well, we went today. not only is it not the best chinese restaurant in the u.s, it’s also not the best chinese restaurant in the twin cities metro area–or even the best chinese restaurant in a 1/4 mile radius of its location. but it’s pretty decent with a very legit menu. which is a testament to how popular sichuan cuisine has become in the u.s. i’ll have a proper review in a week or two.
and yes, chandavkl’s guess was right: lots of chinese students from u. of m (it’s located close to the campus).