This was my first time at Szechuan House which is conveniently located 2 blocks from the 7 train or 1 block from Main St. The owner was very friendly and nice. Turns out they have been operating for over 25+ years with the same chef!! That is an unbeatable record! Even though the owner himself is from Hong Kong; his main chef is from Szechuan.
The price of the food was also very reasonable (~$5-8/dish). Please check out their lunch specials which is only $5.50 with soup or dinner special of $16.95 for two dishes with soup. The owner offered us chow peanuts/cold vegetables because they don't serve dinner special soup on the weekends. Their lunch special list is very extensive with almost all authentic szechuan dishes (such as beef/lamb/fish in peppercorn). If you are looking for American Chinese food (General Tso chicken), this is really not the place to come to.
I ordered 7 dishes. Four of them were from the dinner special. The portions were really generous!!
1. Beef tendon appetizer - the tendon was a bit soft because it was served warm. If you prefer a crunchier version, then you will have to stick it in the fridge for a while. Otherwise, the spices were authentic and strong. It is mildly spicy with a strong numbing effect from the pepper corn. It was sensational! Exactly how I imagine it.
2. Fish & tofu in peppercorn (came with pint of rice separately) - Again, very strong szechuan spices. Less numbing in this dish vs the tendon, but still amazing. The fish was perfectly cooked with the right timing. The tofu was super soft yet it still holds its form very well. It was not crushed into tiny pieces. In addition, all the spices in this dish and the beef dish below are finely grinded. You will not choke on whole peppercorns or have to dig for your beef.
3. Shredded beef and hot pepper (came with pint of rice separately) - I'm not a big fan of green pepper, but my friend wanted to order this. However, it was also very tasty. The beef was marinated well and the texture was perfect. There was a hint of wok hay in the dish and the pepper complemented the beef very well. For this dish, you might want to eat it in house to preserve the freshness/color of the pepper.
4. Tea smoked pork with leek (came with pint of rice separately) - This is the szechuan version of bacon!! They smoke the bacon wrapped in tea leaves and then thinly slice it. This is such a genius idea. The smokiness of the bacon fat + tea leaves. yummy! My only issue was there was too much leek pieces and i'm not a big fan. Otherwise, another winner! Can't wait to try the tea smoked duck.
5. Sauteed squash home style (came with pint of rice separately) - I get this dish at every szechuan restaurant because i love squash. This dish was a no fail also. The skin was fully pealed. It taste very good and very generous portions compare to other restaurants. It was also perfectly cooked (not over cooked/under cooked). Perfect dish to cool down the spices.
6. Beef in peppercorn - slices of marinated beef in chili oil, peppercorn, and szechuan spices on top of bean sprouts and nappa cabbage. The beef is yummy tender. The spices were powerful and the taste lingers on your tongue hours later...Heavenly~
7. Hot and Sour Soup - Slightly too salty for my liking. However they have all the correct ingredients that I LOVE in good portions. Wood ear, enoki mushroom, tofu slices, and no meat.
This is definitely an authentic Szechuan restaurant. Reading a lot of comments below, I realize that many people associate Szechuan cuisine with very spicy food, which is NOT true. Szechuan cuisine uses a lot of szechuan spices such as chili oil, peppercorn, etc but it is not necessarily very spicy. I have been to many Szechuan restaurants or those that claim to be. Yes, they serve very spicy food but they do not use the correct or even ANY of the Szechuan spices. If you want very spicy food here, you must request it separately!
There is nothing grand or fancy about this restaurant. Some might even classify this as a hole in wall. The servers may not be as professional as a five star restaurant, but their smiles are definitely genuine. They will chat with you as if you were a long lost friend, making you feel right at home. This is truly a family style restaurant. If you are looking for something fancy. This is not the right restaurant for you. If you enjoy the pure deliciousness of fresh ingredients cooked to perfection. This is the spot for you. If you enjoy the mix of szechuan spices tingling on your tongue hours later after your meal. This is definitely the right spot for you. read more