sazerac wrote:GWiv, I typically order(ed) foo chi fey pien before being given a menu. (see this post).

Ordering that dish was exactly what set off the whole bru-ha-ha.

HI,

If anyone even cares, there is more on this waitress squabble yesterday in Hammond's Maxwell St report.

Regards,

G Wiv wrote:Had a quite nice, but initially annoying, lunch at LSC today. Initially annoying as our waitress was disinclined to let me order Sliced Beef and Maw Szechuan Style. First she told me I would not like it, then, when I persevered, she simply said no. I had to order/ask three times, maybe four, and finally, when she saw I was getting ticked off, acquiesced. Then, when I ordered Szechuan Spicy Rabbit w/bone, she 'bout passed a stone.

Very damn annoying, way past the point of good natured feeling out the customer.[/i]

LTH,

Once again, same waitress, same interaction. I'm going to have a card printed in Chinese that says just gimme the damn Szechuan beef and maw

Food at LSC was, as always, terrific, though pound for pound that waitress is as annoying as any in Chicago.

Enjoy,
Gary

Gary,

Have you tried this dish at Mandarin Kitchen? As I said in another thread, it's quite tasty -- maybe not as good as LSC's rendition, but the fact that you don't have to fight for it might make up some of the difference (on the contrary, it's one of the MK waitress's favorites and she's happy to recommend it). And MK could sure use the business.

cilantro wrote:Have you tried this dish at Mandarin Kitchen? As I said in another thread, it's quite tasty --

Cilantro,

I have had Szechuan beef and maw at Mandarin Kitchen and completely agree, it's a tasty version of the dish. Thanks for the reminder.

Enjoy,
Gary

I just realized the dish being discussed is Fu Chi Fei Pyan (excuse the yale romanization), which translates to married couple's lung slices. The original dish was made with beef lung sliced paper thin. The sliced cross-sections of lung looked like delicate lace. Despite the grisly name, it was a very beautiful dish. Years ago, a co-worker of mine who graduated from Cheng Du U, introduced me to a short-lived Szechwan restaurant on Broadway near Loyola (I can't remember the name) where they actually made the dish with lung. I have not seen it made with real sliced lung since that place closed.

LTH,

Steve Z's LTH Jazzfood lunch at Lao Sze Chuan was, as are many LTH events, large and small alike, delicious with terrific conversation.

12 of us squeezed around a large round table, though Matteo, Dmnkly's 11-week old son, didn't take up much room , and proceeded to order old favorites and a new, at least to me, favorite or two.

Stagger, who is even more familiar with LSC's menu than me, suggested House Special Dry Chili Prawns, a terrific dish of succulent shell-on shrimp with a noticeable, though not overpowering heat.

House Special Dry Chili Prawns


We had an order of the delightfully named Pork Hunk with Sour Pickle, a long time favorite.


Rounds of Sliced Beef and Maw Szechuan Style, Szechuan Spicy Rabbit w/bone and Spicy Beef Tendon were, as always, highlights.



Spicy Beef Tendon


And amongst the garlic eggplant, ma po tofu, chengdu dumplings, tea smoked duck and one or two things I must be forgetting, were three orders of Tony's Chicken with thee chili. Three orders you say, yep, we ordered two then Steve Z came up with an all time LTH classic as he asked for the third three chili chicken. Defensive ordering, as in when you are eating chicken with Peter D, who is a know lover of all things chicken, you need to exercise Defensive Ordering.

Tony's Chicken with three Chili


After lunch we wandered a few doors East to Saint Anna for red bean buns and that most authentic of all Chinese foods in Chicago Chinatown, the Hot Dog Bun.



Enjoyable lunch, thanks for setting it up Steve.

Dom, Matteo, JSM


Enjoy,
Gary

This is the second GNR I've tried on the recommendation of the board, and it always amazes me how much even the commentary and the beautiful pictures (thanks G Wiv) fail to capture the sheer brilliance of a restaurant.

Today was the first beautiful day of spring, so a fellow gastronomer and I went to Chinatown. Chinatown is obviously not a place one wants to frequent at night (even during the day we saw some shady characters) and a crosstown trip on the L during the snow didn't sound fun, so today was the day. I was torn between LTH and LSC, but because my friend is not a fan of seafood and I knew I needed to try the Salt and Pepper Shrimp at LTH, we went for LSC. First, don't try and go in the back door to the place, convenient though it may seem.

The menu here is overwhelming. I mean, pages and pages of options. I knew basically what we wanted already, but that doesn't mean you can turn away. My impression is that you could eat there literally a year on different possible meals. Instead, we went with soup, pan fried noodles, orange chicken, and Tony's 3 Chili Chicken.

I had the hot and sour soup. It smelled divine, even on a warm day. I would call it good and largely unremarkable. I missed some of the flavor of this dish due to scalding myself on it (a fact the waitress neglected to mention). More pleasurable to smell than to taste.

The pan fried noodles were next. Delicious. Just a little bit of charring on the bottom to give it a crunchy texture, but very well flavored noodles in a slightly sweet sauce. I found the beef a little rubbery, and the shrimp were either delicious (where the first bite in explodes flavor in your mouth) or mediocre.

The orange chicken and Tony's Chicken with 3 Chilis came out next. The orange chicken was a concession to my friend. (I wanted something like the Cumin Lamb or the Beef with Maw.) I'd eat the sauce again in a minute, but largely forget about the chicken. The sauce was of what I consider a more authentic style. Flavored with actual orange zest/rind and lacking the cloying sweetness of the Americanized versions, it was tasty without being overpowering. The chicken was in pieces about the size of a roll of quarters. Troubling not only because I couldn't identify what part of the chicken it came from (dark meat, not light), but also because it was too large to eat comfortably with either fork or chopsticks.

Tony's Chicken with 3 Chilis made the trip worthwhile. I was near foodgasm when I tasted it. (The first GNR caused the same reaction: the foie gras burger at Sweets & Savories.) It's an attractive dish, first off. It looks good, it smells good. It has an almost crunchy mouthfeel without tasting the least bit fried, and it's *dry*. I don't know why I thought people were confused when they said that or what, but I didn't realize that this dish was singlehandedly China's answer to dry rub. Every part of this dish works well together. A sweet heat. It's my first trip to Chinatown in a while, but very unlikely to be my last.

Unsurprisingly, I recommend. Will be back to try more adventurous fare.

muddpuddle wrote: Chinatown is obviously not a place one wants to frequent at night

Probably 85% of the times I have been in CT have been at night... some with groups some alone but I have never felt the slighest bit uncomfortable. Yea there are some panhandlers, but where aren't there? Then again, I just may be on of the "shady" charicters.

Tony's Chicken with 3 Chilis made the trip worthwhile. I was near foodgasm when I tasted it. (The first GNR caused the same reaction: the foie gras burger at Sweets & Savories.) It's an attractive dish, first off. It looks good, it smells good. It has an almost crunchy mouthfeel without tasting the least bit fried, and it's *dry*. I don't know why I thought people were confused when they said that or what, but I didn't realize that this dish was singlehandedly China's answer to dry rub.

I also ordered it after hearing about it on LTHF. I also loved it, thanks people. Could've sworn mine was breaded and fried, though. Tasted like it was, and looked just like in those pics above. I remember thinking it was the Chinese version of popcorn chicken. Is it really not fried?

bnowell724 wrote:Is it really not fried?

It's stir fried in a wok. Chicken crack is how I refer to this dish.

bnowell724 wrote:

Tony's Chicken with 3 Chilis made the trip worthwhile. I was near foodgasm when I tasted it. (The first GNR caused the same reaction: the foie gras burger at Sweets & Savories.) It's an attractive dish, first off. It looks good, it smells good. It has an almost crunchy mouthfeel without tasting the least bit fried, and it's *dry*. I don't know why I thought people were confused when they said that or what, but I didn't realize that this dish was singlehandedly China's answer to dry rub.

I also ordered it after hearing about it on LTHF. I also loved it, thanks people. Could've sworn mine was breaded and fried, though. Tasted like it was, and looked just like in those pics above. I remember thinking it was the Chinese version of popcorn chicken. Is it really not fried?

Oh, it's full-on fried. First deep-fried and then stir-fried, I wager. I think muddpuddle was referring to the fact that despite its fried-ness, it's still rather light and eatable, and not heavy, is all.

odd. in the world i inhabit, chinatown is not frightening and i don't need to be warned that the soup is hot. but then, i've always been a dreamer.

jazzfood wrote:odd. in the world i inhabit, chinatown is not frightening and i don't need to be warned that the soup is hot. but then, i've always been a dreamer.

My first substantial post on any subject, I guess I have to pick my words more carefully in the future.

1) I've been in town less than a year, and within six months of arriving, a friend of mine (a not-insubstantial guy) was mugged in Chinatown. In my asking around after that, I had gotten the impression that conventional wisdom was to stay away from Chinatown after dark.

2) Bingo, Dmnkly. There wasn't a residual oily taste from the frying, and the outside of the chicken seemed more... crisp than crunchy. For loaded point of example: skin off of extra-crispy chicken at Popeye's, very much crunchy. First bite into a fresh apple, crisp.

3) I'm muddpuddle, I'm neurotic. I like to be reminded that soup is hot and could burn me.

please take it in the spirit intended. i'm a wise guy by nature and it was just so deliciously ripe for the picking.

welcome aboard. post away.

Bringing this back up in light of a quite superb dinner with some friends at LSC in Chinatown this evening.

Orders included (but weren't limited to) the Shanghai (veg) spring rolls, boiled beef in Szechwan sauce, chef's special dry chilli chicken, lamb with cumin, chicken fried rice & noodles, and the sesame chicken.

Only disappointments were the boiled beef and sesame chicken. Most of us at the table found the former a little too one-dimensional - too much heat dominating the dish (and the other foods around the table), while the sesame sauce was a little too sweet for my liking.

Everything else though was superb, the lamb with cumin being particularly stunning and the spring rolls also being a big hit as starters.

G Wiv wrote:Once again, same waitress, same interaction. I'm going to have a card printed in Chinese that says just gimme the damn Szechuan beef and maw

LTH,

First Celebrity Sausage at Hot Doug's now getting an order of Sliced Beef and Maw Szechuan Style at Lao Sze Chuan without asking. I'd have been happy just no begging/pleading, but not having to ask. I have arrived!

Sliced Beef and Maw Szechuan Style (2.28.07)


The waitress, formerly known as No, not for you, you won't like it, now known as Leah the (almost) smiling LSC waitress who now asks, Sliced Beef and Maw today? Lunch yesterday, instead of no, no not for you, I swear she smiled ever so slightly when I ordered squid with sour greens.

Leah (2.28.07)


So for all LTHers who, like me, have a particular nemesis of a waitress I suggest learn their name, make a bad joke, crack a smile instead of an aggravated frown. Worked for me, took a while, but it worked.

And yes, lunch at LSC was terrific as always.

Enjoy,
Gary

Is that Cher on the TV?

stevez wrote:Is that Cher on the TV?

Doesn't seem to be.

A friend of mine just got a big wok burner in his kitchen (came with its own wok), but needed some new wok tools, so he shanghaied me down to Chinatown today. A lunch at LSC capped it off. The Chef's Three chili chicken is always awesome, as was the Szechuan Smoked-Tea Duck. And as he isn't a spice fan, I got all the dressed cabbage for myself. Mmmm.

Trip included purchase of a new wok for me (20" for $23.95 down the way a bit), some various buns, Lapsang Souchong tea... a good day.

If I may demonstrate my keen sense of bad pop culture...

I think said lady on the tv at LSZ is none other than Janice Dickinson, she of modeling agency fame.

Her cheekbones have probably had as much reconstruction as Cher....

I was in Chinatown 2 weekends ago and ate at Penang -- which was fine although not really to my taste -- and the whole time I kept thinking, "gosh...if i wasn't with friends I could just get up and go to LTH or LSZ...."

Is that another indication that you're an LTH'er?

shannon

GWIV, if not here where are, in your opinion, the best egg rolls in Chicago?

Thanks.

Snark wrote:GWIV, if not here where are, in your opinion, the best egg rolls in Chicago?

If I may weigh in:

There is, in my opinion, no competition.

Best,
Michael

Not to speak for G Wiv, but I'm pretty sure that's his answer too.

My method for ordering at Kow Kow.

Snark wrote:GWIV, if not here where are, in your opinion, the best egg rolls in Chicago?

Bill,

As has been noted, my favorite egg roll is Kow Kow. Where is yours:

Enjoy,
Gary

You know you got yourself a good man when he calls you at 1 and tells you that he picked up an order of Tony's 3-chili chicken for you. That is one way to get me to rush home right after work.

Even when it's cold, it is still crazy good. Not as crispy all over, but there are still a few spots that retained the crunchiness. I have been picking at it since I got home, kinda like asian popcorn chicken (Take that KFC!)

Anyways, the point of the reply is to let everyone know (maybe everyone does know already!) that LSC has lunch specials, and Tony's Chicken is on there for $4.95... You may have to specfically ask for the lunch menu, since they don't usually bring it out. There are also other dishes on there ranging from snacks ($3?) to the main dishes ($5). Portions are decent for lunch.

CrazyC wrote:You know you got yourself a good man when he calls you at 1 and tells you that he picked up an order of Tony's 3-chili chicken for you. That is one way to get me to rush home right after work.

Even when it's cold, it is still crazy good. Not as crispy all over, but there are still a few spots that retained the crunchiness. I have been picking at it since I got home, kinda like asian popcorn chicken (Take that KFC!)

Anyways, the point of the reply is to let everyone know (maybe everyone does know already!) that LSC has lunch specials, and Tony's Chicken is on there for $4.95... You may have to specfically ask for the lunch menu, since they don't usually bring it out. There are also other dishes on there ranging from snacks ($3?) to the main dishes ($5). Portions are decent for lunch.

fyi: I've asked for the "lunch menu" twice...after having seen it referenced on the website...and been told there is no such thing(in so many gruff broken English dismissals)

heck...I started this thread...I love Lao Sze Chuan, but, at least the Chinatown Mall location doesn't want to offer me(a repeat customer...tho' not nearly as often enough as I'd like or perhaps often enough to be recognized as such) the vaunted lunch specials...

no lunch special for you!



I'll add that after the first incident I took to cautioning my luncheon companions that even though we're going for lunch and supposedly they offer a lunch menu...be prepared not to receive one...

not a big deal, really

just very, very curious

CrazyC wrote:...Even when it's cold, it is still crazy good. Not as crispy all over, but there are still a few spots that retained the crunchiness. I have been picking at it since I got home, kinda like asian popcorn chicken (Take that KFC!)

Just don't micro it to warm it up -- you lose all the crunchiness. I found that out the hard way.

CrazyC wrote:Anyways, the point of the reply is to let everyone know (maybe everyone does know already!) that LSC has lunch specials, and Tony's Chicken is on there for $4.95... You may have to specfically ask for the lunch menu, since they don't usually bring it out. There are also other dishes on there ranging from snacks ($3?) to the main dishes ($5). Portions are decent for lunch.

It would have been nice to spend half as much on lunch, and then I wouldn't have ruined the leftovers microwaving them, as I wouldn't have had leftovers.

Christopher Gordon wrote:fyi: I've asked for the "lunch menu" twice...after having seen it referenced on the website...and been told there is no such thing(in so many gruff broken English dismissals)

It really is odd. I saw a couple women receive the lunch menu last friday. I wonder why they don't want to give it to you..

Anyway, CrazyC, when I first ordered the 3 chili chicken (at the westmont location, on a whim) that was the comparison that popped into my head, too: chinese popcorn chicken. It's so ridiculously good.

Actually I did not even know about the lunch menu until Mike told me about it. He used to go to the one in Westmont... We do get dirty looks when we ask for it though. I would just say that you have gotten the lunch menu out in Westmont and that you have seen it here. It just a laminated white menu page. I think the lunch special is available from 11 - 2....