Spicy Temptation (Also known as Lychee) – Szechuan Restaurant, Rotterdam

We have only been to Spicy Temptation, which is a fantastic dog-friendly Szechuan restaurant in Rotterdam, twice for dinner. The restaurant is located in the Chinatown area of Rotterdam, and given the consistency in food and service, we are very confident in providing this review. They seem dog-friendly as we were accepted as “walk-ins” the first time with no problem, and while making the reservation over the phone for the second visit, were told that dogs were welcome, “especially well-behaved ones”, but it may be best to check. On both occasions, to say we thoroughly enjoyed the food is a great understatement!

First, in terms of décor, Spicy Temptation is not going to win and design awards, but it was spotlessly clean and there was plenty of space between tables, so a very comfortable space. Also, on both occasions, the staff were very friendly and efficient, and even though they were busy, we did not have to wait too long for food and drinks to be served.

Second, in terms of drinks, we stuck to a few glasses of cold and well served local beers. I cannot remember the price of the beers but if memory serves correct, they were about €5 each, so perfectly reasonable.

Finally, to the most important part; the amazing food! While we have only sampled a few of their delicious offerings, Spicy Temptation offers an extensive list of wonderful sounding options, including hot and cold snacks and starters, soups, various mains (Pork, Beef, Chicken, Fish, Seafood, Duck), noodle dishes, vegetables, rice dishes, and hot pot (their speciality I think), and there are many vegetarian options available.

On both occasions, we found the menu and food to be very authentic, and it was exactly what we hoped it would be (and then some). While it was similar to Old Hong Kong in Riga, as it is Szechuan and not Cantonese, happily there was more spice, and was therefore more to our tastes.  Everything we ordered was absolutely delicious, and as good as anything we have had in places like in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore, so were super happy to have found this dog-friendly restaurant in Rotterdam. When describing the food we had below, I do not remember the specific names of the dishes unfortunately, nor the prices, and as there is no menu online cannot check.

One of the dishes we gleefully tucked into on both occasions was a crispy deep-fried chicken with Szechuan pepper corns and it was without a doubt one of the best versions of this type of dish we have had, which is saying something as we order it almost every chance we get (and as such, have ordered in many restaurants and countries). The chicken was amazingly crispy yet tender, perfectly seasoned with a nice spice level and the characteristic sensation you only get from Szechuan pepper corns. Cannot recommend highly enough! Next, on both visits we thoroughly enjoyed the dry fried green beans (with garlic and chilli I think) which were exactly what we hoped they would be. Super flavoursome, cooked to perfection, and nicely wrinkled (it’s part of the cooking technique). Finally, both times we excitedly devoured a beef in black pepper sauce with fried vegetables. The beef, which in no way looked like the “mystery meats” served in some places, was tender and full of flavour, and the sauce and vegetables complimented it a treat; wonderful!! On the second visit, as there were four of us (one of who is vegetarian), we also had some vegetable spring rolls, the vegetarian Mapo Tofu, vegetable fried rice, and two of us shared a spicy prawn dish. All the dishes were again excellent and full of authentic flavours and textures, with possibly the exception of the prawn dish (it was just not as spicy as we would have liked, and the prawns could have had a bit more taste, but that is quite subjective I guess). All in all, we love the food here and (a) cannot wait to go back, and (b) thoroughly recommend it to anyone who loves Szechuan food.

As noted, I cannot remember the prices, but I do remember that given the amount of tasty and food and cold drinks we enjoyed, the bill seemed extremely reasonable on both occasions.

Overall, if you and your furry companion(s) find yourself looking for a dog-friendly restaurant in Rotterdam and are hankering for some excellent Szechuan food served in a comfortable atmosphere by nice staff and at very reasonable prices, we cannot recommend Spicy Temptation (also known as Lychee) highly enough! Do note that it is closed on Sundays.