu, but this was a great dish. The tofu was soft and was able to soak in all the wonderful spiciness of the sauce. The sauce was rich and thick in a very good way. Not too spicy and was just good. The Pig's Blood w Pork Intestine was alright. The blood curd was sharper than usual and the pig intestines were a bit chewy and could have been pressure cooked a bit longer. The taste was there, but the texture was off. The Fried Duck in Fire Pot with Beer Flavor was merely alright. I have a duck fetish and even I was a bit disappointed. It was a good solid dish but the beer flavor left a bitter taste that just didn't work so well mixed in with the oily chili broth. The meat was tender but the beer taste definitely doesn't fit well with the duck. The Boiled Fish in Chili Sauce was great. I enjoye the fish as they were perfectly tender and smooth in texture. It soaked in all that great spicy flavor but was still firm under the chopsticks. My friends actually didn't enjoy it so much, but they have to be crazy as I thought it was one of the better dishes of the night. The Boiled Dumplings in Spicy Soup were good too. The dumplings were rather small but tasted good. The Spicy soup was rather useless though as it didn't inherit any of the taste. Since the dumplings were boiled, the water kept all the oil and flavor off the dumplings. Overall, it definitely has the potential to be one of the Best chinese restaurants in the Greater Detroit area, but I must have just ordered the wrong things. If I had gone with some meat-eaters and gotten some beef or pork, I feel I may have enjoyed it more. Alas, this place will get 3 stars for the time being as I wasn't overly impressed by what we did get. Will definitely go here again to try their others.
(3)
J. R.
I heard this place had authentic Szechuan style Chinese food, had been thinking of going there for a while. I happened to be in the area last week, so went there for lunch. Ordered two typical Szechuan dishes: the cold appetizer Beef with Honeycomb Tripe and Mapo Tofu. I was thinking if they are good at authentic Szechuan food, chance of screwing up these two dishes is very low. Well, I was totally wrong. First of all, the service was horrible. The middle aged women at the front desk was very rude. She seemed very angry at me for some reason, was basically yelling at me, not to mention no greetings or smile at all. Well, if your restaurant does not welcome Asian customers, you could put a sign there, so I won't even bother going there. About the dishes. 90% of the cold appetizer is some stinky honeycomb tripe, only a couple small slices of beef. The Mapo Tofu barely has any ground beef/pork in it, taste was very bland. These two dishes were the worst Szechuan food I ever tried in the States. Worst part is that my stomach was very upset after I ate lunch there and I got a severe headache. I highly doubt about the quality of food in this restaurant. I would never go to Trizest again, and I do not recommend this restaurant to any friend.
(1)
Matthew K.
Exactly what I expected. I've heard good things from a coworker and we finally ended up going. The outside is drab and typical of the rundown Asian restaurant atmosphere. Inside isn't much better -- old, outdated...typical. Service was friendly, and the waiter asked if we wanted the buffet. We looked -- typical buffet food: crispy chicken, lo mein, mapo tofu, etc. Very American. We opted to order off the menu. Sesame fried tofu: Tasted great, but texture was off. I was expecting it to be crispy, but it was simply breaded, and the soft tofu they used made the whole thing oddly mushy for a fried dish. Vegetables and sauce were good, but I wouldn't order again. Dumplings in Spicy Sauce: I wouldn't call it a sauce, as it's not something you'd want over your rice to actually eat...it's more a liquid glaze that you let drip off the dumplings before you eat them. If it was supposed to be a soup, it's certainly not something I'd want to drink up. Dumplings were good, but had a lot of dumpling compared to filling. It was good, though, but probably wouldn't order again. Boiled Fish in Spicy Sauce: Worth the trip by itself. Fish was perfectly cooked in the broth, the broth tasted amazing -- spicy with good taste, not just a spice that numbs your mouth. I was actually picking out the pepper chunks to eat. Tofu blended in well with the fish and the vegetables were great. I'd order this any time I came back here, no question. Overall, I think the quality of food was good for a hole-in-the-wall Chinese restaurant, but the prices a little high even though portions were generous. I wonder how much the buffet lunch costs, as that's where many of the majority-Asian customers were flocking. Maybe I can convince my wife to come here, so I can order the Boiled Fish again and she can get something American like the Sweet & Sour Chicken. Hmmm....
(4)
Lily W.
So I dropped by this place on my visit home. My parents had been here previously with some other Chinese friends. Everyone knows if it's Chinese parent approved, it has to be good. We ordered the Boiled Fish w. Vegetable in Chili Sauce, Dry Stir Fried Chicken w. jalapeño pepper, and the crispy squid coated with salt and pepper. Of the three the first two are two authentic Sichuanese dishes. You can't usually get them around town. The third is just a dish you can get almost anywhere but I get random cravings for it so we ordered it. They definitely do Sichuan dishes right; the perfect blend of mouth numbing spicyness with enough flavor to sear your taste buds. My godmother is from the Sichuan province so I know my Sichuanese dishes. These are as good as you're going to get stateside. The squid was okay; I actually didn't like it as much as a few other places around town. I would recommend you stick with the house specials here. I knocked off a star because while the first two dishes were very generously portioned, they seriously skimped on the squid. In addition they seem to get overwhelmed at peak hours and service slows significantly according to my parents. I waited over half an hour for the first dish to come out but the subsequent ones were close behind it. If you're in the Tri-County area and looking for authentic Sichuan style Chinese food, check this place out! It was my parent approved so that tells you how legit it is.
(4)
Jian C.
It's a very good Sichuan restaurant and I recommend this one to anyone who love Chinese food. Very impressive.
(5)
Detroit C.
Okay - I want to review this restaurant for the Sichuan Hot Pot. It was great! One of my favorite dishes to eat while in China. Trizest's version was pretty darn good for Detroit. For those who don't know, sichuan hot pot is similar to fondue. You get a bubbling pot of broth in the middle of your table, and you order a bunch of plates of ingredients (meats and/or veg, shrooms, tofu, etc) And you drop morsels in the broth one by one to cook and eat it as you go. 1) They only serve it Mon thru Thursday. Call ahead to let them know you want it so they can prepare. It's kind of an ordeal (you eat at a leisurely pace, and eat a LOT), and I guess they don't want you hogging a table for three hours on the weekend. 2) It's fine with two people, but four is ideal, since you can try more things, and the cost goes down, since there's the initial cost for the pot of broth, and more people makes it cheaper. 3) Ordering: a) The broth: you can get spicy broth, mild aromatic broth, or the best - a divided tureen with both! Their broth was super tasty and seemed pretty authentic to me. b) The ingredients: I think they only have chinese menus. I translated mine b/c my Chinese is rudimentary, I guess someone can message me for a copy if they want? But the ingredients are basic: beef, lamb, pork, fish, shrimp. Also, tripe, fish balls, kidney and blood sausage! Mushrooms, cabbage, tofu, potato, green onions, sprouts. I'm sure the waitstaff can talk you through if you don't speak chinese. Also, they may not have every item on the menu. I'd call in advance if there's something you want to ensure they have. c) The dipping sauce: Don't neglect to order the garlic dipping sauce! After you cook your morsel to your liking, you dredge it through a dish of sauce made of oil, spices and a mountain of garlic. It's divine! We ordered about six things for two people (two meats, tofu and three veg). We were pleasantly, painfully stuffed. It's not super cheap, especially with just two people (like I said, the cost will go down with more folks), but it's a great special occasion and well worth it in my estimation. Minus one star for no alcohol license! And no BYOB! Boo hoo. Cool beer to sip with the spicy, bubbling hot pot is crucial IMO.
(4)
William C.
Very decent Sichuan food. I had Dan Dan Mien (street noodles) and ko xue xi (Sichuan chicken cold) and they were fine. In an area with little authentic Chinese food this place is an oasis.
(4)
Nicholas W.
Don't come here if you're looking for General Tso's. Trizest is the kind of place that serves authentic Sichuan food rather than the Americanized stuff, so instead you'll get some of the tastiest, spiciest Chinese food in Metro Detroit! The mapo doufu is by far my favorite dish here. The tofu is just the right consistency, and it's blissfully spicy. I've lived in the Detroit area for about fifteen years now, and this place is by far my favorite in town. Go. It'll be worth your while.
(5)
Tim P.
By far the BEST, most FLAVORFUL Szechwan found anywhere in Detroit. Do not pass this up. Like many purveyors of great food, the decor is sub-par. If you want great interiors go elsewhere - if you want the best Szechwan food, Tri zest
(5)
Jessie H.
Will come here every week! Really good Sichuan restaurant in Michigan!
(5)
Shane H.
It's refreshing to know that there IS a restaurant in the D that doesn't make white washed chinese food (greasy orange chicken, fried rices covered in heavy soy sauce, etc). Me and some friends had the pleasure to have hot pot here on a sunday afternoon. It was authentically spicy, just what i expected a Sichuan place to be. with all the herbs and spices they put in the bowl i can't help but to give them a 5 star. Cudos to them for staying true and refusing to white wash themselves out here in michigan. after inspecting their menu they really have authentic range of selection. i've peeked over at other tables around me and they all looked delicious. Definitely coming back. oh, and one last thing about the service. if great customer service is your priority and something you can't live without, this might not be your place. you can tell if a chinese restaurant is authentic or not by their service. here, i was pretty sure they wouldn't really talked to me much if i weren't speaking chinese. and even that the lady was kind of blunt. so if you care about service, go to pf changs.
(5)
Monica W.
This place is, very good. I mean VERY GOOD. Came here based on reviews expecting either a wonderful meal or to find out they are layering their food with crack and msg and that is why there are so many people singing their praises about this place.. thankfully it was the former, I think. It had everything you would want. Friendly service, good food($8-15avg), and a clean atmosphere. Not the fanciest of spots but definitely nice for a Chinese restaurant. I'll go ahead and mention the Sichuan Lamb because yes it is as good as everyone has stated, and the cold noodles also mentioned in another review were quite tasty as well. But what I really came here to say is that the Unique Vegetarian Dishes listed on Menu II (Authentic Menu) are amazing and the second time my fiance and I went I actually ordered one even though I am not vegetarian if that gives my words any backing. They offer veggie 'meat' flavored to be like chicken, beef, or pork and cooked in a variety of ways. We have stuck with the chicken thus far so I can only attest to that yet I would be willing to try the other options since everything else we have had here has been wonderful. My fiance actually went to China a little over a year ago and was very impressed with the few spots he could get a wide selection of items at. He said they had places that made shrimp, yet he thought he was literally eating shrimp... I thought he was crazy until now. This is the closest thing to meat I have come across here in the states outside of a place in California. If you are vegetarian try Trizest out, and I hope you enjoy!
(5)
Pete W.
Excellent , authentic and a great variety. I had chicken, son had duck. Both very good. Son's Chinese class will be taking a trip here.
(5)
Angela D.
Great food. Great prices. Great portions. I'm anxiously waiting for my next visit to this place.
(5)
Molida K.
I'm very glad that I read all the reviews from my fellow Yelpers and decided to try Trizest. I went straight for the authentic menu because to me, going authentic never disappoints. I chose the Sichuan Lamb because of all the raving I read about. My hubby got the Yibin Flaming Noodle for the appetizer and Spicy Chicken as the main course. My 4 year old was happily obliged to eat the Chicken Fried Rice. Let me start off by saying the language barrier is a bit of a problem when it came to ordering. The waitress was polite however a bit puzzled when I ordered off the authentic menu. She had to keep repeating the order back to me. "You want Sichuan Lamb yeah?" as if to say "Look here, do you have any idea what you're ordering or are you just picking random things off the menu that sound good?". Why yes my dear woman, I would really like to try the lamb and yes I actually do know what I'm ordering. The chatter between the servers and the other Cantonese customers was pleasant white noise; it let me know that I am in fact dining in a place that caters to fellow Chinese restaurant goers. Our Flaming Noodle appetizer was warm and just a bit spicy, not overwhelming with a hint of fried garlic and chili oil. Then our main courses came out and by this time I was ready for the fire. With abandon I dove right in. The Sichuan Lamb packed a double whammy of fiery spices--dried Sichuan chilies and jalapenos in every bite. The lamb itself had ground black peppercorns in it which had a different peppery kick to the whole dish. The Spicy Chicken was also delicious-- deep fried chicken bits covered in flash-fried Sichuan chilies. The spice from both dishes built slowly and then with a steady, rising heat engulfed my entire mouth in wonderful agony. I do agree with the other Yelpers that the chef can be a bit heavy handed with the salt though. At the end of our meal, our waitress apologized for the miscommunication we had and was delighted to see that we were satisfied with our meal. I was also happy to see that as we were leaving during the slow period after lunch and the beginning of dinner, the entire restaurant staff gathered together to eat before the rush. I can't wait to come back again and try the other authentic dishes.
(5)
Jenai D.
3 words - FISH FRAGRANT PORK. Oh my gawd it is so freaking good. Please always order from Menu II...though I don't know if Menu I is any good or not as I haven't tried anything on it. I have been to Trizest a whole lot of times now (because I'm addicted) and I can't say enough good things about it. Pretty much anything on the menu is sure to be spicy and delicious. There is a boiled fish soup that is out of this world and is not spicy (for those who don't like so much spice). You can't go wrong with any of the lamb dishes. And also the green beans are freaking phenomenal. This review is making my mouth water. *Note, I'm coming back and giving Trizest 5 stars because the food is that good.
(5)
Danny M.
Wow....! I think I found some of the best tasting food. If you enjoy culture and don't mind trying "weird" food, you have to get the crispy fried pork intestine. No doubt will be a regular here.
(5)
Kate H.
I have been in search of decent Chinese (besides soup) for what seems like ages. At the recommendation of a most-trusted fellow Yelper, I went to Trizest quite a few months ago and was immediately in love. Trizest serves the Sichuan variety of Chinese cuisine, rather than the Cantonese that we've all become accustomed to, although they do have the Cantonese favorites (Almond Boneless Chicken, Sweet and Sour whatever, etc.) on the menu. They also have countless things on the menu that I would never consider trying, as brave as I am. After a brief hiatus, I ventured back last night to finally dine in after having only gotten carry-out previously. Our waitress was amazing, although a bit chatty. There weren't many people there, so she paid extra special attention to us, offering up lots of details about their menu, the translations and the food, and making recommendations. I love this kind of service. I asked her about the Crispy Eggplant under "Authentic Dishes" and she described every detail and claimed it to be her favorite. I was sold. My dining companion ordered the mini hotpot and she was very careful to explain what ended up being kind of a messy and complicated procedure, repeatedly coming by to make sure we were okay and see if we had any questions. I can't imagine they always provide this kind of service, but it was nice. As for the food, it was really good, super fresh, high-quality ingredients, and totally different from anything I'd gotten at a Chinese restaurant prior to this. The Crispy Eggplant was a bit too much of the same thing (i.e., no veggies or anything, just giant rectangles of deep-fried eggplant with a thick sweet/vinegary sauce). The portions are ENORMOUS and way too much for one person. Our waitress explained that the hotpot is meant to be eaten over a longer period of time than most people allow for their dinner. She said a couple had come in earlier that day and got the hotpot for two (which has a divided bowl containing a mild broth on one side and a spicy on the other, rather than the almost too hot for us spicy broth we got) and they were there for 4 hours eating. Um... what?! Who has that kind of time?! Trizest is now my preferred place for Chinese, although I really don't eat it all that often. I'm looking forward to exploring their ginormous menu further and it's obvious they have no problem answering questions and helping people branch out from the typical fare. If I worked in the area, I'm betting the lunch buffet is stellar.
(4)
Heather L.
Could not leave this place fast enough! After reading many glowing reviews, I took my family to dinner here. Big mistake! Upon walking into this dreary, dirty restaurant we were hit in the face with the smell of old fish. Should have turned around and left right then! Gave them a chance. My family ordered and the food came out quickly. Well, 4 of 5 meals. I waited about 10-15 minutes for my meal. Service was nonexistent. Food was mediocre. Have made better in my own kitchen! Received the bill and noticed a "service charge" of 15%! Have I mentioned that the service was nonexistent? I was told at the register that it stated on the menu there was a 15% gratuity added to the bill. It was in CHINESE! I refused to pay it as a gratuity is optional dependent on service provided! Suffice it to say: Avoid this place at all cost! I came home with a nauseous tummy and a MSG headache!
(1)
Bill B.
I have a knack for falling in love with TV shows that end up getting canceled. They are high quality programs but, unfortunately, never get the ratings to survive. Now, I'm smitten with a Chinese restaurant and I hope it doesn't meet the same fate. The restaurant, Trizest, specializes in "spicy Chinese Sichuan food." There are lots of old favorites like General's Chicken, Mongolian Beef and so on. My wife ordered very good renditions of Sesame Chicken and Vegetable Chow Mein. What makes Trizest special, though, is unusual things. For example, they have "unique vegetarian dishes," which are made with soy bean, wheat and rice protein. As a vegetarian, I would appreciate such food even if it weren't great. But it is great, so great that I ordered different dishes two days in a row. The sauces are thin and flavorful, the vegetables perfectly cooked, the protein soft and sensual. Trizest also has a special page of "authentic Chinese dishes," out of the ordinary fare like Cumin Lamb, Fish with Pickled Vegetable and Gong Bao Squid. Unlike many Chinese restaurants, Trizest has been filled with Chinese diners each time I have visited. The atmosphere is convivial and warm. The staff is friendly and efficient. Despite having ordered only two meals from them, Trizest has moved into my top five Chinese restaurants of all time. I would not be surprised if it eventually becomes number one. I'm hoping that it's not a dream and it has a long, healthy existence in Sterling Heights.
(5)
Kristina A.
My husband and I lived in China for three years and upon moving back to Detroit we've been on a hunt for authentic Chinese food. On a recommendaton from some Chinese students in my husband's grad school class, we went to Trizest on Saturday night. It was so good and took us right back to being in China. The garlic cucumber and shredded chicken cold appetizers were incredible. The pot stickers and spicy dumpling soup were to die for. I really wish they served Baijiu, but unfortunately, the place doesn't have a liquor license. As mentioned from other reviewers, the service was slow, but you just need to flag the waitress down to get what you need. They were very nice and impressed with our limited Mandarin knowledge. We will definitely be back to dine in or carry out.
(5)
melissa k.
This is far and away the best Chinese restaurant in the metro area, if not in Michigan. Their menu is authentic and has a lot of variety, and lots of great options for vegetarians. They know what to do with tofu, and they do it extremely well. You can tell that all of their ingredients are fresh and everything is made from scratch. Their sauces are freaking fantastic. I cannot recommend this place enough. Be sure to try General Tso's Shrimp at some point - OMG.
(5)
Chet L.
Great food, friendly staff. Busy place, but the food is always quality. Good for bringing family or a group of friends to try each others dishes.
(5)
Ani B.
Food quite good, service unwelcoming. hubby and i both got General Tsu, his real chicken, mine tofu. Both fixed the same. i loved the soft as a cloud tofu. they came with 4 pieces of broccoli. $10.99 each came with rice. what i really wanted was something broccoli based but none of the vegetable choices were broccoli in garlic sauce. waitress would not recommend anything similar, just was not helpful and the menu did not explain what was really in each dish. no extras given like hot tea, fried strips of won ton wrappers with plum sauce dip. maybe that isn't something done here in MI. NY/NJ always gave these nibbles and tea. so if you are looking for courteous, happy service - forget it here. main clientele was Chinese. again the food was good- restaurant plain and neutered. would possibly given another star if the waitress/service was better.
(3)
Caroline C.
Red hot chili peppers danced around for joy in my mouth the first time I went to Trizest and had the "water boiled fish," which should be re-named to "super hot spicy fragrant the best darn mouth burning but you'll love every single minute of the pain fish." They haunted my dreams for days afterwards until I returned to Trizest to stop the withdrawal shaking and get another fix of the tastiest, most authentic Szechuan food I've had in the Metro-Detroit area. Note to the "people who have to use forks at an Asian restaurant": you CANNOT get the Americanized Chinese food here - it tastes like crap. Skip past the first two pages of beef-and-broccoli and General Tsao's chicken, and you'll find where Trizest really shines. In my weekly pilgrimages I've also tried the chopped rabbit, fish and tofu, Szechuan lamb, spicy chicken, beer duck, and some other dishes such as cold tripe (not for the faint of heart). ALL were fantastic. So order a whole pitcher of water when you sit down, stay under the "authentic dishes" sub-heading under the menu, and prepare for a delicious journey through Szechuan culture that you will be raving about. That is, once your tongue stops burning!
(5)
Ted N.
This restaurant has become a regular spot for me and the wife. It's very authentic and filled with Chinese (always a good point). The daily specials, written on the ink board at the entrance, are all in Chinese - so you'll need help from the waitress for a translation. Their staff is nice and friendly. The hostess helps you with good suggestions. But be advised, some of their menus items have been translated literally and don't flow well (ex: squirrel fish...LOL), so once again you may need help from a waitress. The food is going to be spicey and hot....if you're timid about such things, you can still find mild dishes, but you're missing their best. Try the: a) mabo-dofu (they spell it m-a-p-o dofu) b) dry beef something or rather is also good. c) Szechuan lamb is also excellent Avoid: a) deep fried eggplant with some type of sweet sauce (tastes like maple syrup) b) the squirrel....something fish is good, but also has that same sweet sauce on it.
(4)
David G.
I dont know what I had my menu was in Chinese I went by a picture on the back page it was awesome but it was so hot I was sweating in the restaurant and my mouth was still burning 2 miles down the road !!! Good stuff I would do it over I also love that its not like the other Chinese restaurants. Cons it was a little pricy my dish with a coke was 19 dollars and it was very cold in the restaurant
(4)
Tim T.
Foods I had there. 1) spicy lamb. 5 stars 2) pork intestines, both fried and in a hot pot. 5 stars. 3) tofu dish of some kind. 3 stars. so, why the 1 star rating uptop? let me tell you. Me and my wife, this is our third visit since discovering this place by the recommendation of my good yelp friend TIffnay Ng. We decided that we do not want to order 2 to 3 dishes and end up with a 45 to 50 dollar bill after tips. Everything was fine until the food showed up. Nothing wrong with the hot pot, however, there was 1 bowl of rice. I thought they just forgot. So I flagged a woman who was NOT in server or waitress clothing (she normally tends to the register) and said to her. "We have two people eating, do we only get one small bowl of rice?" she replied, "let me go check" she came back and said "we serve bowl of rice based on how many dish you order, since you only ordered 1dish, you only get one rice, you can order more rice, that would be $1 per bowl." I said, " no thanks" I split the tiny bowl of rice with my wife, finished the meal, and will never visit this place again. That was BAD customer service and experience. Did she really just tell me that if me and my wife wants to SHARE a dish that we are not entitled to 2 bowl of rice? It's not like we had 4 ppl sharing a dish wanting rice for everyone. We just wanted ONE dish to share. I left there not wanting to return. This is TYPICAL of how chinese restaurants treats customers. From now on, I will NOT recommend this place to anyone. Anyone asking me about this place I would tell them this place is stingy. Serisouly, if you and your compapnion wants to share ONE dish, you can't have enough rice for the both of you. you guys know what? I will have my wife bring our own fudging rice in one of her big purse next time we order just ONE dish just to fudge with them. Ridiculous. Yea, tha'ts right, I will bring fudging 5 fudging bowls myself.
(1)
Mim M.
came here twice already; pretty decent spicy chinese cuisine, coming from someone that has had a lot of authentic chinese food (im also chinese). the several dishes that ive tried dont exactly taste like what im used to tasting typically; however, it is still good in its own way, and its oddly satisfying haha.
(4)
Elizabeth T.
If I could only give 5 plus stars! The best,most authentic Chinese food in the area. It's best to ask for suggestions and try something different. You really can't go wrong with any dish on the menu. Service is great. An all around perfect place.
(5)
Debbie H.
I am not a five star kind of person. For me, five stars means amazing and outstanding. We stumbled upon this restaurant and what a happy accident. My husband and I have been looking for a good Chinese restaurant, well, forever. We hadn't found one - until now. The hot and sour soup was actually hot - and - sour (gasp, for effect). The potstickers were really tasty - didn't even want the sauce the pork filling was so yummy. We had a couple of typical Cantonese-style dishes but they were great. I got the Mu Shu Pork which was fantastic (despite the fact that it was served with store-bought tortillas, rather than the wonderful crepes that should have been served) and my husband got the General Tsao chicken - also very good. We will definitely go back and I'm trying the Squirrel Shaped Fish, next time. Please, oh please go here so it stays open!
(5)
Rahul S.
We know we had done something right when we walked into a Chinese restaurant and all the chatter we heard was in Cantonese. Our smile got a little broader when we could see the board with specials had not one English alphabet on it. This was going to be good. We were greeted at the door by a slightly grumpy woman who strangely reminded me of Seinfeld's Soup Nazi. Our server was a quiet, awkward girl who only looked down when she spoke and more than once dropped a fork or a spoon. All this did was add to the strange charm of the place. The menu was opened to the 'Authentic Chinese food' section and after reading some of the other yelp reviews we wouldn't have it any other way. We decided to go with the Sichuan lamb and the pork green beans. We asked our server for a recommendation for noodles and decided to go with the mixed lo-mein. Everything was prefect. I'm going to preface this with the fact that I'm no Chinese food connoisseur but really I couldn't have asked for more. The Sichuan lamb was perfectly cooked and awesomely spicy. I could do with a little less of the red pepper flakes but I really can't complain. The lo-mein was the best I've had in a while and I thank my awkward Chinese server for that. The pork green beans was refreshingly good. I'm used to almost every other restaurant serving up boiled, bland green beans. This dish was different - the beans were flash fried to perfection with little tiny delicious pork bits. Gimme gimme gimme. The meal for my girlfriend and I was priced a little over $30 but the quantity was enough for two meals. Probably my favorite Chinese food in the D so far. Tips - - The service can be slow. Don't hesitate to flag someone down when you need a glass of water or your check. This is a stereotype that's true in most Asian and Indian restaurants. Service is always sketchy. If the food makes up for it, deal with it. - Spicy means spicy. The Sichaun lamb had an image of 3 chillies next to it and while it's not Thai hot, you've been warned. - Try something new. I think I'm leaning towards the boiled fish the next time I'm there. If you want General Tso's go someplace else. - The Chinese herbal medicine store next door has small swords on sale for $30. I don't know why I added this to the review. I felt it was important. I'm going back. Squirrel shaped fish anyone? (Yes, it's on the menu.)
(4)
Jim C.
Ok folks, I am a lover of Chinese food. I have my favorite place called Wing Lee up in Sterling Heights. As of right now no one compares to that place. So I ordered take out from Trizest on 9/21/11. Got their lunch special. It Came with a decent portion your choice of rice, egg roll or something else and your choice of soup. Mine came out to $6.35! Great price, being 6'2" 240lb this would have filled me up just fine! BUT... I started with the soup (wanton), it was alright. Seemed to be a little watered down and had a bit of spice to it but otherwise pretty good. Next I moved to the egg roll. One bite and had enough, I thought it was nasty. Maybe just me I thought. So I moved over to my General Tiao chicken. Ate my first bite and it was pretty good! So I broke my second piece in half because it was kinda large and noticed it was really pink, almost looking like it was uncooked. I cut open several more to find the same... So needless to say I couldn't eat that so I threw them in the microwave. That solved that problem. The fried rice was horrible. Tasted old like yesterday's fried rice, and was hard. I will not eat here again.
(1)
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Address :33170 Dequindre Rd
Sterling Heights, MI, 48310
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : No Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : No Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
The popularity of Chinese food in America can be adjudicated by the appearance of China Town in many major cities in the United State of America. The popular trend of ordering or opting for Chinese take away food isn't unknown in America. Chinese take away food comes to rescue when you're too tired from work or too exhausted to cook. No one can resist the temptation of eating spicy noodles, shrimp, chicken, beef or pork cooked in the sweet and spicy sauce. The cooking method of authentic Chinese food is a lot different compared to what is served in America.
Generally, Chinese use dark meat small bones and organs to cook dishes but this changes when you are eating American-Chinese fusion food prepared using white boneless meat cooked with broccoli, carrots and onions. Back in China, the food is less spicy and oily as they favor steaming and braising method for cooking the most popular dishes. So, if you have a taste for authentic Chinese food, then try finding a real Chinese restaurant in the city. You can also try the most popular fusion Chinese food like Pecking Duck, Chicken Feet, Hot Pot, Shrimp Dumpling Soup, Mapo Tofu, Wontons, Chop Suey, Egg Rolls and not to forget Fortune Cookies.
There are not many restaurants in America serving authentic Chinese food. A little research on Restaurant Listings directory can help you locate the best Chinese restaurants in the city. Chinese cuisine is continuously evolving, and you can find a variety of dishes categorized as the food for lactose intolerant, gluten intolerant, vegan, vegetarian, and diabetic friendly. So, if you have a group of friends with different taste patterns, save the hassle and visit the nearest Chinese restaurant in your city.
erin p.
When I read about Trizest on ye olde yelp, I spent the next three days fantasizing about delicious little baa baa lambs spicing up my mouth, and dan dan noodles. (BTW, whoever thinks that it's okay to call those... those things... on the Pei Wei menu dan dan noodles should be deported.) After three days I realized I could take no more suffering and longing and pain and I high-tailed it over there. Verdict: At long last, I no longer have to dread the annual Christmas Chinese food trip to obnoxious establishments full of obnoxious people and obnoxiously gloppy, gross American Chinese food. Hooray! I agree with previous reviews -- the chef is heavy-handed with the salt. Although I think the saltiness tends to be present in the meats but not necessarily the vegetables. We got the dan dan noodles (better than anything I've had in the D, but mine came cold and weren't as spicy as I would have liked despite me instructing them "make it spicy"), Sichuan lamb, and green beans with pork. The lamb was out of this world and I can't wait to go back and eat more of it, and try the cumin lamb. The green beans with pork were also delicious. Best of all, Sichuan peppercorns all over the place -- zingy, lemony little husks from planet strange. My tongue is still tingling, although to be fair that's because I just ate leftovers for lunch, not because the tingle lasts 24 hours. Generous portions. We were there on a Sunday afternoon and it was dead inside. Hoping for similar deadness this xmas, on which I will eat a very kosher meal of double-sided pork.
(4)John W.
It is an authentic Szechuan restaurant. Just want to clarify; Szechuan is only one region of authentic Chinese food, which originated from the west part of china. If you do not like spicy & hot food, probably it is not a good option for you. The spicy fish stew is great. Bamboo stir fry with pork is also pretty awesome. I took several of my American friends there, they all love it. I guess the tip is how to order the right dish.
(5)Anthony S.
Most authentic Chinese for I've had in Michigan. For those that don't notice, the menu is split between the Americanized entrees and authentic Chinese entrees. If you want the good stuff order the authentic. If you want the Americanized stuff, go to PF Changs or Panda Express.
(5)Rav J.
My go to place in Sterling Heights, MI. They have really good spicy Sichuan food and I loved their Sichuan chicken. The Lady at the front desk was very friendly and answered all my questions. Every dish I ordered had a different flavor.....that is different from any other local places I have been to. Unlike all the other places where they try to skimp on the meat and add a lot of onions and other veggies, this place has the right balance of meat and vegetables. I would say its more meat than veggies, thats the way at least I like it :). If you like good spicy food, look no further.....Its a clear choice above all the rest.
(5)Nick G.
This place puts all sorts of wowie back into every kind of zowie you can imagine. I went here with morgan, ben, and joe wojtowicz and we all split a bunch of stuff family style. I have a good habit of coverting vegetarians into meat-eating creeps like me. We got the schezuan lamb, schezuan noodle salad and the general shrimp. The shrimp tasted like there was cream cheese in the middle like crab rangoon style but i don't think that's the case. The noodle salad made me piss myself and the lamb was danglin big time. All in all, it was good. The staff was super cool even though they messed up our order a bit. Total "better luck next time" sort of thing. Sick of lackluster chinese food around here? This place will convert you.
(5)Grace Z.
The foods taste was pretty good. The only problem I had with the place is that the food taste is completely from MSG and it was too oily. Otherwise, restaurant is clean, and the staff is decently friendly.
(3)Jess T.
Dustin and I complain about the lack of Mexican and Chinese food in Michigan. Unfortunately Michigan is just not a popular place for Mexican and Chinese immigrants that would justify more "authentic" cuisine choices. While Dustin was post call one day, and running a bunch of errands he had the good sense to try the lunch buffet here. He was so impressed that he decided to bring me here for dinner later that week. First they have pork string beans. I mean this is what string beans should be! Flash fried in a wok with garlic, chili and bits of pork. If you have never tried this dish before - please do so. It is one of my all time favorite Chinese dishes. This did not disappoint either, as the string beans were perfectly cooked, not over fried, or soft. We had the spicy lamb, at the suggestion of Janelle. Dustin loved it - I am not as big of a fan of lamb and it was a little too spicy for me, but it was tender. The orange chicken was good too, just a touch of sweet orange sauce. Not as good as our favorite tangerine beef back home, but close. The service was good, albeit the language barrier made for interesting ordering. The waitress seemed to think that we were ordering items that she would have to check to see if they had. It was also nice to see several other tables of diners enjoying their dinners.
(3)rs k.
best Chinese food I ever had!! I would like to clear up to those who are not familiar with the variations in chinese cuisine. This is Schezuan meaning that food recipes are from a part in china where food is made extremely spicy.. I had gone to eat in some authentic chinese restaurants in many years and this is as close as it gets to authentic chinese and not some watered down version!! 5 stars!!!
(5)Jennifer H.
I have to admit I was tempted by the promise of "authentic" Chinese menu items, but once I actually looked at them, I changed my mind. Sorry, but I'm just not into tripe, fish-scented pork, or pig's blood. EEK. So I went with my usual, hoping I would be happy. And I was. But first, a word or 30 about the service. Everyone was nice and friendly...but the waiter we got was...strange. He seemed to understand and speak English (not great but good enough), but he just couldn't grasp taking an order. The first of our four-top ordered and he said "Is that all?" as he looked about to walk away and ignore the rest of us. Then when #2 was ordering and was asked about soup, he chose Won Ton and the waiter looked at us and asked us to explain Won Ton to him. Huh? What? No, he WANTS to order Won Ton, he isn't asking about it. Whatever. When I went to order, I said the name of the item (Mongolian Beef), the number listed on the menu, and he still asked me to point to it. Overall it wasn't a big deal, but it was strange...and we all got a good laugh out of it. Other than that, it took some time for our waters to be filled the first time, but they were good about it after that. The food came out quickly (both the appetizers and entrees) and it was all quite tasty. The cold noodle appetizer was just spicy enough to leave a little tingle on your lips, but not too spicy to prevent you from eating it. I was also very happy that my Mongolian Beef was served with, simply, beef and onions (as opposed to other places that give you tons of veggies). This is definitely some place we would go back to.
(4)Leslie H.
It was my first time ordering from here. Got a carry out, sesame chicken with fried rice. It was delicious. The restaurant was very clean and the staff was very friendly. A new gem.
(5)Kris C.
My stop at Trizest was truly the work of my fellow Yelpers. Craving chinese after work, I knew I could count on ya'll to provide the perfect stop on my quick ride home. While I cannot blame my one star on my fellow reviewers, I just don't get the hype. I really liked this place when I stepped in. Lots of light, a friendly woman at the counter, clean and easy parking. All those positives aside, I knew something strange was afoot after I recieved my carryout container and wasn't instantly salivating by the aroma. I am adverturous but not enough to try the intestines or pig's blood anything, so I stick with what I know I tend to like when trying a new restaurant. Mongolian Beef, fried rice, egg roll and a small order of wonton soup. Maybe my taste buds have been spoiled by the Americanization of chinese fare. I know the gravy-doused, fried patties 'o meat isn't authentic far east eats, but it's what I am used to and generally like. When I finally got home and was able to dig in, the first thing I tried was the soup. One lone wonton, floating in urine colored water that had no flavor whatsoever. The wonton was good though. Next was the beef. This was the source of the strange smell. I mentioned that the aroma didn't leave me excited and opening my little plastic container, it just got worse. I read the portions where huge. Also that the mongolian beef wasn't loaded with veggies. I guess my opinion of huge and not alot of veggie's differs. Opening the container, it was 80% onions (not green onion but your standard yellow cooking onion), a vegatable, 20% beef. The meat was strange. Very tender but almost spongy in that pre-chewed way. I always had mongolian beef that was a little sweet, a little heat. None of that madness going on here. Infact, no spice or flavor whatsoever. None. Zero. Nada. Zilch. It was by no means horrid but it definately isn't something I would order again. The fried rice was dry. The egg roll was passable with it's cabbage filling. But again, no flavor. The menu is interesting enough to peak my interest. Maybe Trizest's MB just isn't for me and I'll give something else a go. The Green Bean Chicken sounds good and I might give that a try in the near future if I decide to go back. Which, I kinda doubt. If this is considered authentic, I guess I will be best served to stick with the gravy-laden US version. And I am perfectly okay with that. Trizest: Bland. Blander. Blandest.
(1)Mike Y.
Not good. Greasy egg rolls and dry fried beef that is disappointing. I have had several dishes and been underwhelmed by all.
(1)Sayooj V.
BAD customer service and experience
(1)Brian B.
Confused by the high ratings from other Yelpers. Our order consisted of Mongolian Chicken, Crispy Sesame Beef, Veggie egg rolls, and chicken fried rice. If i could sum the meal up in one word, it would be 'greasy'. 1/4 into eating I felt the need to wash my face. The beef was anything but crispy, more of a gooey brown sauce with sesame seeds thrown on top. The chicken in the mongolian chicken was spongy and bland. The fried rice had the same chicken from the mongolian chicken, only with no sauce. The carrots and peas were from a frozen bag. The food was edible, but pretty much on par with the food court at a mid-class mall. Very unlikely that I would go back.
(2)Alan L.
This is the best Sichuan Chinese food I've had in over thirty years!!! I haven't enjoyed Chinese food this much since I ate it in New York over thirty years ago. I usually follow the advice of fellow yelp reviewer janelle w and her tastes were impeccable as usual. I ate the spicy dry tofu, the Sichuan noodle salad, the Sichuan lamb, and the fish-scented pork. All of them were wonderful. I had some other dishes that were heavy handed on the salt but for me this just added to the charm of the place. The chef is from a region of China whose biggest industry is mining salt. If I was being more critical I would give this restaurant only three stars but its pluses outweigh its minuses by so much I have to give it five. This is a place for people who enjoy spicy food and not for people who make a lifestyle whining about it.
(4)Kari Jo M.
When it comes to good chinese food in the sterling heights area, you can't beat trizest. The portions are huge, and the hot & sour soup is absolutely the BEST hot and sour soup I have ever tasted. It has lots of mushrooms and has a very nice broth/liquid consistency, unlike other hot and sour soups that are very gelatinous or thick. I always get the sesame chicken or the vegetarian general tso's. Like I said, portions are huge so you can usually get away with splitting something.
(5)Ken S.
I've now dined twice at Trizest Restaurant fully satisfied with the unique dishes I came here for - Squirrel Fish & Mapo Tofu. Apparently, the oddly named Squirrel Fish is a hearty portion of flounder, battered and fried then topped with sweet&sour or sweet&spicy sauce. I'm a big fan of fried fish and this dish is notable. The Mapo Tofu. Outstanding! I'm crazy about that spicy bean sauce. Perfect heat. There's a bowl of Boiled Fish pictured that looks fantastic and a must order. It'll be tough to not go with one of my previous 2 above orders.
(5)Shirley R.
My Background: Grew up in Thailand, and authentic chinese food is just as prevalent as thai food. So I consider my palette asian-oriented! Summary: Best Dish: Szechuan lamb & Mapo Tofu Ambience: Typical chinese restaurant interior, quite large, can accommodate large groups well. Portions: Generous, most dishes can be split between 2-3 people. Wait staff: Don't expect them to go the extra mile, but they get the job done. Tip: Order off the chinese portion of the menu for a more authentic experience. Review: This restaurant is NOT for people who believe chinese food to be General Tsao's, Orange Chicken, Chicken & Broccoli etc....highly americanized menu items. This is a szechuan cuisine, so you're going to get the szechuan peppers and the like as your main flavor trend. For this, this restaurant earned the 4 star review. What took away from a 5 star was service, as they waiter seemed more concerned about getting us out before closing time then tending to our needs. In terms of authentic fare I think this is one of the closest you can get in the Detroit land area. If you're not into authentic Chinese, this may not be the place for you.
(4)Sarda P.
My all time restaurant....the only Chinese place that will customize my meal. ..top dishes: Garlic Cucumber; Crispy Tofu, Corn Soup; Sliced hot and sour Potato; Peapod Leaves; Sichuan Lamb ...yum :)
(5)Ron C.
Well I knew it would happen, bragged & bragged about this place & decided to show it off to the bride. Walked in at 6:30 on Friday and were sat fairly quickly. I encouraged the bride to order the Chicken , Mushrooms & pea pods dish $11.99 Which she did, she loved it and had enough left over for her lunch on Saturday Taste A+ But one thing, that disappointed her was she really wanted a rice or udon noodle as she is riced out these days Jay our server, said NO! I said I'm not looking for a freebie, I'll pay for it, Ill buy it.. Jay . .NO! white rice of fried rice only. Okay whatever... I ordered the Popcorn Chicken as I had 2-3 pieces of it before at a UYE & wanted more. $10.99 I asked for medium heat, and that was plenty warm enough for me. Red Flags or annoyances on this visit. 1.The old tired booths are raggedy & need to be replaced Lord help you if a family of four is behind you, you will be shake-rattle & rolled ( we both were from our neighboring booths ) Choose a Table! 2. Jay or his helper, never once came back to check on us during our 55 minute dining event. No Not Once. I'll consider it an "Off Night" and hope to return..
(3)Allen L.
LOVED the food. 5 stars. The best szechuan food I've had - surpassing YpborYan. Flavors were great - fresh - clean - on point. Service was odd - slowwwww. Friendly. Dated - not the shiniest place but the food would bring me back.
(4)Theresa A.
I've only dined in once but I think once is enough for a review. First off, I need to thank the fine people in Detroit's Yelp Talk for recommending this place...so THANK YOU. To be honest, I rate my Chinese food experiences by their noodles. I will always order the house noodle or a noodle dish depending on my mood. This particular time I ordered the shrimp lo mein. FINALLY. A restaurant that knows my heart when it comes to my love for noodles. Right off the bat, I knew it was fresh noodles; not dried or dried out. It didn't matter that there was *not* an over abundance of shrimp. It was not mushy, it wasn't overly sauced, it was fresh. There wasn't a flavor component that over powered anything. & it was noodles, no extra bs, only delicious noodleness. You see how serious I am about noodles? It was my kind of noodle & It is how I'd make my noodles at home. I will be ordering that again someday. When I go to eat Chinese food, It's always family style when ordering. So aside from noodles, I will usually pick two (or 3, or... ) other dishes to share among us. Since it's usually just 2 of us, we will have extra food to take home, that is secretly my plan anyway. I ordered Stir-fried beef with green bean (long bean) and Stir Fried Pork w. Dried Soybean Curd (Tofu). The beef and long bean was my next favorite dish. I could snack on those long green beans all day long. And I love that deep brown sauce, my favorite of Chinese food sauces and if you can see in my picture it's not drowning in it! You can taste the tender pieces of beef and green beans with hints of ginger, garlic, oyster sauce? and whatever magical ingredients they add. (& I definitely try to guess what ingredients are in the dishes at the table; some may find it annoying but I can't help myself) The pork and dried tofu was mixed with celery. I found the play on textures interesting; strips of dried tofu, strips of pork and celery. We didn't devour that dish as quick as the others, so I'll be repurposing those leftovers in a future fried rice. At the end of the meal, our waitress gave us a small warm bowl of red bean and rice dessert. Yum. Slightly sweet, glutinous, yet palette cleansing...just like popo used to make. I'm rating this restaurant a 5 because it's the best Chinese Szechuan cuisine I've had so far in Michigan which is not always an easy mission to find, I already know what I'll be ordering to try on my next visit.
(5)D S.
I finally made it here and was not disappointed! I ordered the hot and sour soup, veggie spring roll and gong bao chicken but asked for mild spice. It was incredible and perfectly spiced. Wait staff was friendly and helpful, but a little slow on water refills. Will definitely be coming back here and will be more daring next time around
(4)Nick V.
Hands down the best Szechuan Style Chinese in the Detroit area. I do not want to give too much away, because I do not want it too busy lol. Seriously, absolutely serious Chinese Cuisine. Love It.
(5)Rob B.
I had to add to the review. This is our go to spot! Wonderful every time. We've been here now nine times and never have been disappointed. I am always amazed how good the fish soup with pickled vegetables tastes. It is just as wonderful each time around. Important, I've had Tea Smoked duck (not on the menu), it was the best I've had!! I will now ask what else is available. Make that note.. Hope this helps and thanks again to everyone here!
(5)Michele S.
Let me give you my Chinese cuisine background: I have lived in Asia for 13 years and spent most of my time in California where most Asians live. I would say this is the most authentic Chinese food in Michigan. The reason why i gave 4 stars out of 5 stars, because it is the best relative to other Chinese restaurants I have tried in Michigan but if i were to compare to other Chinese restaurants I have been to it is hard for me to give out 5 stars. I have been here couple times already. I would not recommend lunch buffet or lunch special. They are cheap, but if you really want to get authentic Chinese food, i would order food from the REAL Chinese menu. My favorite dishes include: 1. Sichuan Style Green Bean w. Pork: flavor is great. the string beans were cooked right, crispy but not soggy. 2. Mapo tofu: don't get me wrong, it is a really spicy dish. not just spicy, it give your the numbing type spice..awesome! (if you really enjoy eating spicy food) 3. Stir Fried Lamb w. Green Pepper, Onions, Cumin Flavor...love it!..if you like lamb..i highly recommend this dish 4. Fish in spicy oil..fish is tender and strong flavor I would not recommend boiled pork dumplings in red chili oil mixture..NOT GOOD Overall, I had a great time dining there...if you can not handle spicy Chinese food, don't waste your money coming here..The price is on the higher end..I would not pay this much money for Chinese food in California...three dish is about 40 bucks..
(4)Sam P.
2nd time to this restaurant, almost a year apart in visits and I can honestly say one of my favorite Szechuan restaurants in the city! While the outside I the restaurant is not going to grace any magazines ever, don't let the lack of ambiance fool you. The salt 'n pepper squid is a must, as is the hot pepper chicken (or Szechuan as a nice alternative!) Service has been a little sketchy both times, until the employees find out your from a city that has a Chinatown and know the lingo! Overcome this moment by sharing a few photos of your favorite dishes and see if they have something like it on the menu. Here's the thing I love best... There are always people there that are Chinese (read that as the food is authentic if someone is of the same nationality!) You must try this place!
(5)Sarah C.
Came here per another Yelper's review. I wanted to show my friends what hot pot was. I called ahead of time and asked. They said they do. I show up with my friends on a Wednesday night expecting hot pot. They have hot pot alright but it should really be clay pot. What a disappointment. The food we did order was good and came in big portions. The service was very lacking. They only had two waiters. I am not sure if I will come back unless someone I know want better Chinese food for a good price. To me, I think its alright Chinese food.
(4)Iris S.
This place is terrible! I'm actually posting this as I'm sitting at the restaurant. The waiter is rude and slow and he walked away as my dad was talking to him! I have been waiting here for one hours and 35 minutes. It took 30 minutes to get a table. Then the waiter said the food would be out in 30 minutes, it's been 65 and still counting. I've been here a couple times before too. Service is always shabby. On average, the waiter came around once an hour to refill water. The food is fine most days but they always seem to run out of food or not have fresh food. It's kind of nasty.
(1)Jeff H.
I used to come to this place semi-regularly back when it used to be China Garden. The food wasn't great but they served up an above-average General Tso's, with whole chile peppers added for extra spiciness. A good thing, and a former guilty pleasure of mine. One day I showed up and China Garden had become Trizest. I tried the General Tso's and wasn't impressed. I came back and tried their Mapo Tofu and while it was much better than the Tso's, that was sadly my last time coming in here for a couple of years. I say sadly because last week I just had the best Chinese meal I think I've eaten in my life here. Oops, I've been missing out! I met up with a group of seven Yelpers, we sat at a big round table with a lazy susan in the middle, and everyone just started ordering random dishes to split. Most of what was ordered was off the authentic Sichuan Chinese half of the menu (full of flavor and spicy hot). TAKE NOTE: You are best advised to stick with the contents of this menu and leave the Americanized stuff to the amateurs. They are straight PROS at Trizest. Seriously, for all you gringo Americanos like myself, the farther outside your comfort zone you go while ordering here, the happier you will probably be. We had wantons and dumplings, steam pork buns, Sichuan beef and lamb, "popcorn chicken", Sichuan green beans, spicy squid, a big delicious plate of pork innards stewed with onions (which was fabulous by the way) and other dishes which I am forgetting. But the common theme is that everything was delicious, expertly done, eyes-rolling-back-in-the-head good. Everyone was satisfied and everyone got to try some things they have never had before. The whole table was suitably impressed and could not stop talking about a return visit. I went back today for lunch, just to make sure our amazing experience wasn't a fluke. I tried the Sichuan Cold Noodles and the Crispy Eggplant w/ Garlic Sauce. Both were sublime. And there was tons leftover to bring home. Trizest has instantly become my favorite Chinese restaurant, and just in the nick of time. I had all but given up on eating Chinese food in favor of the more interesting (or so I thought) flavor profiles of Vietnamese, Thai, Korean, and Japanese cuisine. But apparently I just haven't been going to the right Chinese places.
(5)Roxanne I.
Per a friend's Yelp review I ordered the Mapu Tofu and man was I not disappointed. The spiciness was to the level that I loved (will warn it is a bit more than the average person could handle) and the tofu was the perfect texture. Will admit that I can't compare it to other Mapu tofu's I've had (was my first time) but man it was delicious. My parents ordered a couple other dishes and I loved all of them. Definitely a place to check out
(5)Tracy K.
The flavors of the food were delicious. Everything blend very well. The staff were really nice which is hard to come by from Chinese restaurant. I've lived in the area for a long time and just found out about this place. Will definitely recommend for anyone who's is looking for great flavors.
(5)Tara L.
Whooo-eeee! Spicyyyy!! I am a huge fan of Sichuan cuisine, and I was not disappointed with my recent dining experiences here at Trizest. Thanks to all my Yelp buddies who rave about this place, we ordered some of the staples, and most of them were the house specialities. Thank you guys! :) On our first visit, we ordered their Sichuan Lamb, Dry Fried Green Beans, Ma Po Tofu, and Tomato Fried Eggs Soup with Bok Choy. The second time we decided to get two newer dishes: Squirrel Fish and Stir-Fry Eggplant in a Fish Sauce. Let me say that the eggplant dish is a Sichuan specialty, and although the spices were a bit on the mild side, the flavor was 100% there. A bit on the oily side, but nothing eating a bowl of rice couldn't solve. The Squirrel Fish was delicious. It was fried perfectly, and the breading wasn't too thick. Often times when you eat fried fish, all you can taste is the outermost layer and you completely miss out on the meat of the fish. Thankfully, at Trizest, this wasn't the case. To round out the plate, the sweet and tart sauce was the perfect "not too thick, not too thin" consistency. Though if you Google this traditional Suzhou dish, you will notice that it looks different. Tasty in its own right, and I'd get it again. :) Service was excellent, but they do get really busy on the weekends, so service might be lacking during that time. Just be patient. :) Overall, we had great experiences here so far, and can't wait to go back. Highly recommend if you're hankering for some home cooked Sichuan dishes.
(4)Varun B.
Came here after the recommendation of one of my friends. I've had quite a bit of trouble finding excellent Chinese restaurants in the metro Detroit area. Maybe it's just me being picky, but it is what it is. The nice thing here is that the food is really spot on to what you would get in the China's Sichuan province. We started off light with the spring rolls. Nice, crispy and hot, just the way I like it. One thing I should mention is that everything here comes out steaming hot. The food was clearly just made and served right away without any downtime, which is key. Second dish we had was the mapo dofu (mapo tofu). Basically, this dish is tofu cooked in a chili and bean-based sauce. It does have ground pork in it, but I'm sure if you're vegetarian, you can just ask to take that off. Anyway, this was delicious. Flavors were all there and it was really enjoyable to eat. Last entree we ate was the Spicy Duck in beer sauce. Wasn't really sure what the beer sauce was, but this was also an excellent dish. It comes out in a wide mouthed metal bowl dish over a flame to keep it nice and steaming. The duck was cooked perfectly with the meat easily falling off the bone. The dish also had some tofu in it. Fantastic flavors. One of my favorite things about Sichuan food is the spicy and numbing taste that you get from many of their dishes as a result of the Sichuan peppercorns. It's like their classic flavor profile, and this place does it well. Their service can be slow since there are only 2 waiters, but have patience. The wait is worth the excellently prepared food.
(5)Greg Y.
I have only been here twice but I am already a fan of their food. I tried the buffet once and really enjoyed it. I loved the spicy popcorn chicken, the miscellaneous vegetable dishes and the dumplings the best. Egg rolls and soup were also above average. I came back with my wife a second time for lunch hoping to find the buffet because we were in a hurry to get to a movie at the Star theatre, it must have been the weekend because there was no buffet that day. We ended up splitting a serving of the "popcorn" chicken which is technically their spicy sichuan chicken, and ordered some dumplings and egg rolls. The food came out fast and was delicious. Next time I want to try the lamb dish that I hear is very good. I hope to be back soon.
(5)Holly S.
Can't believe I haven't written a review of this place yet! Hot and sour soup- delish! It tastes just like the hot and sour soup from PF Changs! Nice amount of veggies, a bit spicy, and super tangy! I would highly suggest a cup. Really really good! Chicken egg roll- on the smaller side but packed with veggies like cabbage, carrots, and bean sprouts. The sauce it comes with is superrrrrr sweet but actually pretty good. I was shocked to read all the reviews where people had issues with the egg roll but I really enjoyed it. Orange beef- one of my favorite dishes here! Beef has a perfectly crisp texture and the sauce is yummy! Not your typical "orange" entree. I was able to detect hits of garlic and ginger with a slight orangy flavor. There was orange peel and dried chilies too! General tso chichen- this was a confusing one for me. The chunks were huge so I had to cut them to make it more bite sized and it was kinda pink in the center like it could have been cooked just a tad longer. I didn't get sick or anything but just an interesting little observation. Flavor was fine, I prefer the orange beef or Szechuan lamb! Everything is ala cart here. When you order you just get your meal and rice. Other than that I would recommend this place! Very good food with great service! :)
(4)R W.
After reviews I decided to try I had the Popcorn Chicken! It was ok. I needed to ask for sauce to put over the rice. The chicken was a lil Spicy for me But overall it was Good. I'll try the place again and try a diff dish. My friend had Gong Bo Shrimp he gives it a 4!! The overall atmosphere is Good. I would Definately return
(3)Zack R.
This place was a revelation for someone who had grown up on Chinese-american food. Do not, under any circumstances order from the boring side of the menu. Choose something from the authentic side and the flavors will blow you away.
(5)Abby S.
I ordered carry out and I was impressed. The person who took my order was extremely easy to talk to. The packaging for my food was above average and I preferred it to other Chinese restaurants with styrofoam containers. I ordered orange chicken and it is SPICY. I've never had spicy orange chicken, hence why I order it. I've never been a fan of spicy food so I try to avoid it as best as I can. Meals don't come with egg rolls, so I ordered an extra one and it was the best egg roll I've had in a long time! If the food wasn't so spicy, I would have given it a 5 star.
(3)Layan A.
Came to this place thanks to Yelp due to having the highest reviews for a Chinese restaurant around. We were a group of 6. I had the hot and sour soup which was just average. We ordered family style: Mapo tofu, fried duck in spicy fire pot, sweet and sour shrimp, general tso chicken, fried eggplant, and a lamb dish (can't remember the name). Portions were generous. What I disliked what that everything was deep fried with SO much breading. It was just too much. Everything tastes greasy. I didn't like any of the dishes. They all came with sticky white rice (we didn't get the option of anything else). The food was prompt. After we paid my friend asked for a glass of water and the answer he got was "sorry we're closed." Seriously?!!! I won't be coming back again.
(2)Albert K.
My Chinese wife tells me this is the most authentic Sichuan restaurant in the area. I have no way to dispute this and more importantly the food is great. Also, even though, my wife is not from this province, her former roommate in Detroit (who is from this province) agrees with her. This place is a staple in our monthly/semi-monthly rotation of Chinese restaurants. My personal favorites are the Kung Pao Squid and the Beef with chili sauce and cilantro. Along with the authenticity of the food, the service is solid. One word of warning is that the food here is spicy even by Asian standards. Thus, if you are sensitive to spice, make sure to to tell the staff. I will keep this review brief, if you like spicy Chinese food, you must go here.
(4)Dave M.
I really enjoy this restaurant and I've been several times. I've had things that I have never seen before and I haven't had a bad meal. The service is friendly. The decor may be a bit worn and tired, but the food MORE than makes up for any decor shortcomings. Everything seems really fresh and well prepared. The broths and sauces are really quite well done! Portions are large and a good value. Give it a try.
(4)Cathy S.
Good lord this food is crazy good! It's the kind of food you crave for days after eating it! It's not a fancy place by any means, kind of a hole in the wall. Don't let that scare you away, it's fantastic and plenty of vegetarian options. I can't wait to go back!
(5)Zeid S.
This is supposedly the best Asian restaurant in Michigan by yahoo news. We tried it, and it really fell short of what we've been reading. Most dishes tasted similar, especially the deep fried ones. The breading was so thick it masked the flavor. Nothing unique about any of the dishes, and they were all pretty average, even in spicy-ness . Non-memorable experience. Service was mediocre.
(3)Evan G.
I've ordered take out here twice for pickup. Both times I arrived the food was ready sitting on the counter and I was promptly greeted and checked out. Can't beat lunch - it's around $7.50 and the special includes an entree, soup of your choice, and an egg roll. I think their Hot & Sour soup was kind of bland though. It tasted like I was eating oil. Normally that stuff is good and spicy but it was all good the entree made up for it. Overall it's been awesome. General Tso's & Schezuan chicken are always my first picks when I do Chinese Food at a new restaurant and both were spectacular. Definitely might make the trip up from GP to eat here for dinner sometime in the near future.
(4)Louise S.
Spicy but I can't enjoy the food much when the table and floor is sticky and the service is very slow. The bathroom is unusable. Too bad that many people say it's the most authentic Sichuan food around.
(3)Rachel O.
This is the place to be for all your Chinese food needs. They have a comprehensive American/Chinese menu (you know, all your favorites). Plus they have a huge traditional Chinese menu. The dining room is always packed. They have a well stocked lunch buffet that I am lusting to try. We never seem to have the time though and have always carried out. The service is great. Efficient and effective, so to speak. With some pleasantries. I enjoy my interactions with the woman who is always manning the front desk. She helped me decide how hot to get my schezuan chicken. The food is great. Tastes fresh and well worth the slightly higher prices.
(5)Noel L.
Incredible Chinese cuisine. Cukes in garlic sauce, dumplings, and schechuan cold noodles for appetizers, deep fried spicy chicken, wontons in chili oil, seafood hot pot and beef noodles for main. All wonderful
(5)Matthew P.
This might be total cop out, but I don't care. Just read Jeff H's review. I was here as one of the seven Yelper's in the group, and I have absolutely nothing I could add to his review, or the other 5 star reviews. The only item I did not enjoy was the wantons & dumplings (we ordered both) in spicy soup broth. Broth was just a watery heat, and the wontons because a mess. Definitely stick with other wanton options, or wanton soup if you desire. The crispy salt and spicy squid I ordered, and the sizzling hot plate pork innerd with onions in a thick black like sauce was REDIC good.
(4)Michael W.
Top notch Chinese food, a little pricier than standard takeout, but it's well worth it. If you like General tso, get it! I stopped myself from eating it all so I could have leftovers for the next day. Eat here.
(5)Amy P.
Finally made may way here after reading many reviews on here. Ordered a few different things and the highs were high, but the lows were low. You definitely know you are in the right spot when you are the only caucasian table in the restaurant! We started our meal with chicken spring rolls. I was pretty disappointed. The filling was flavorless and we were not provided a sauce to go with the rolls. We then received our wonton soup. And again, complete disappointment. My bf and I contemplated whether or not they just added yellow food coloring to some water and decided to call it broth. It literally had not an ounce of any sort of flavor. The dumplings were bland and flavorless as well. So far we were not impressed. Then we got the sichuan cold noodle and everything changed. I could eat these noodles all day everyday and never get sick of them. They were amazing! Served at a room temperature, with a nice spicy yet tasty sweet sauce that wasn't heavy. The noodles texture was perfect. Just thinking of this dish makes me want a plate now. For entrees my boyfriend got his usual sweet and sour chicken and it was your run of the mill sweet and sour chicken. nothing to complain about there. I got the dry stir fried chicken? It's served with an array of peppers and it can make the dish quite spicy. The flavor was amazing and it was unlike any dish I've ever tasted. The chicken was very flavorful and I loved the spicy variety of the peppers. Overall it was a very mixed bag here at Trizest. But the positive notes of the meal will definitely make me come back and try this place!
(3)Heather G.
One of the best Chinese places I've ever been to! I've been to the one in east Lansing and this one is just as good! The service was good and the food was amazing! Although we waited around 20 mins for a table around dinner time on a Saturday night, the food was well worth the wait. The food came out very fast, even though it was really busy. We ordered the sweet and sour chicken, general Taos, and almond chicken! Each dish was amazing!
(5)Maureen M.
FINALLY!!!! I have found a Chinese restaurant in the area that I really like. This is all thanks to Laura K.. Trizest has been on my radar for quite some time because of Laura. I was a little intimidated to go because I'm not familiar with the traditional menu. So, Laura and I met for lunch. We ordered quite a few dishes. My husband was all about the American menu. He ordered chicken fried rice and the Mongolian Beef. These were both really good! I was impressed with the flavor. I'd like to think that chicken fried rice is easy enough, but I've had some really bad ones in the area. I ordered the Spicy Sichuan Chicken (I think that's what it's called), which is sort of like popcorn chicken. It had a lot of flavor and liked it. I don't think I would order it as a main dish in the future, but would definitely order it again. Laura ordered the Sichuan Cold Noodles as an appetizer. YUM! I wish I had ordered them. The spice and garlic was perfect. On a Sunday afternoon, they were pretty busy with families. Apparently it was a good sign that we were the only white people in the restaurant. ha! Our waitress was very nice and attentive. I am really looking forward to going back and trying other dishes.
(4)Jordan P.
Really great sesame chicken, my friend got the broccoli chicken, looked fresh and tasted fresh. Would definitely come back here, it was also nice that there was a Chinese "knick knack" store right next door to browse while we waited on our take out.
(4)S S.
Our month long Christmas celebrations ended on Christmas Eve night, such a relief, until I realized I never picked up the steak I planned on grilling Christmas Day. I turned to Yelp Talk, knowing someone would have already asked, "What is open Christmas Day?" I see Trizest mentioned. I have been wanting to try this place for months, so what better day? I start singing Farahrahrahrah, rah, rah, rah, rah. I didn't want to insult the workers, so I forced myself to stop before we entered. We sit down and see only chopsticks, uh-oh. To our relief, the waiter asks if we would like utensils. The egg rolls were excellent. The wonton soup was good but missing my favorite ingredient-the little bowl of fried wonton strips. We had the much raved about spicy Szechwan chicken, aka popcorn chicken, and orange beef. The orange beef was by far my favorite of the two. It was delicious. The popcorn chicken was also very good, but more of an appetizer type food for me, where you eat a few, not an entire heaping plate. We will order the beef again and try something new as our second dish next time. The place could use an update, a drastic one. But I haven't been in an Asian restaurant that couldn't use one. The service was charming and comical in an authentic sort of way. They were prompt and friendly, just awkward. I overheard one table behind us asking many questions and making special requests as they didn't like spice or sauce, someone on the phone asking what type of fish they use with the woman answering cod five times before she finally spelled it, and an elderly woman asking for takeout containers for her half eaten soup AND her half drank tea. So, it is a wonder they let us Americans in their restaurant at all.
(5)Fran H.
This was my first visit here based on reviews from other yelpers. I decided to order the Sichuan Cold Noodle as my appetizer and Boiled Fish w. Vegetables in Chili Sauce. I'm a spicy nutcase so next time I'll kick it up a notch, but for some one not into the spice try something else. My meal was delicious and an idea dish for these cold winter days/nights. I chose to come after lunch and before dinner hours to avoid any wait at 3:30 PM. on a weekday which was perfect. I was the ONLY patron there. My food came right out. The portions was large enough to share with one other person and I ended up with ample take home. The meal was about $20 a good deal for two people. I'll plan to go again and try another dish I just hate the long drive, but the food I see is worth the travel. Nicked one star due to the long distance drive and ridicules traffic on I75 to get there. Give em a try!
(4)Nancy M.
If you know what authentic Sichuan food should taste like, you would agree with my review of this place. The food is super authentic, it's just awesome! Majority of dishes here are spicy food because that's the character of this type of food. I recommended this place to several Chinese friends of mine and got thumbs up every single time!
(5)Carey C.
The place was packed, great sign, and we only had to wait 5 minutes for a table. We decided on the mini pork buns (steamed) and the garlic cucumbers for appetizers. The waiter asked if I was sure I wanted the buns, they took 20 minutes to steam. We were in no rush, steam em up! 10 minutes later the woman working the front came to our table and asked us if we were sure we wanted the buns (weird), I said, the order is in, right? She said yes. It was just weird, it felt like everyone was trying to talk us out of the buns. We should've listened. I picked up a bun, and the pork fell right out the bottom. -1* for not being able to do a classic dim sum right (go to Shangri-la if you want that!). The cucumbers and garlic were good. There was a lot of them, and they were spicy and oily. They could've used a starch to soak up that, like rice or noodles. I ordered the Szechuan Lamb, and my date got the the fried eggplant in garlic sauce. I specifically asked if we could order it sans MSG, since it makes me terribly sick, and they said yes. Szechuan Lamb, you couldn't even tell if it was lamb it was fried so stiff. It could've been beef, or kangaroo. I could barely chew it, let alone taste that signature lamb flavor. The Szechuan flavor (at 2 peppers on the menu, some items went to 4), was entirely too spicy for my date. I didn't mind it. He said he couldn't take anything it was too hot (he eats Thai food at mild +, I eat it at med +). -1* for frying meat so long it's inedible & unidentifiable, and too hot for beginners. The Eggplant dish, well where do I start? I can agree with everyone else that posted about fried food from here, it tasted like the fryer. Being an ex health inspector, that tells me they very rarely change out their fryer oil, or clean their fryers. The first piece I eat is a piece of fish!!!!! A piece of fish in a vegetarian dish. Good thing I could give a shiznit about that, or have a fish allergy, but I did fetch the waiter and asked him if there is supposed to be fish in the eggplant dish. He nodded, smiled, and said he would send someone over, no one ever came. The garlic sauce tasted like a sweet plum sauce, no garlic to be tasted. The waiter never came back, so I couldn't even confirm if we ever got the right dish. Needless to say, that was the only piece of fish in the dish that we found. -1* for playing the 'no English' card rather than deal with a customer complaint, and sneaking in fish to a vegetarian dish, AND the dish was cr@p. The rice was decent :) I was telling my date, strike 1 for this place, but we got to give it another chance with different dishes, as long as I don't get sick when I get home (from the addition of MSG to the food, which they PROMISED they would not). Well serves them right, -1* for me vomiting in their parking lot.
(1)Amanda T.
Absolutely terrible. Meat is worse than anywhere I've been. Traveled out of my way to go here for dried out refried chicken. Refried maybe a week ago!!! Absolutely disgusting and I'm pissed off that I tipped them now
(1)Alyssa R.
This is not your mama's Chinese (read: American) restaurant. This is a Szechwan restaurant by the folks who created spicy for the folks who love it. And it changed my definition of "good Chinese" forever. My usual experience goes like this: "Can you please make it extra spicy?" They say "sure," but the execution tastes just like mild. I had almost given up when Trizest was recommended by a Mandarin friend as THE authentic place to go in the Metro Detroit Area. So I headed over and fell in love. Everything I ordered felt a little TOO spicy to me, but it actually increased my tolerance and love for truly spicy cuisine. Like any perfect meal, heat alone is not enough- complexity added through other flavors is a must in order to rise in the ranks to truly memorable. I remember cumin and smoky flavors, whole peppers and a variety of crunchy vegetables. You'll want to be adventurous and order based on reviews as I did. Or you can ask the staff what their personal favorites are- the two I asked did not steer me wrong. Here are my favorites: Beef w Jalapeño pepper: My first love! Not a tough bite in the whole dish- seared on the outside and tender inside, and surrounded by spicy perfection. Sichuan Lamb w Vegetables in Spicy Bean Sauce: Even better than the first, though I was nervous to order it. Fish-fragrant Pork w Garlic Sauce: The lady behind the counter swore it was one of their most popular and that I had to try it, so I reluctantly gave it a shot. Amazing. Side note: I didn't "smell" the fish as the title stated, or even taste it. A little fish sauce didn't stop this from being a phenomenal dish that I WILL order again. There are many others I want to try, and you'll be struck by the high prices for entrees ($11-$16 for the ones above, including rice). But they're large portions, highly flavorful, like nothing else in the area and enough for two people to have leftovers after. So share away!
(5)Michael E.
We ordered a variety of dishes, both non-spicy and one-pepper spicy (dishes are tagged with one, two, or three peppers.) Even the one pepper dishes were too much for our more pepper-adverse diners, but everything was very well done, and as far as I know, very authentic. Service was very friendly and helpful. A bit slow, but that's to be expected when very large parties are present. The chicken corn soup was good, with (I think) the perfect balance of spices. One of our group prefers the soup at TK Wu in Ann Arbor, but I suspect Trizest's is a bit more authentically Sichuan. The Crispy Eggplant is fairly large pieces of Asian eggplant dipped in batter, fried, and served in a slightly sweet sauce, and it was a huge hit with everyone. (Two of us had the leftovers for lunch the next day). Highly recommended. Gung Pao Chicken: Very spicy, but very tasty. I have to admit I picked out the pieces of red pepper. Ma Po Tofu: Best I've ever had, I think, with a perfect balance of seasoning. Fish-Fragerant Pork: Also very tasty, and very spicy, though not as spicy as the chicken. If you love spicy food and you love Chinese food, definitely put Trizest on your short list. If you're not a fan of spicy foods, there are still plenty of good dishes to enjoy. I think I'll be back soon to try more of their menu.
(4)Kirsten O.
I was very excited to try this place after a family member raved about it. I had also looked it up on the web and others had raved as well. I decided to order carry-out on my way home. My order was sesame chicken, hot and sour soup, and white rice for the kiddos. I was told it would take about 10 minutes. $16. About 3.5 minutes later, there was my food! I was on my way home smelling some delicious food. Then, slowly, I became more and more disappointed....the fried rice that came with the chicken was very dry.....the white rice was dry and had brown spots (?) in it....the chicken was - you guessed it - DRY. But the worst part was my hot and sour soup. It was so unbelievably greasy I took one bite and tossed it. Awful. And $16 for this junk? Yuck, never again. The only thing I can say is maybe eating in would improve the meal? Not enough though, most likely.
(1)Tim T.
This day has been a long time coming. Thanks to Kevin for inviting us along, we finally ate at really good strip mall Chinese restaurant on the East side. I had given up hope and stopped looking. They did great with the basics, egg rolls, wonton soup etc. but they have a great selection that isn't the same old, same old. We had 2 appetizers that were spicy and delicious. Sichuan cold noodles and garlic cucumber. And don't let the name scare you off, the squirrel shaped fish w sweet and sour sauce was a hit with all of us. Best dish hands down was the orange chicken. I will be back!!!
(5)Laura K.
Here's the scoop: If you think that Chinese food equals chicken nuggets with gravy or red ooze poured all over it then just keep eating at your favorite spot. This is authentic Sichuan food meaning it's hot and it's spicy. NO you can't have it mild or mild + (whatever the hell that means.) If you don't like it hot: read the paragraph above. There are a few stand outs on the menu that we tend to order over and over again. My bf, dad and I actually had our Thanksgiving dinner at Trizest last night. Always and I mean always start with the cold Sichuan noodles. My bf says it's his death row meal without a doubt. Cold, chewy noodles tossed in chili oil, garlic, scallion and sesame seeds. My go to dish is the Dry chicken with jalapeño. I have no idea how they cook it so that the flavor is infused into the chicken that intensely. It's like non-dried out,, fresh chicken jerky. My words can't do it justice. It's hot, with giant chucks of jalapeño and tons of chilis. My bf always gets the Sichuan lamb. Since I don't eat lamb I can't comment on the taste but it is one of their most popular dishes. Trizest is not your typical Chinese joint meaning it caters to Chinese people. So if the service is slower than you want it to be maybe you should just relax and in enjoy.
(5)Neel A.
This is definitely one of the best Chinese restaurant that we have been do. Its not too pricey, food has good taste and lots of spicy options. The food may not be exquisite but they definitely taste good and worth going there once in a while. I go there once in a fortnight to have some spicy Chinese food.
(3)Jessica X.
My family's favorite Chinese restaurant in the area. Super authentic Sichuan food and the food comes out fast. Every single time we run into family friends... everyone knows this place is the bomb diggity. If we hadn't been here for a few weeks, we will crave it and then want to go back.. they've got us hooked!
(5)Chelsea H.
Oh man. I wish I had come here with a big group so that I could have sampled more of Trizest's offerings. We ordered the Sichuan Lamb, since it seemed like the thing to do, and were very pleased. The dish is real-deal Sichuan style, where your mouth goes pleasantly numb from all the spice. Despite the triple threat of Sichuan pepper, chili-garlic oil, and sautéd jalapeños, my dining companion and I found the spice level easy to tolerate, thanks to the numbing effect of the peppers. The lamb was served with a gigantic bowl of rice which we barely made a dent in. We also ordered the "steamed mini pork buns" which was strangely listed in the "noodles in soup" category of the menu. I was expecting barbecue-style soft buns, but they were more like little handmade dumplings. They were perfect in their simplicity, and the black vinegar dipping sauce accompanying them was pungently delightful. I can't wait to go back and try the ma po tofu and cold noodles. I was snooping at others' tables, and the green beans looked particularly delicious as well. Service at Trizest was really good. The people sitting behind us were fussy eaters, and the waiter was happy to indulge their request of "just meat, no vegetable, no spice, extra sauce" and have the kitchen cook up something special for them. If you aren't in the mood for crazy peppers, there are plenty of Chinese-American style dishes on the menu, and I'm willing to bet they're pretty tasty. Spice level of each dish is indicated on the menu, so there's no confusion. I can't wait to return!
(5)Chelsea S.
This place is fantastic. Living in Beijing and moving back to the U.S. really made me miss good Chinese food. REAL Chinese food. I take all my friends here and they always say, "wow, I feel like I just had Chinese for the first time." Make sure to try the cold cucumbers and the green beans. You won't be disappointed with a single thing on the menu!! Recommend to all who love a mouth full of flavor!
(5)Sal G.
Everyone on Yelp was talking about this Sichuan Lamb...I had to try it. I was amazed at the flavor and quality of this dish. I went back the next day with some friends and ordered the gung bao chicken, which was also delicious. But I think I will get the lamb again next time, so good.
(4)Allan Y.
We tried this well known Sichuan Chinese Restaurant in Sterling Heights last Friday evening and came away with mixed feelings. The décor of the main dining room was you typical "Americanized Chinese" with lots of red, various Chinese written characters, and wall panels. What was disappointing was how worn the dining room looked . . . faded carpeting, peeling paint, and things held together with tape. But, we were there for the food and not ambiance; so we started with Steamed Mini Pork Buns which good, but the rice flour exterior was way too thick. You have to be careful biting into these steamed buns because they are filled with a flavorful broth; and you can easily burn you mouth if you just bite down on a mini bun too fast. After a lengthy wait, our first entrée arrived. It was their "special" for Friday and it was Spare Ribs with Green Beans in a Sichuan Sauce. The dish looked like it was bathed in dark red chili pepper sauce, but surprisingly the taste was mild. The spare ribs were "fall off the bone" and they were okay. In other words . . . "average". Our second entrée was an old favorite and while not exactly a "Sichuan" dish, we wanted the "Trizest Version" to compare it with the "Cantonese Version". The dish had loads of shrimp and the sauce was quite tasty, but like the current "Cantonese Version"; they didn't use fermented black beans. In my opinion, it's the black beans really make this dish! For dessert, they brought us a complementary "Cold Sweet Bean" soup to cleanse the palate; but again this dessert was average at best. Overall, the Trizest Restaurant was average and made us wonder why it was rated 4/5 stars. The food was average and while the service was friendly, we had to wait an excessive time for our entrees and even our check. The décor was 1980's era, and needed a good paint job. At best I would rate it 3-Stars
(3)Chris K.
After my 69th visit I decided to finally review one of my favorite restaurants in metro-Detroit. Trizest is the real deal, amazing and delicious. Tonight I ordered the Sichuan Cold Noodle app and General Tso's Shrimp, it slayed me into a coma akin to a great night of partying with live music. This place is so good the wife and I get it biweekly if not more often. Heads up: Saturday nights are very very busy and usually do very big groups., so keep that in mind. Seriously, get the Sichuan Cold Noodle.
(5)Dick E.
My wonton soup wasn't great but my almond boneless chicken was fantastic. The egg roll was an interesting flavor. For $6.99/lunch special, you can't go wrong. I agree with the other people who say this place needs to be redecorated ASAP.
(4)Rina B.
This is the worst Chinese restaurant in Oakland county. I have been wanting to try this place for a while because the online menu had various items listed that seemed authentic. Today when I went there for lunch, the middle aged female hostess had a major problem sitting me at a table for one even though half the tables were empty. She actually rolled her eyes at me. The menu was the typical crap lunch menu that you would see at any Chinese restaurant. I'm not sure where the the online menu went. There wasn't a single vegetarian meal listed. So I ended up getting the sweet and sour shrimp with egg drop soup. Everything was flavorless. EVERYTHING! If you want fresh ingredients and food with flavor this is not the place. I will never go back to this dump again. Rude hostess and crappy food. But if you like greasy, low quality ingredients this is your spot.
(1)Joe B.
This review is two fold since I came purely for the General Tso's, so I'll start there. I hadn't read too much about their General's in any of the Yelp reviews and once I walked in I knew why. This place has got to be pretty authentic given that we were one of two tables of white Americans in a restaurant filled with Asian patrons. This was not the place for me to indulge on my quest for good Tso's But I was with a lady friend so at the very least I'd get to try her Sichuan Lamb...so it was a win regardless. The Tso's was pretty generic. The chicken was dark meat and batter deep fried. The sauce tastes a lot like Trader Joe's jarred Tso's sauce...that's not an admonishment...I actually like there sauce for making pseudo-Tso's at home, but it wasn't what I was looking for and it was a far cry from gold standard at Szechuan Empire. It was on the sweeter side akin to a "Sesame" type sauce, and while they added a ton of chiles to make it spicy hot for me it wasn't quite hot enough. So for the Tso's alone I'd give them 2 stars. But more importantly was how everything else that we ordered made up for it. The pot stickers and garlic oil were phenomenal....pan fried crisp with a delicate and tasty filling, and the oil, while not very garlicky had star of anise in it and some other great flavors. The pot stickers are crave worthy...know this. My lady friend ordered the Sichuan Lamb on my recommendation given all the Yelp press it gets. She had asked them to go easy on the spice but it was yet a little too spicy for her while just about right for me. I loved loved loved the lamb with the green peppers!!! It was a solid dish, but for my tastes I didn't love the celery it's cooked with, but I've never been a fan of celery period so no worries. All in all the menu is insightful to say the very least! The Squirrel Shaped Fish...I have no idea what that means but I'm highly intrigued. The reviews I read about the Dry Chicken with Jalapeno...yes please. And the Cold Noodles sounded great from what I've read on here. I really liked this place and I'll be back to expand my limited horizons relative to their extensive and exotic menu, now that I have a better feel for what this place is all about. Bear in mind that service can be a bit slow....it's not because they don't care it's simply due to the fact that there is only two people working the floor and the register, so be patient, it'll be worth your virtue. That said, the service was very friendly and polite and they kept my water filled which I appreciate when eating spicy. This place is legit for sure!
(4)Katy M.
Excellent food, I came with my husband and he's on his third visit. I had the general Tso chicken and pork fried rice, neither was a disappointment ... If you like you tso spicy be sure to make that request, for me it was just right though :)
(5)Sriram E.
Got takeout. Took the advice of other Yelpers and had the Sichuan lamb, plus a shrimp dish. Quick service, and ordering wasn't too difficult (the lady at the counter didn't rush me). Sichuan lamb was yummy. Shrimp dish (can't remember the name) was ok, but a little on the salty side. Everything was spiced well, no complaints about spiciness (although I think some of my less adventurous friends would probably find the food too spicy -- beware!). I'll be back.
(4)Rob B.
Selected this restaurant due to yelp providing such high reviews. I'm really surprised to see this restaurant listed as the "best Chinese restaurant" in Michigan. Then discovered I was here on a second visit although I could not remember my first visit - I can see why it was not memorable then and will be memorable now for the wrong reason - had the buffet $7.99 - my lunch companion ordered off the Menu. Got there a bit after noon - left at 1: 15pm the buffet was never replenished. Picked what I could to make a meal, several trays were down to the sauce and others were down to vegetable with small pieces of meat left. I selected what I could I had the hot and sour soup which was just average/ off tasting 3 spoonful's and gave it up the wonton soup was ok wonton dumplings were good. Spring rolls disappointed the filling was flavorless shredded cabbage. Breaded chicken for the sweet & Sour chicken were good pieces of chicken. The restaurant was filled - a bus load of Sr. Citizens was there. Good for revenue not good for the rest of us the buffet was picked clean and the kitchen did not replenish it. The place was overwhelmed - my lunch partners meal came 30 minutes later. it was good but the wait ate up much of our lunch hour. The booth we were in needs to be tightened up or replaced. The people behind me with normal movement caused the seat back to move which is not comfortable. Choose a table instead. I can consider it an off day and maybe give them another chance.. But maybe I will just go to Golden Harvest on 12 mile - I have not had a bad experience there.
(2)Victoria A.
Did Carry out today. The food was very good and very fresh. I am normally not a fan of almond boneless chicken, but theirs is delicious! Big fan of the Sichuan beef - very good and love that Sichuan pepper! The woman who took my order was very friendly and polite on the phone and my husband was treated very nice when he picked it up. I ordered more common items that one would order when they go to a Chinese restaurant but will dive into their more authentic dishes on their menu next time. My husband didn't even have a taste for Chinese since our bad experience with wok 2 you and Golden Harvest, but I was persistent with trying Trizest and he finally gave in. He ended up eating Trizest for lunch and Dinner!
(4)M S.
What a find! I have my fellow yelpers to thank for it as I would have never even thought of driving into this complex otherwise. We had an incredible dry spicy stir fried chicken that I'm thinking of with some salivation at this second. It's pretty spicy, not usually my thing, but the flavors are somehow very complete and satisfying. Bathrooms are deplorable (like, grody) but that's not why you're going there. Service is random/unpredictable -you will not care.
(5)X P.
All our dishes were too salty...so salty that we couldn't eat it. I was really excited to try the mapo tofu but again, too salty to eat. The popcorn chicken was delicious despite the salt. Another good dish: the cold noodle appetizer dish that other yelpers recommended.
(2)Dean S.
I'm really surprised to see this restaurant listed as the "best Chinese restaurant" in Michigan, as I had a rather unpleasant experience there last year. I ordered a chicken dish, perhaps garlic chicken or something else where the chicken was not breaded. The food arrived promptly and the server was polite though not exceptionally so. As soon as I popped the first piece of chicken I could tell it was spoiled. There is NO mistaking the taste of spoiled chicken for anything else. I put a piece on my friend's plate -- she had not ordered chicken -- and said "Try that" without saying anything else. As soon as she put it in her mouth she spit it back out and said "That chicken is spoiled." But, you know, it happens. Just bring me another dish. Easy-peasy, right? When I alerted the server, however, she quickly returned with an older woman who, without tasting it, said, "That's not spoiled. That's Hoisin sauce. You just don't know what Hoisin sauce tastes like." Well, a) yes, I do, and it does not taste like rancid chicken, and b) was she seriously standing there arguing with me? Then my friend said "That's not Hoisin sauce, that's spoiled chicken." So this went on for a half hour. Among other idiotic things, the woman said, "People come in here all the time and eat our chicken and no one ever complains." To which I replied, "That's because they've never gotten chicken that was spoiled." Finally she said, "So what do you want to do?" By that time I had no interest in giving them a second chance and only wanted to leave so that I could go somewhere else and eat. I was dumbfounded that this woman would actually stand there and argue with me for a half hour. How do people like that stay in business? Will NEVER go back there again!
(1)Tony S.
Are you sick of the same old Chinese food? Try this place. Somebody on the talk forums had some pics of food from here and it looked awesome. I dragged my buddy from Boston with me and we had lunch. There were a lot of Asian people eating which is for me a good sign. I really wanted to try a soup dish but they were meal sized and what I wanted most was something like I saw in one of the pics. The good: They have an interesting variety of dishes that you won't see at other Chinese restaurants. I had Lamb with Cummin. Very good. They had the huge family style soup bowls that you can share. I just need to find some people who are willing to go outside of their comfort zone (Gen Tso's or Almond Chicken) to share with me. The bad: My buddy didn't like the disjointed service, but I say do what you want as long as it's done right. I think the staff was sensing my pals growing frustration and brought some food out before it's time. Maybe that's why the inside of my fried dumplings seemed like they needed to be cooked a bit longer... Conclusion: I'll be back.
(4)Deion B.
This gets 4 stars for the food. Atmosphere was drab, but the place was full of Chinese (or Asians) so you know the food was good and authentic. Food was great - very spicy, which I paid for the next day. Had the Spicy Lamb (very spicy) and a spicy fish dish (would probably skip next time.) Overall a great experience due to authentic food...Would like a better atmosphere and some alcohol.
(4)Johnny L.
Definitely Authentic Sichuan Cuisine on the outskirts of Detroit Trizest suffers from one of those occasions where "maybe I just ordered the wrong things?" The authenticity of this place doesn't come into question at all. Trizest offers up all the Sichuan classics that are known to burn the tongue. The place is pretty nice , though a little over the top with the dragon decor and such. The menu has both a Western menu and Sichuan menu. Service is spotty, but did the job. We ordered the Mapo Tofu (Tofu in Spicy Sauce), Pig's Blood Curd w Pork Intestine, Fried Duck in Fire Pot with Beer Flavor, Boiled Fish with Vegetables in Chili Sauce, and Boiled Dumplings in Spicy Soup. We ordered everything in spicy broth. The Mapo Tofu was excellent. I don't always eat tofu, but this was a great dish. The tofu was soft and was able to soak in all the wonderful spiciness of the sauce. The sauce was rich and thick in a very good way. Not too spicy and was just good. The Pig's Blood w Pork Intestine was alright. The blood curd was sharper than usual and the pig intestines were a bit chewy and could have been pressure cooked a bit longer. The taste was there, but the texture was off. The Fried Duck in Fire Pot with Beer Flavor was merely alright. I have a duck fetish and even I was a bit disappointed. It was a good solid dish but the beer flavor left a bitter taste that just didn't work so well mixed in with the oily chili broth. The meat was tender but the beer taste definitely doesn't fit well with the duck. The Boiled Fish in Chili Sauce was great. I enjoye the fish as they were perfectly tender and smooth in texture. It soaked in all that great spicy flavor but was still firm under the chopsticks. My friends actually didn't enjoy it so much, but they have to be crazy as I thought it was one of the better dishes of the night. The Boiled Dumplings in Spicy Soup were good too. The dumplings were rather small but tasted good. The Spicy soup was rather useless though as it didn't inherit any of the taste. Since the dumplings were boiled, the water kept all the oil and flavor off the dumplings. Overall, it definitely has the potential to be one of the Best chinese restaurants in the Greater Detroit area, but I must have just ordered the wrong things. If I had gone with some meat-eaters and gotten some beef or pork, I feel I may have enjoyed it more. Alas, this place will get 3 stars for the time being as I wasn't overly impressed by what we did get. Will definitely go here again to try their others.
(3)J. R.
I heard this place had authentic Szechuan style Chinese food, had been thinking of going there for a while. I happened to be in the area last week, so went there for lunch. Ordered two typical Szechuan dishes: the cold appetizer Beef with Honeycomb Tripe and Mapo Tofu. I was thinking if they are good at authentic Szechuan food, chance of screwing up these two dishes is very low. Well, I was totally wrong. First of all, the service was horrible. The middle aged women at the front desk was very rude. She seemed very angry at me for some reason, was basically yelling at me, not to mention no greetings or smile at all. Well, if your restaurant does not welcome Asian customers, you could put a sign there, so I won't even bother going there. About the dishes. 90% of the cold appetizer is some stinky honeycomb tripe, only a couple small slices of beef. The Mapo Tofu barely has any ground beef/pork in it, taste was very bland. These two dishes were the worst Szechuan food I ever tried in the States. Worst part is that my stomach was very upset after I ate lunch there and I got a severe headache. I highly doubt about the quality of food in this restaurant. I would never go to Trizest again, and I do not recommend this restaurant to any friend.
(1)Matthew K.
Exactly what I expected. I've heard good things from a coworker and we finally ended up going. The outside is drab and typical of the rundown Asian restaurant atmosphere. Inside isn't much better -- old, outdated...typical. Service was friendly, and the waiter asked if we wanted the buffet. We looked -- typical buffet food: crispy chicken, lo mein, mapo tofu, etc. Very American. We opted to order off the menu. Sesame fried tofu: Tasted great, but texture was off. I was expecting it to be crispy, but it was simply breaded, and the soft tofu they used made the whole thing oddly mushy for a fried dish. Vegetables and sauce were good, but I wouldn't order again. Dumplings in Spicy Sauce: I wouldn't call it a sauce, as it's not something you'd want over your rice to actually eat...it's more a liquid glaze that you let drip off the dumplings before you eat them. If it was supposed to be a soup, it's certainly not something I'd want to drink up. Dumplings were good, but had a lot of dumpling compared to filling. It was good, though, but probably wouldn't order again. Boiled Fish in Spicy Sauce: Worth the trip by itself. Fish was perfectly cooked in the broth, the broth tasted amazing -- spicy with good taste, not just a spice that numbs your mouth. I was actually picking out the pepper chunks to eat. Tofu blended in well with the fish and the vegetables were great. I'd order this any time I came back here, no question. Overall, I think the quality of food was good for a hole-in-the-wall Chinese restaurant, but the prices a little high even though portions were generous. I wonder how much the buffet lunch costs, as that's where many of the majority-Asian customers were flocking. Maybe I can convince my wife to come here, so I can order the Boiled Fish again and she can get something American like the Sweet & Sour Chicken. Hmmm....
(4)Lily W.
So I dropped by this place on my visit home. My parents had been here previously with some other Chinese friends. Everyone knows if it's Chinese parent approved, it has to be good. We ordered the Boiled Fish w. Vegetable in Chili Sauce, Dry Stir Fried Chicken w. jalapeño pepper, and the crispy squid coated with salt and pepper. Of the three the first two are two authentic Sichuanese dishes. You can't usually get them around town. The third is just a dish you can get almost anywhere but I get random cravings for it so we ordered it. They definitely do Sichuan dishes right; the perfect blend of mouth numbing spicyness with enough flavor to sear your taste buds. My godmother is from the Sichuan province so I know my Sichuanese dishes. These are as good as you're going to get stateside. The squid was okay; I actually didn't like it as much as a few other places around town. I would recommend you stick with the house specials here. I knocked off a star because while the first two dishes were very generously portioned, they seriously skimped on the squid. In addition they seem to get overwhelmed at peak hours and service slows significantly according to my parents. I waited over half an hour for the first dish to come out but the subsequent ones were close behind it. If you're in the Tri-County area and looking for authentic Sichuan style Chinese food, check this place out! It was my parent approved so that tells you how legit it is.
(4)Jian C.
It's a very good Sichuan restaurant and I recommend this one to anyone who love Chinese food. Very impressive.
(5)Detroit C.
Okay - I want to review this restaurant for the Sichuan Hot Pot. It was great! One of my favorite dishes to eat while in China. Trizest's version was pretty darn good for Detroit. For those who don't know, sichuan hot pot is similar to fondue. You get a bubbling pot of broth in the middle of your table, and you order a bunch of plates of ingredients (meats and/or veg, shrooms, tofu, etc) And you drop morsels in the broth one by one to cook and eat it as you go. 1) They only serve it Mon thru Thursday. Call ahead to let them know you want it so they can prepare. It's kind of an ordeal (you eat at a leisurely pace, and eat a LOT), and I guess they don't want you hogging a table for three hours on the weekend. 2) It's fine with two people, but four is ideal, since you can try more things, and the cost goes down, since there's the initial cost for the pot of broth, and more people makes it cheaper. 3) Ordering: a) The broth: you can get spicy broth, mild aromatic broth, or the best - a divided tureen with both! Their broth was super tasty and seemed pretty authentic to me. b) The ingredients: I think they only have chinese menus. I translated mine b/c my Chinese is rudimentary, I guess someone can message me for a copy if they want? But the ingredients are basic: beef, lamb, pork, fish, shrimp. Also, tripe, fish balls, kidney and blood sausage! Mushrooms, cabbage, tofu, potato, green onions, sprouts. I'm sure the waitstaff can talk you through if you don't speak chinese. Also, they may not have every item on the menu. I'd call in advance if there's something you want to ensure they have. c) The dipping sauce: Don't neglect to order the garlic dipping sauce! After you cook your morsel to your liking, you dredge it through a dish of sauce made of oil, spices and a mountain of garlic. It's divine! We ordered about six things for two people (two meats, tofu and three veg). We were pleasantly, painfully stuffed. It's not super cheap, especially with just two people (like I said, the cost will go down with more folks), but it's a great special occasion and well worth it in my estimation. Minus one star for no alcohol license! And no BYOB! Boo hoo. Cool beer to sip with the spicy, bubbling hot pot is crucial IMO.
(4)William C.
Very decent Sichuan food. I had Dan Dan Mien (street noodles) and ko xue xi (Sichuan chicken cold) and they were fine. In an area with little authentic Chinese food this place is an oasis.
(4)Nicholas W.
Don't come here if you're looking for General Tso's. Trizest is the kind of place that serves authentic Sichuan food rather than the Americanized stuff, so instead you'll get some of the tastiest, spiciest Chinese food in Metro Detroit! The mapo doufu is by far my favorite dish here. The tofu is just the right consistency, and it's blissfully spicy. I've lived in the Detroit area for about fifteen years now, and this place is by far my favorite in town. Go. It'll be worth your while.
(5)Tim P.
By far the BEST, most FLAVORFUL Szechwan found anywhere in Detroit. Do not pass this up. Like many purveyors of great food, the decor is sub-par. If you want great interiors go elsewhere - if you want the best Szechwan food, Tri zest
(5)Jessie H.
Will come here every week! Really good Sichuan restaurant in Michigan!
(5)Shane H.
It's refreshing to know that there IS a restaurant in the D that doesn't make white washed chinese food (greasy orange chicken, fried rices covered in heavy soy sauce, etc). Me and some friends had the pleasure to have hot pot here on a sunday afternoon. It was authentically spicy, just what i expected a Sichuan place to be. with all the herbs and spices they put in the bowl i can't help but to give them a 5 star. Cudos to them for staying true and refusing to white wash themselves out here in michigan. after inspecting their menu they really have authentic range of selection. i've peeked over at other tables around me and they all looked delicious. Definitely coming back. oh, and one last thing about the service. if great customer service is your priority and something you can't live without, this might not be your place. you can tell if a chinese restaurant is authentic or not by their service. here, i was pretty sure they wouldn't really talked to me much if i weren't speaking chinese. and even that the lady was kind of blunt. so if you care about service, go to pf changs.
(5)Monica W.
This place is, very good. I mean VERY GOOD. Came here based on reviews expecting either a wonderful meal or to find out they are layering their food with crack and msg and that is why there are so many people singing their praises about this place.. thankfully it was the former, I think. It had everything you would want. Friendly service, good food($8-15avg), and a clean atmosphere. Not the fanciest of spots but definitely nice for a Chinese restaurant. I'll go ahead and mention the Sichuan Lamb because yes it is as good as everyone has stated, and the cold noodles also mentioned in another review were quite tasty as well. But what I really came here to say is that the Unique Vegetarian Dishes listed on Menu II (Authentic Menu) are amazing and the second time my fiance and I went I actually ordered one even though I am not vegetarian if that gives my words any backing. They offer veggie 'meat' flavored to be like chicken, beef, or pork and cooked in a variety of ways. We have stuck with the chicken thus far so I can only attest to that yet I would be willing to try the other options since everything else we have had here has been wonderful. My fiance actually went to China a little over a year ago and was very impressed with the few spots he could get a wide selection of items at. He said they had places that made shrimp, yet he thought he was literally eating shrimp... I thought he was crazy until now. This is the closest thing to meat I have come across here in the states outside of a place in California. If you are vegetarian try Trizest out, and I hope you enjoy!
(5)Pete W.
Excellent , authentic and a great variety. I had chicken, son had duck. Both very good. Son's Chinese class will be taking a trip here.
(5)Angela D.
Great food. Great prices. Great portions. I'm anxiously waiting for my next visit to this place.
(5)Molida K.
I'm very glad that I read all the reviews from my fellow Yelpers and decided to try Trizest. I went straight for the authentic menu because to me, going authentic never disappoints. I chose the Sichuan Lamb because of all the raving I read about. My hubby got the Yibin Flaming Noodle for the appetizer and Spicy Chicken as the main course. My 4 year old was happily obliged to eat the Chicken Fried Rice. Let me start off by saying the language barrier is a bit of a problem when it came to ordering. The waitress was polite however a bit puzzled when I ordered off the authentic menu. She had to keep repeating the order back to me. "You want Sichuan Lamb yeah?" as if to say "Look here, do you have any idea what you're ordering or are you just picking random things off the menu that sound good?". Why yes my dear woman, I would really like to try the lamb and yes I actually do know what I'm ordering. The chatter between the servers and the other Cantonese customers was pleasant white noise; it let me know that I am in fact dining in a place that caters to fellow Chinese restaurant goers. Our Flaming Noodle appetizer was warm and just a bit spicy, not overwhelming with a hint of fried garlic and chili oil. Then our main courses came out and by this time I was ready for the fire. With abandon I dove right in. The Sichuan Lamb packed a double whammy of fiery spices--dried Sichuan chilies and jalapenos in every bite. The lamb itself had ground black peppercorns in it which had a different peppery kick to the whole dish. The Spicy Chicken was also delicious-- deep fried chicken bits covered in flash-fried Sichuan chilies. The spice from both dishes built slowly and then with a steady, rising heat engulfed my entire mouth in wonderful agony. I do agree with the other Yelpers that the chef can be a bit heavy handed with the salt though. At the end of our meal, our waitress apologized for the miscommunication we had and was delighted to see that we were satisfied with our meal. I was also happy to see that as we were leaving during the slow period after lunch and the beginning of dinner, the entire restaurant staff gathered together to eat before the rush. I can't wait to come back again and try the other authentic dishes.
(5)Jenai D.
3 words - FISH FRAGRANT PORK. Oh my gawd it is so freaking good. Please always order from Menu II...though I don't know if Menu I is any good or not as I haven't tried anything on it. I have been to Trizest a whole lot of times now (because I'm addicted) and I can't say enough good things about it. Pretty much anything on the menu is sure to be spicy and delicious. There is a boiled fish soup that is out of this world and is not spicy (for those who don't like so much spice). You can't go wrong with any of the lamb dishes. And also the green beans are freaking phenomenal. This review is making my mouth water. *Note, I'm coming back and giving Trizest 5 stars because the food is that good.
(5)Danny M.
Wow....! I think I found some of the best tasting food. If you enjoy culture and don't mind trying "weird" food, you have to get the crispy fried pork intestine. No doubt will be a regular here.
(5)Kate H.
I have been in search of decent Chinese (besides soup) for what seems like ages. At the recommendation of a most-trusted fellow Yelper, I went to Trizest quite a few months ago and was immediately in love. Trizest serves the Sichuan variety of Chinese cuisine, rather than the Cantonese that we've all become accustomed to, although they do have the Cantonese favorites (Almond Boneless Chicken, Sweet and Sour whatever, etc.) on the menu. They also have countless things on the menu that I would never consider trying, as brave as I am. After a brief hiatus, I ventured back last night to finally dine in after having only gotten carry-out previously. Our waitress was amazing, although a bit chatty. There weren't many people there, so she paid extra special attention to us, offering up lots of details about their menu, the translations and the food, and making recommendations. I love this kind of service. I asked her about the Crispy Eggplant under "Authentic Dishes" and she described every detail and claimed it to be her favorite. I was sold. My dining companion ordered the mini hotpot and she was very careful to explain what ended up being kind of a messy and complicated procedure, repeatedly coming by to make sure we were okay and see if we had any questions. I can't imagine they always provide this kind of service, but it was nice. As for the food, it was really good, super fresh, high-quality ingredients, and totally different from anything I'd gotten at a Chinese restaurant prior to this. The Crispy Eggplant was a bit too much of the same thing (i.e., no veggies or anything, just giant rectangles of deep-fried eggplant with a thick sweet/vinegary sauce). The portions are ENORMOUS and way too much for one person. Our waitress explained that the hotpot is meant to be eaten over a longer period of time than most people allow for their dinner. She said a couple had come in earlier that day and got the hotpot for two (which has a divided bowl containing a mild broth on one side and a spicy on the other, rather than the almost too hot for us spicy broth we got) and they were there for 4 hours eating. Um... what?! Who has that kind of time?! Trizest is now my preferred place for Chinese, although I really don't eat it all that often. I'm looking forward to exploring their ginormous menu further and it's obvious they have no problem answering questions and helping people branch out from the typical fare. If I worked in the area, I'm betting the lunch buffet is stellar.
(4)Heather L.
Could not leave this place fast enough! After reading many glowing reviews, I took my family to dinner here. Big mistake! Upon walking into this dreary, dirty restaurant we were hit in the face with the smell of old fish. Should have turned around and left right then! Gave them a chance. My family ordered and the food came out quickly. Well, 4 of 5 meals. I waited about 10-15 minutes for my meal. Service was nonexistent. Food was mediocre. Have made better in my own kitchen! Received the bill and noticed a "service charge" of 15%! Have I mentioned that the service was nonexistent? I was told at the register that it stated on the menu there was a 15% gratuity added to the bill. It was in CHINESE! I refused to pay it as a gratuity is optional dependent on service provided! Suffice it to say: Avoid this place at all cost! I came home with a nauseous tummy and a MSG headache!
(1)Bill B.
I have a knack for falling in love with TV shows that end up getting canceled. They are high quality programs but, unfortunately, never get the ratings to survive. Now, I'm smitten with a Chinese restaurant and I hope it doesn't meet the same fate. The restaurant, Trizest, specializes in "spicy Chinese Sichuan food." There are lots of old favorites like General's Chicken, Mongolian Beef and so on. My wife ordered very good renditions of Sesame Chicken and Vegetable Chow Mein. What makes Trizest special, though, is unusual things. For example, they have "unique vegetarian dishes," which are made with soy bean, wheat and rice protein. As a vegetarian, I would appreciate such food even if it weren't great. But it is great, so great that I ordered different dishes two days in a row. The sauces are thin and flavorful, the vegetables perfectly cooked, the protein soft and sensual. Trizest also has a special page of "authentic Chinese dishes," out of the ordinary fare like Cumin Lamb, Fish with Pickled Vegetable and Gong Bao Squid. Unlike many Chinese restaurants, Trizest has been filled with Chinese diners each time I have visited. The atmosphere is convivial and warm. The staff is friendly and efficient. Despite having ordered only two meals from them, Trizest has moved into my top five Chinese restaurants of all time. I would not be surprised if it eventually becomes number one. I'm hoping that it's not a dream and it has a long, healthy existence in Sterling Heights.
(5)Kristina A.
My husband and I lived in China for three years and upon moving back to Detroit we've been on a hunt for authentic Chinese food. On a recommendaton from some Chinese students in my husband's grad school class, we went to Trizest on Saturday night. It was so good and took us right back to being in China. The garlic cucumber and shredded chicken cold appetizers were incredible. The pot stickers and spicy dumpling soup were to die for. I really wish they served Baijiu, but unfortunately, the place doesn't have a liquor license. As mentioned from other reviewers, the service was slow, but you just need to flag the waitress down to get what you need. They were very nice and impressed with our limited Mandarin knowledge. We will definitely be back to dine in or carry out.
(5)melissa k.
This is far and away the best Chinese restaurant in the metro area, if not in Michigan. Their menu is authentic and has a lot of variety, and lots of great options for vegetarians. They know what to do with tofu, and they do it extremely well. You can tell that all of their ingredients are fresh and everything is made from scratch. Their sauces are freaking fantastic. I cannot recommend this place enough. Be sure to try General Tso's Shrimp at some point - OMG.
(5)Chet L.
Great food, friendly staff. Busy place, but the food is always quality. Good for bringing family or a group of friends to try each others dishes.
(5)Ani B.
Food quite good, service unwelcoming. hubby and i both got General Tsu, his real chicken, mine tofu. Both fixed the same. i loved the soft as a cloud tofu. they came with 4 pieces of broccoli. $10.99 each came with rice. what i really wanted was something broccoli based but none of the vegetable choices were broccoli in garlic sauce. waitress would not recommend anything similar, just was not helpful and the menu did not explain what was really in each dish. no extras given like hot tea, fried strips of won ton wrappers with plum sauce dip. maybe that isn't something done here in MI. NY/NJ always gave these nibbles and tea. so if you are looking for courteous, happy service - forget it here. main clientele was Chinese. again the food was good- restaurant plain and neutered. would possibly given another star if the waitress/service was better.
(3)Caroline C.
Red hot chili peppers danced around for joy in my mouth the first time I went to Trizest and had the "water boiled fish," which should be re-named to "super hot spicy fragrant the best darn mouth burning but you'll love every single minute of the pain fish." They haunted my dreams for days afterwards until I returned to Trizest to stop the withdrawal shaking and get another fix of the tastiest, most authentic Szechuan food I've had in the Metro-Detroit area. Note to the "people who have to use forks at an Asian restaurant": you CANNOT get the Americanized Chinese food here - it tastes like crap. Skip past the first two pages of beef-and-broccoli and General Tsao's chicken, and you'll find where Trizest really shines. In my weekly pilgrimages I've also tried the chopped rabbit, fish and tofu, Szechuan lamb, spicy chicken, beer duck, and some other dishes such as cold tripe (not for the faint of heart). ALL were fantastic. So order a whole pitcher of water when you sit down, stay under the "authentic dishes" sub-heading under the menu, and prepare for a delicious journey through Szechuan culture that you will be raving about. That is, once your tongue stops burning!
(5)Ted N.
This restaurant has become a regular spot for me and the wife. It's very authentic and filled with Chinese (always a good point). The daily specials, written on the ink board at the entrance, are all in Chinese - so you'll need help from the waitress for a translation. Their staff is nice and friendly. The hostess helps you with good suggestions. But be advised, some of their menus items have been translated literally and don't flow well (ex: squirrel fish...LOL), so once again you may need help from a waitress. The food is going to be spicey and hot....if you're timid about such things, you can still find mild dishes, but you're missing their best. Try the: a) mabo-dofu (they spell it m-a-p-o dofu) b) dry beef something or rather is also good. c) Szechuan lamb is also excellent Avoid: a) deep fried eggplant with some type of sweet sauce (tastes like maple syrup) b) the squirrel....something fish is good, but also has that same sweet sauce on it.
(4)David G.
I dont know what I had my menu was in Chinese I went by a picture on the back page it was awesome but it was so hot I was sweating in the restaurant and my mouth was still burning 2 miles down the road !!! Good stuff I would do it over I also love that its not like the other Chinese restaurants. Cons it was a little pricy my dish with a coke was 19 dollars and it was very cold in the restaurant
(4)Tim T.
Foods I had there. 1) spicy lamb. 5 stars 2) pork intestines, both fried and in a hot pot. 5 stars. 3) tofu dish of some kind. 3 stars. so, why the 1 star rating uptop? let me tell you. Me and my wife, this is our third visit since discovering this place by the recommendation of my good yelp friend TIffnay Ng. We decided that we do not want to order 2 to 3 dishes and end up with a 45 to 50 dollar bill after tips. Everything was fine until the food showed up. Nothing wrong with the hot pot, however, there was 1 bowl of rice. I thought they just forgot. So I flagged a woman who was NOT in server or waitress clothing (she normally tends to the register) and said to her. "We have two people eating, do we only get one small bowl of rice?" she replied, "let me go check" she came back and said "we serve bowl of rice based on how many dish you order, since you only ordered 1dish, you only get one rice, you can order more rice, that would be $1 per bowl." I said, " no thanks" I split the tiny bowl of rice with my wife, finished the meal, and will never visit this place again. That was BAD customer service and experience. Did she really just tell me that if me and my wife wants to SHARE a dish that we are not entitled to 2 bowl of rice? It's not like we had 4 ppl sharing a dish wanting rice for everyone. We just wanted ONE dish to share. I left there not wanting to return. This is TYPICAL of how chinese restaurants treats customers. From now on, I will NOT recommend this place to anyone. Anyone asking me about this place I would tell them this place is stingy. Serisouly, if you and your compapnion wants to share ONE dish, you can't have enough rice for the both of you. you guys know what? I will have my wife bring our own fudging rice in one of her big purse next time we order just ONE dish just to fudge with them. Ridiculous. Yea, tha'ts right, I will bring fudging 5 fudging bowls myself.
(1)Mim M.
came here twice already; pretty decent spicy chinese cuisine, coming from someone that has had a lot of authentic chinese food (im also chinese). the several dishes that ive tried dont exactly taste like what im used to tasting typically; however, it is still good in its own way, and its oddly satisfying haha.
(4)Elizabeth T.
If I could only give 5 plus stars! The best,most authentic Chinese food in the area. It's best to ask for suggestions and try something different. You really can't go wrong with any dish on the menu. Service is great. An all around perfect place.
(5)Debbie H.
I am not a five star kind of person. For me, five stars means amazing and outstanding. We stumbled upon this restaurant and what a happy accident. My husband and I have been looking for a good Chinese restaurant, well, forever. We hadn't found one - until now. The hot and sour soup was actually hot - and - sour (gasp, for effect). The potstickers were really tasty - didn't even want the sauce the pork filling was so yummy. We had a couple of typical Cantonese-style dishes but they were great. I got the Mu Shu Pork which was fantastic (despite the fact that it was served with store-bought tortillas, rather than the wonderful crepes that should have been served) and my husband got the General Tsao chicken - also very good. We will definitely go back and I'm trying the Squirrel Shaped Fish, next time. Please, oh please go here so it stays open!
(5)Rahul S.
We know we had done something right when we walked into a Chinese restaurant and all the chatter we heard was in Cantonese. Our smile got a little broader when we could see the board with specials had not one English alphabet on it. This was going to be good. We were greeted at the door by a slightly grumpy woman who strangely reminded me of Seinfeld's Soup Nazi. Our server was a quiet, awkward girl who only looked down when she spoke and more than once dropped a fork or a spoon. All this did was add to the strange charm of the place. The menu was opened to the 'Authentic Chinese food' section and after reading some of the other yelp reviews we wouldn't have it any other way. We decided to go with the Sichuan lamb and the pork green beans. We asked our server for a recommendation for noodles and decided to go with the mixed lo-mein. Everything was prefect. I'm going to preface this with the fact that I'm no Chinese food connoisseur but really I couldn't have asked for more. The Sichuan lamb was perfectly cooked and awesomely spicy. I could do with a little less of the red pepper flakes but I really can't complain. The lo-mein was the best I've had in a while and I thank my awkward Chinese server for that. The pork green beans was refreshingly good. I'm used to almost every other restaurant serving up boiled, bland green beans. This dish was different - the beans were flash fried to perfection with little tiny delicious pork bits. Gimme gimme gimme. The meal for my girlfriend and I was priced a little over $30 but the quantity was enough for two meals. Probably my favorite Chinese food in the D so far. Tips - - The service can be slow. Don't hesitate to flag someone down when you need a glass of water or your check. This is a stereotype that's true in most Asian and Indian restaurants. Service is always sketchy. If the food makes up for it, deal with it. - Spicy means spicy. The Sichaun lamb had an image of 3 chillies next to it and while it's not Thai hot, you've been warned. - Try something new. I think I'm leaning towards the boiled fish the next time I'm there. If you want General Tso's go someplace else. - The Chinese herbal medicine store next door has small swords on sale for $30. I don't know why I added this to the review. I felt it was important. I'm going back. Squirrel shaped fish anyone? (Yes, it's on the menu.)
(4)Jim C.
Ok folks, I am a lover of Chinese food. I have my favorite place called Wing Lee up in Sterling Heights. As of right now no one compares to that place. So I ordered take out from Trizest on 9/21/11. Got their lunch special. It Came with a decent portion your choice of rice, egg roll or something else and your choice of soup. Mine came out to $6.35! Great price, being 6'2" 240lb this would have filled me up just fine! BUT... I started with the soup (wanton), it was alright. Seemed to be a little watered down and had a bit of spice to it but otherwise pretty good. Next I moved to the egg roll. One bite and had enough, I thought it was nasty. Maybe just me I thought. So I moved over to my General Tiao chicken. Ate my first bite and it was pretty good! So I broke my second piece in half because it was kinda large and noticed it was really pink, almost looking like it was uncooked. I cut open several more to find the same... So needless to say I couldn't eat that so I threw them in the microwave. That solved that problem. The fried rice was horrible. Tasted old like yesterday's fried rice, and was hard. I will not eat here again.
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