Lao Sze Chuan — Restaurant in Baltimore

I’m really surprised about the low rating for this place because I think the food, service, and ambiance were amazing. It’s a new place that opened 3 months ago. This was my second time there. I will say their apps are top tier and the entrees were really good too but the apps took the cake. I didn’t like the dessert and very few options. I just went on a Saturday at 4pm and it wasn’t busy and the food came out very quickly. It did start to fill up around 6pm Here’s what I ordered: Apps: spring rolls - good but basic Dan Dan noodles - must get shrimp dumplings - must get firecracker salmon - must get

Entrees: Tibetan lamb - this is a absolute must - I don’t even like lamb and this was my favorite Chonquin spicy chicken - must get (I confused this for the popcorn chicken) but this is the one with the dry Sichuan peppers) popcorn chicken - this was too sweet for me but my family really liked it crispy spicy fish filets - must get I loved this Mongolian beef - I also liked this sesame crispy beef - I didn’t care for this and also on the sweeter end for me lo mein with all the protein - this was okay and fine as a base with the other entrees but the Dan Dan noodles beats it

Dessert I got some red bean thing and I didn’t like it at all There were only 2...

We went as a group of 11 people to celebrate Chinese New Year together. The food was very authentic, and probably the best Chinese food you can get local to the Charles Village area.

We ordered the Sichuan Roasted European Seabass, Golden Peking Duck, Spicy Beef Cubes, Crispy Salty Chicken, Dry-Fried Green Beans, Braised Duck Rack Soup, Firecracker Salmon Rolls, Chengdu Red Oil Spicy Chicken, Spicy Beef and Tripe, Fish Fillets with Sichuan Peppercorns, Braised Beef with Soft Tofu, Stir Fried Seasonal Vegetable, Brown Sugar Rice Cake, and Red Bean Pumpkin Cakes.

Everything was good, and our party especially liked the Peking Duck, Crispy Salty Chicken, Duck Rack Soup, Fish Fillets, and the Dessert options.

The restaurant also has a nice selection of high-quality teas.

I'd recommend this restaurant for big groups. At the moment they said they'd only be able to sit 12 at a time. This should increase when they have their grand opening.

The restaurant was very accommodating to our group. After informing the manager that one of us could not eat pork due to religious reasons, she suggested possible options and even prepared a pork free menu.

Thank you Lao Sze Chuan for hosting us! We had a great time, and hope to come back soon.

Happy...

Lao Sze Chuan in Baltimore offers an overall pleasant dining experience. Our group of 10 sampled a variety of dishes, with the cucumber salad, Szechuan pickles, chili oil chicken, crispy fish filet, crispy eggplant, spicy beef cubes, Dan Dan noodles, Chongqing spicy chicken, and string beans being standout favorites. Each dish had a unique blend of flavors, especially the crispy fish filet and Chongqing spicy chicken, which delighted the taste buds.

However, there were a few hiccups. The braised pork belly was overly sweet for our liking, and the crispy chicken turned out too salty. The European sea bass, while cooked well, didn't leave a memorable impression.

The service experience was a bit challenging. The staff seemed inexperienced, requiring explanations to manage our order in staggered stages, considering the large group's constraints. This necessity for repeated instructions was frustrating.

This location of Lao Sze Chuan is more casual compared to their Bethesda counterpart. While the food generally met our expectations, these service hiccups affected the overall experience. I'm eager to try their duck on my next visit, but some improvements in service would elevate the dining experience. Overall, I'd rate the...