I rarely venture out into the Capitol Hill area these days. It’s not that I don’t like the area – in fact, I love the area and I think it is just continuing to grow and thrive. The distance from Cleveland Park is what tends to keep me from venturing into Capitol Hill these days. Still, I do try to find opportunities to meet friends for dinner/drinks in the area whenever I can so I can keep up on what’s going on in the area. Most recently I had dinner with some friends at the Szechuan House Fusion Grill.

Cost – $$

Service – A-
Extremely friendly and down-to-earth. I was a bit surprised when they didn’t have any sushi on the menu and our waitress went so far as to mention there was a place down the street that served sushi.

“Isn’t that a little odd for you to suggest,” I asked.

“Yeah, but I know how it is if you’re craving sushi,” she responded back.

It might not be the most profitable answer for the venue but it deserves brownie points.

Food – A-
I like strong flavors. In fact, I like flavors that jump up and bite me in the ass. Therefore, Tom Yum infused with habeneros is going to be something I like, as is salmon doused in soy sauce. It was like the chef was reading my mind and saving me the trouble of tainting well prepared food with soy sauce and hot sauce on my own.

Decor – B
Szechuan House Fusion Grill may have an utterly generic and bland name, but that is no indication of the quality of food or the interior in the venue, which is well construed in my opinion. It has a modern, minimalist aesthetic that is complimented quite well by black-and-white photographs that line the walls.

Feel – B+
I visited the venue on a Monday evening and it was relatively quiet in the dining area even though there was a neighborhood crowd gathered at the bar. My guess is that the venue probably makes most of its money during the lunch hour and only peripheral income during the weekday evenings (although I’d be curious to see what it is like on the weekend evenings). It’s a good choice if you’re craving a slick, calm environment and Asian food in the area however if you’re looking for a scene, you’re probably better served elsewhere.

Scezhuan House Fusion Grill is located at 515 8th St SE. They can be reached at (202) 546-5303.

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