If I could I'd give it 3 1/2 stars but I round up for being locally owned. I could see how I would like this place more if I was a college student. Big portions that are reasonably priced and several tables for large groups. It's in a former Chinese grocery and the decor wasn't much of an upgrade. The spice level is milder than most Szechuan restaurants (it probably doesn't help that my Mandarin isn't very good). I had the boiled fish which was very good and the fried beef with cumin which was surprisingly sweet. read more

Hometown Memory Szechuan Cuisine - Boiled Fish - Szechuan Near Me - Syracuse, New York

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Drawn by other Yelpers' vote of confidence in their authentic Sichuan cooking, my husband and I ordered takeout from Hometown Memory Szechuan Cuisine. The ordering experience was one of the most bizarre and frustrating I've had in recent years. But the food itself was delicious. Since we were driving with young wailing kids in the backseat, we called the restaurant 20 minutes out to place our order. The lady who picked up the phone told me in Chinese that the restaurant was very busy, so I should place the order when I was 10 minutes away, or better yet, when I was at the restaurant. I tried to explain that the whole point of placing the order by phone was to avoid waiting, but she had put a male Chinese-speaking colleague on the phone, who told me to just order at the restaurant because he was too busy to take phone orders. With that, he promptly hung up on me. Ten minutes out, I called again and tried to order eggplant in garlic sauce and fish in chili oil. The same man I had spoken to before had tried to get me to just place the order when I arrived at the restaurant, but I again told him that we were trying to avoid waiting for our food since we had young children (now screaming) in the car. He reluctantly took my order (I was told that my third request--vermicelli with spiced minced pork--was not available). Frustratingly, when we arrived at the restaurant, they had not even started cooking our food, so we had to wait about 15 minutes. The food itself was superb. The eggplant is some of the best I've had. The fish in chili oil was also wonderfully tender, though there was a slightly higher ratio of Napa cabbage to fish than what I've usually experienced for this dish at other restaurants. The interior of the restaurant was modest and cafeteria-like. I can't comment on the service quality for dining in. If it weren't for the rough phone ordering experience, I would be keen on ordering takeout or dining in there again. read more

We get take away from here, and the food and service are always great. Quick turnaround in an order. Delicious dishes

4.5 stars. Very small, unassuming hole in the wall type of place. Most customers are international students from the nearby university campus. Decorations are sparse and if you don't speak Chinese, you may have to do some pointing at the menu. But all of these clues point to signs that things here are tasty and authentic! There is a maala dry pot menu (you can pick your ingredients, they weigh and cook for you) as well as other dishes. I have been here a few times and have tried several of their dishes including spicy boiled fish, stir fried eggplant/potato/pepper, mapo tofu, string sour potato, szechuan chicken, stir fried eggplant/pork, stir fried intestines (accidentally ordered thinking it was beef slices). Everything is tasty and well done. My favorites always include the boiled fish which has other delicious things in it including bamboo and black fungus as well as the stir fried potato/eggplant/pepper. Things did get a little greasy by the end, but that is expected. Good place for some very authentic Szechuan food. Perhaps not a place to take a new date to impress them if you're going for ambience. read more

Hometown Memory Szechuan Cuisine - Szechuan Near Me - Syracuse, New York

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Some of the best Sichuan food I've had, and I am including San Francisco in this. I ate here for my birthday and it was INCREDIBLE. I had the vermicelli with pork, the twice-cooked pork, and the spicy boiled fish (they called it something different, but it's obvious what it is .) Seasoned so well. The FLAVORS are out of this world without being too painfully spicy, though that's by Sichuan food standards. People sensitive to hot spicy food might struggle here. It's worth acclimating to the hotness, though. The owners don't speak English, so you will need to point at the things you want on the menu. Be patient and kind- they are trying their best to learn. They have a phone with Google translate, though. Just show what you want, and trust, because you are in for some AMAZING Sichuan food. I cannot wait to go back to get more. Please please please try this place out- it's so good, and I want to be able to keep eating here! read more

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From the moment we sat down the service was sub par, the young boy who served us didn't ask if we wanted any water. When we asked about dishes he was very arrogant and didn't want to answer questions. The food was below average, we ordered a frog dish and it was fishy, we don't recommend. When it was time to check out the same boy who took our order gave us the receipt and was impatiently tapping it. I really don't like giving one star reviews but this situation 1000% deserves it. read more

Menu or pick your own stir fry. On the fill your own bowl, you have to order at least 1.5 lb of food, but about 1.75 because of the bowl weight. This is about $19 pre tax. Menu is less expensive. Many couples come and buy two rice and share a bowl. They ask your heat level. Then pay and go sit and they bring you the food. Yum!! Limited English but other diners helped out. Credit card is easier. There are bottles of drinks. Lots of room. Lots of parking. No one bugs you. I love it. Bathroom could be better and add lighting on steps outside. read more

Hometown Memory Szechuan Cuisine - I picked all veg, medium heat. Lotus was delicious as were tofu skins. But there are other choices and proteins. - Szechuan Near Me - Syracuse, New York

We just taught at an international school in china for 8 years and this place doesn't look like much but very authentic which in America it's pretty difficult finding authentic Chinese. Lotsa Chinese students here so ya know it's good! read more

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The place is under new ownership. The food is more fresh; better quality than before. The chef has his heart into it. If like authentic Chinese food, give the place a try. I know I'll be back often. read more

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This is my first time going to a restaurant that is specifically for Szechuan style food. I am not one that likes the "mala" flavor. Mala is a type of spice in the Sichuan cuisine that is spicy and causes your tongue to feel numb. There are different levels of spiciness so luckily the one we had was mild so it had a kick of spice but not enough to cause numbness in your mouth. It was a bit confusing at first because there is a language barrier. The first thing you do is grab the metal bowl on the left of the station and use to tonsils to grab whatever food you want. The left station is where they have a variety of different raw meats and the right station is filled with vegetables, noddles, and more vegetarian friendly foods. You place whatever you want in the bowl and weigh it on the scale and then charge you by pound. I am not too sure how much it is per pound but for the amount we got, we paid a little over $20. They also have a fridge filled with different Asian drinks that you can also buy along with your meal. After paying for your meal, you take a seat at one of the tables and they will bring out your cooked food for you. read more

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I would say they have the most delicious and authentic Chinese food. Capturing the essence of Sichuan cuisine . Mala dry pot and Twice-cooked pork are noteworthy. read more

I've got their dry hot pot and it's soooo good. Best one I've ever had! I wanted to try something new this time and my friend said their eggplant is excellent. I'm not a big fan of eggplant but I ate them all. Highly recommended this place very authentic Chinese food. read more

Hometown Memory Szechuan Cuisine - 27. Stir-Fried Shredded Eggplant with Shredded Pork - Szechuan Near Me - Syracuse, New York

Exceeded our expectations! I couldn't believe we were able to find authentic Sichuan in Syracuse. We ordered the fish in chili oil soup - the aromas brought us instantly back to the streets of Chengdu...Flavor was amazing, truly fragrant, nutty and Mala spicy. Dry pot was also incredibly delicious- you pick the ingredients yourself in a bowl; quality of the meats and veggies were very good. They use real fire to cook which added more to the flavor of the dishes. There are so many options on the menu, which we are eager to try in the future. Give this place a try for authentic Chinese! The woman working was very kind and attentive, and there was one chef, both speak Mandarin. Restaurant has many tables to seat large parties, the owners say that it gets quite busy when students return. The quality and flavor of their dishes are superior to many restaurants we have tried in Boston, San Fran and even NYC. This is truly a hidden gem!!! read more

Hometown Memory Szechuan Cuisine - 41. Fish in Red Chili Sauce - Szechuan Near Me - Syracuse, New York

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their dry hotpot is so good. They are only one of the two restaurants in syracuse that serve dry hotpot. u r able to choose your ingredients n spice level. i recommend trying the mild first n then leveling up. read more

Hometown Memory Szechuan Cuisine - dry hotpot - Szechuan Near Me - Syracuse, New York

Very authentic Chinese food, they have both spicy and non spicy options. We tried Mala Dry pot, the best I've had in a long time. read more

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First visit; we played it safe with kung pao chicken. Delicious; and plenty to share for a lighter lunch. Just the right amount of spice (without eating most of the hot peppers). Definitely recommend. read more

The food here is some of the best Chinese I've had. I had the grated eggplant and pork. It was amazing and perfectly seasoned. I highly recommend this restaurant and definitely plan on going back. read more

Absolutely the best Sichuan food in Syracuse. We ordered the preserved egg with tofu appetizer, sliced beef in red chili sauce, and sauteed pork in hunan farm style (choice of spicy or not; I chose spicy). Service was quick and the food prepared almost instantly. The red chili sauce was spicy but not overpoweringly so, and the broth had less oil than some other places. The flavor was distinctive and delightful, especially with the generous sprinkling of just-softened minced fresh (not from a jar) garlic. The sauteed pork was a drier dish, with nice crunch lotus root slices and tender wood fungus laying a solid base for the green and red bell pepper pieces, garlic, and red onion bits. The preserved egg with tofu was lightly seasoned with just a touch of sesame oil and topped with minced green onion, and it served as the perfect foil for other dishes as it calmed the fire raging on our tongues. We walked away perfectly pleased with our meals and were still singing its praises during the half-hour drive home. Give them a try; you'll regret it if you don't! read more