Tai Er Sichuan Cuisine, a growing international restaurant best known for its signature dish, poached fish with house-fermented sauerkraut in pork bone broth, has opened its second Bay Area location.
The restaurant inside Santa Clara’s Westfield Valley Fair mall is currently in a soft opening phase, with grand opening festivities planned for the first week of May. Tai Er made its debut in this region in 2025 in San Mateo.
Besides Sauerkraut Fish — virtually every table of diners orders that dish, the restaurant’s reps say — other Tai Er menu specialties include Chongqing Spicy Crispy Chicken, wok-seared Black Pepper Beef, Sweet & Sour Pork Ribs and Tofu With Golden Salted Egg Yolk.
Two exclusive dishes have been introduced for Valley Fair diners: Lime-Glazed Sweet & Sour Shrimp and Truffle Vegetarian Fried Rice.
“People often assume Sichuan food is all about spice, but there’s so much more,” Kevin Liu, marketing director, said last fall before the San Mateo opening. “We built this concept around showing the richness and depth of Sichuan — that it can be balanced, elegant and still unforgettable.”
The chain’s first location, a small street eatery, was established in 2015. The restaurant reportedly earned its name — which roughly translates to silly and absent-minded, in a kind way — after the owner was so focused on preparing food he forgot to open the door or name his restaurant, according to the Tai Er website.
Details: 2855 Stevens Creek Blvd., Santa Clara, and 98 E. Fourth Ave., San Mateo