"Authentic" is a word that is heavily overused in the Chinese Restaurant scene in NYC. Many restaurants using precooked meal set or with an regionally inaccurate flavor brandish such label. But this restaurant EARNED it.
I asked the server and I say, hey be completely honest with me, recommend dish you think it's really good. And here we go. Mapo Tofu. And I ordered Sliced Beef because my girlfriend love beef.
The Tofu is exactly the flavor you find in Sichuan. I am poor in language but I am just going to say it's aromatic and silky, and not too spicy at all. Great with rice! The rice could be a bit more soft to my taste though personally. (Real Szechuan cuisine is not supposed to be supppper spicy but aromatic and numbing). 18.95$
The sliced beef is also very good. The portion is big, and I can tell they use quality cooking oil. No complaints. 32.95$ is not in the cheaper end but I think it's worth it in terms of portion and quality.
Only two downsides I found (if you care). The servers are friendly but a bit short staffed so it's actually slow in a busy night. My suggestion is an easy fix: if server looked around more every time they come out of the kitchen, be much better. Still, I will accept for the food quality haha. The atmosphere is good, clean, but not fancy or super polished. It is definitely not one of those newly opened "upscale Chinese restaurant" with lavish interior. Again, not my focus at all.
Regarding price, be prepared to shell out 25-40$ per person if you want an authentic experience and a selection of dishes. Yes it's not cheap but comparatively it's acceptable considering the quality compared to other restaurant.
By the way the famous Chef Wang is in the kitchen. I guess he either cooks personally or closely supervise the process. He is very friendly!
PS: Photo with many celebrities and Bernie Sanders! Another reason to go if you are a Bernie fan or doesn't hate him haha. But hey the food is universal right?
PS2: I must be completely honest. Yes they right now offer a free desert (about 8$ in value) if you leave a review and show it to the staff. Yes I am a lazy person and I usually won't leave review. But hey I can tell you that this free dessert did not change a bit my assessment of this restaurant thus the...
Read moreThere should be an option for 0 stars. I went yesterday and was never as disappointed as I was in my life. I've heard that Szechuan cuisine could be a bit spicy but they obviously also forgotten to mention that its so salty that after a bite, your tongue goes numb. It was as they poured the ocean into a bowl with some vegetables and red food coloring and called it a day. We were a total of 5 Koreans and I was embarrassed to have invited them here. We ordered the typical, Mapo tofu, Singapore noodles, Fried rice, tossed chicken, three dumplings, and a bowl of the chinese broccoli. I hate leaving food but we couldn't finish ANY of the bowls. Every dish was so salty and spicy. We should've just went to McDonalds which was across the street but the 4.6 star review got me hooked. When they asked how the food was I was honest and told the waitress that everything was too salty and too spicy and she said she would tell the manager and when she came back she said that they're restaurant is flavourful and that their cuisine was well- balanced but to next time, ask for the meal to be less spicy. Btw, there are several pictures of Chinese celebrities and public figures like Jack Ma with the owner.. that got me fooled to thinking the food would be delicious. Trust a girl when she says...
Read moreI'm from Szechaun, China, and I've been in the U.S. for nearly 20 years. I've eaten at countless Szechaun restaurants across the country, north to south — and this is the only one that's truly authentic, no exceptions. The flavors are exactly like those in Chengdu's Szechaun cuisine — unforgettable and rich — with no attempt to cater to American or other Asian tastes. The aroma lingers and is absolutely delightful. Highly recommended. I personally packed up all the leftovers, added more meat and vegetables at home, and cooked two more meals using the original sauce. The flavor remained strong and distinctly Szechaun — it lingered in my mouth like music that echoes. Friends who saw the photos I shared thought I had gone back to Szechaun. For anyone wanting to experience Chengdu’s flavors, this place will satisfy all your cravings — no need for a long journey....
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