Omicron DoorDash review:
I don't know what took me so long to visit Szechuan House, as several of my friends rave about it. I had been planning to order delivery from Food Hing again, but they were closed on Monday, which is typical for Chinese establishments, so I figured it was about time I tried some Szechuan, and was pleased to see them pop up as a delivery option.
I am an adventurous eater among my circle, but by Szechuan House standards would likely be considered a big baby. I enjoy a bit of spicy heat, but never at the expense of flavor, and I'm old enough at this point to know that I just don't want to dive into the world of entrails as a meal. I'm sure the intestines and kidneys and blood broths are as delicious as the other Yelpers indicate, but you'll have to take their word for it! I over-ordered (non-innards and non spicy options) so I'd have food for a few days (it's the week between Christmas and the New Year and I've had about enough of the kitchen, thank you!). I kept it bland with chicken and eggplant over white rice, some wonton soup, scallion pancakes, and a side dish of sesame noodles.
I knew I'd be saving the sesame noodles for the next day or so, so I focused on the rest, and I was very, very happy with the meal, which held up nicely during the trip across town - even the scallion pancakes, which, if you have not had them, are a laminated bread of sorts. They're shaped like a pancake, but are perhaps more like a flat croissant, with scallions mixed in, and then fried, yielding a delicious flaky, crispy, chewy, layer-y treat that you can use to shovel your food, or simply dip into the soy/sesame sauce provided. I haven't had a scallion pancake in years - they're a simple treat, I suppose, compared to other items on the menu, but this was good enough to make my eyes roll to the back of my head in joy with the first bite.
The chicken and eggplant was perfectly seasoned and was a dish large enough to also yield two meals. The eggplant are the long skinny, vibrant purple variety, which I prefer, and the chicken was very likely marinated and tender. A little bit of heat - perfect for me. The wonton soup, too, was excellent. Szechuan House uses a darker broth than what is typical in the area. Possibly beef broth? Not sure, and perhaps it's best I don't know. But it hit the spot. I saved a bit of that for the next day as well, though I was difficult to restrain myself because it was so good.
My only complaint is with the sesame noodles. I took a nibble the night they arrived because I was curious, but they were so spicy that my mouth burned, and they had a slight bitter taste as well, that I found unpleasant. I saw scant evidence of sesame seeds, so I may have received the Cold Noodles with Spicy Sauce by mistake. As I mentioned, I saved them - I just had them for lunch today and the extra 30-some-odd hours marinating in their sauce amped up the heat. I will likely endure some long-term consequences as a result, but to mitigate them, I added some sesame seeds, a splash of sesame oil, a little sugar to cut the bitterness and to take the edge of the heat, along with a smattering of French's crunchy onions. Sacrilegious perhaps, but it helped the noodles go down without burning my esophagus too badly.
I've kind of settled into the habit of not giving 5 stars to an establishment I've only visited once, though I believe Szechuan House is worthy, for sure. The noodle experience is the only negative, and for what it's worth, I think if you are a fan of heat, they'd probably be great. I will definitely order from Szechuan House again, and look forward to it! read more