Comments on: Szechuan Gourmet: Day 1 as a NYT 2 Starred Restaurant

By: mkim1206

mkim1206 — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 17:16:43 +0000

I just had lunch there and found a dead roach in my food…i felt so disgusted.

By: michriotta

michriotta — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 16:23:27 +0000

Friend and I went to Szechuan Gourmet and timed how long it takes them to prepare a table for the following customers. We were already suspicious when our seats were still rather warm. Average somewhere between 13-15 seconds. Stunning to watch, really.

By: Lorenzo

Lorenzo — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 19:28:18 +0000

Just went here for lunch for the first time. This place is golden.
If you can beat the lunch rush @ 12 then you might be able to get a table without a wait. I was seated right away at 11:40.
Soup was great, both the hot and sour and the wonton. They bring this out right after ordering. You also get some nice tea, which is great during this never ending winter. Our lunch specials came out within 2 minutes of our soup.

If you like spicy then this is the place for you. Super fresh and with great veggies. I did not come into contact with any carrots, which is my tell tale for a cheap chinese place. Lunch came out to $10 a person and we were all stuffed. Lunch plates are big enough that everyone can share. Brown rice was cooked nicely and waiters are always refilling your water glasses, which you will need.

The spice was not like that of say a hot wing, it was more of a flavor spice. Not really tongue burning, but more of a rush of spices. Be sure to say NOT SPICY if you can’t handle it.

By: Frank

Frank — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 17:35:01 +0000

There used to be a really good Chinese Rest. called Wong Kee at 113 Mott Street, but it’s no longer there. Does anyone know if they moved or just went out of business? Thanks.

By: Joey Deckle

Joey Deckle — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 05:22:34 +0000

I’ve been hearing raves about Szechuan Gourmet for some time, but haven’t made it there, mainly because I live so close to many great Sichuan spots in Queens.

Kudos to you Zach for going on the very same day the Times review came out. Glad to hear that SG still turned out good chow despite the crowds. That said, I humbly admit that I’ve never had mapo doufu.

By: AL@1PP

AL@1PP — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:01:59 +0000

I agree Ma po Tofu is indeed delicious, my mouth waters from the mention of it. I also love pork bellies, beef tendons, intestines. It has a squishy, yet firm texture, it dosn’t need alot of seasoning, but benefits greatly from a good chili sauce. (In general, not specifically to the items mentioned in this post)

By: Brownie

Brownie — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 14:59:46 +0000

You had me at Ma Po tofu. Seriously, I love the stuff. Mmm and the Pork Belly and Leek sounds fabulous, too. I’m going to have to give them a try perhaps in a couple weeks when the initial insanity dies down.

@justnancy: that’s insane! did they bring you new food? did they charge you?

By: CHow

CHow — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 14:30:03 +0000

The ma po tofu is indeed grand. They’re also very generous with their beef tendon. How much tendon can you scrape off a cow? And their spicy beef noodle soup will burn your face off.

By: JustNancy

JustNancy — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 23:40:36 +0000

@ Tom: Right on about Ma Po tofu. I defy anyone who doesn’t like tofu but loves spicy stuff to try it. It’s the ultimate torturous comfort food, if that makes any sense.
That Szechuan Gourmet…*sigh*…they break my heart. I used to go there at least once a week for the pork belly & leek. But the chaos there is tough to handle, and they served us tepid food one too many times. I finally decided to complain. Quietly but firmly. The head waiter dude picked up one of our plates of food and tossed it into the food bus bin with a dramatic clack! I sh*t you not! My dining companion and I were stunned and sad. We left. I haven’t been back.

By: Tom

Tom — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 21:13:57 +0000

Ma Po tofu is one of the best, if not the best, szechuan foods. None of this “I don’t like tofu crap”. It wouldn’t be half as good if they cut out those soft, moist cubes of heaven.