Lao Sze Chuan (Downtown)

Jun Li 2 months ago

I’m not a fan of this restaurant, but I have a conference nearby every year, and my friends often want to go here for spicy Chinese food. Personally, I don’t find it authentic. Take the chili oil fish, for example. It’s supposed to be made with fresh fish slices. The authentic method is to quickly blanch the slices in water or broth, then place them into a prepared hot and spicy soup. On top, you add a layer of aromatic ingredients—cilantro, green onions, dried and fresh chili peppers, all finely chopped—and then pour sizzling hot oil over everything to “cook” the aromatics and infuse the dish with flavor. But the version I had wasn’t even hot, and I can’t figure out why. The fish slices themselves weren’t bad, but the remaining parts—like the bones and the tail—were fried. They’re not supposed to be fried; those parts should also be fresh. The only reason to fry them is to mask a lack of freshness and use them later. At this price point, in this location, if something on the menu says “fresh,” I expect it to actually be fresh. On a positive note, the bean curd cubes with peanuts were good, and the fried pork wasn’t bad. So, if you’re in the downtown area and craving spicy Sichuan food, this is probably your best option. But if you have more time and want authentic Sichuan food, take the Red Line three stops to Chinatown and check out the basement food court at 2002 S Wentworth Ave.

Douglas Antonio 4 months ago

The service was a little tired at first. We were put at a too small table by the hostess, even though the restaurant was half open. There seemed to be only one bus boy who was grumpy and did not seem to want to set up our table correctly. The food is not quite as good as other locations but the atmosphere is more Northside. There are better places but not within walking distance.

M Zaibak 7 months ago

Looked Better THAN IT TASTED. Lao Sze Chuan definitely knows how to make a plate look good everything came out colorful, stacked, & smelling amazing. We ordered the lamb with cumin, fried rice, Singapore noodles, & crab rangoons, duck rice. the rangoons were the best thing on the table, crispy & creamy just right. but the rest of the dishes just didn’t land for us. The flavors were way lighter than expected, and honestly… nobody at our table finished their food. It wasn’t bad, just not something we’d run back for. Overall, decent experience, big portions, nice presentation, but the taste didn’t match the visual hype. Probably a 3-star visit for me.

Irene Eng 2 months ago

Dated, but the two dishes are authentic. We've • Sole fish fillet with mapo tofu • Lamb with pure cumin • Tiger beer This 4th floor Sichuan restaurant is in xx Mall, oppsotie from the Intercontinental hotel. The decor is dated. On the back of the Manu is the list of their 17 locations in the US, and they're still inviting more city to join. They somehow, forgot about our lamb, which we waited for 30 minutes.

Chen 5 months ago

The Peking duck here is truly authentic! My husband and I both absolutely love this restaurant. Server was chatty and helpful and another server came over to help us organize the table and set up our Peking duck stations. So the bun for Peking duck is not dry .