Spicy Asian — Restaurant in City of Ithaca

This is my favorite restaurant! If you want real Chinese food order off the Szechwan menu. The "Chinese" menu has all the standard fare for un-adventurous Americans, all the things you can get at any Chinese take out in America. And it is perfectly good American Chinese food but the Szechwan menu has the real stuff, like beef tripe, pork intestines, jelly fish, and frog. I've tried them all. The hot chili warnings are not kidding.

I have been working my way through the Szechwan menu. Some of my favorites are: Fish Filet w. Special Tofu In Hot Pot (the best tofu I have ever had), Crispy Chicken w. House Special Sauce (what sweet and sour chicken should be), Beijing Duck, and the Scallion Pancake Rolled w. Beef (four little beef sandwiches). The only items on the Szechwan menu that have not impressed me are a some of the soups. I recommend the Sliced Fish w. Sour Cabbage Soup if you can take the heat, and the Angelica Lamb Soup if you can take the bitter angelica root.

Try the bubble tea, it comes with Popping Boba, tapioca pearls, or fruit jelly. And you can get it as...

Nice to have some Sichuan food on our way through Ithaca. I wish they had more traditional options (as opposed to the popular American ones), but I understand that they have to sell the things that will keep them in business. (For instance, I would love 麻辣香锅!!) The pork belly sizzling pot was really good, and the Singapore noodles were spicy and they allowed us to get it vegetarian (though they also left out the egg and charged the same amount as the meaty dish). Tea is charged here, as is each additional bowl of white rice. Somewhat typical after covid, but I really wish that wasn't the case. I'm trying to avoid commenting directly on price because you can see portion size and price plainly in my pictures. They were very friendly and there are lots of menu options in general. A good 粥 would be a plus for me, as would 涼菜. But maybe the customer base isn't there (or you just ask for it, and it isn't on the menu 😁). Not a bad option for little Ithaca, but don't expect the stars lile you might get in larger cities (like Rochester -- Yummy Garden Hot Pot...

Spicy Asian is my favorite asian restaurant in Ithaca, a title the Golden Dragon vacated when it closed in 1994. S.A. features wide variety of styles, all well prepared. Many dishes rely on an oily brown sauce that I've not run into elsewhere; it's good but, too much, not so much. Unlike most upstate NY asian restaurants, the menu has some dishes that are not run-of-the-mill Chinese-American food. Yay! Even if you won't try them, you can see what they are by visiting other tables. It's very much a family-run place and its nice to be recognized after you've eaten there a few times.

May I recommend: the "soups-for-4" make a great meal for one. Seafood soup and Zhong's dumplings: great combo. Noodle soup w/ pork and hot pepper is filling and great for a chilly day. The salt-and-pepper shrimp is a taste and tactile delight.

Visit frequently and work your way thru the menu. You'll be...