Sauteed chicken with chilies and Sichuan peppercorns. [Photo by Dong Fangyu/China Daily]

Si Fang represents the "four squares"－Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan and Chongqing－that historically define the ancient terra of Southwest China; San Chuan refers to the "three rivers" the Wei, the Jing, and the Luo, ancient waterways that mark the origin of the realm of the "four squares", and bred Chinese civilization as early as the Three Kingdoms Period (AD 220-280).

So the name carries a cultural and Sinological connotation and implies the cuisine of Southwest China it has to offer. In fact, Sichuan cuisine makes up about 70 percent of the menu at SFSC, the rest being the cuisine of Yunnan and Guizhou.

SFSC's interior decor is eye-catching, with hanging Chinese lanterns shaped like hot-air balloons hovering over each table in the spacious main dining room, the light given off being a warm, mellow hue.

We tried several of the best sellers: Sichuan cold noodles with shredded chicken in chili sauce, and fresh walnut with Sichuan peppercorn sauce as starters, and sauteed chicken with chilies and Sichuan peppercorns. All of these are mildly spicy, reflecting SFSC's cooking philosophy－less salt and less oil, a shift from traditional Sichuan cuisine that tends to be heavy in flavors underpinned by the copious use of oil and chilies.