LAZ wrote:Anybody got any votes for the next best Chinese in the northwest suburbs?

I haven't been there in a while, but Best Hunan in Vernon Hills used to be outstanding.

After reading about Tony's 3 Chili Chicken for months now, my son and I went to try it out at the Downer's location. It was wonderful! My mouth is still tingling a bit. My son got kung-pao chicken which was nicely spicy and he was able to get that as a lunch special. He liked the egg drop soup, which had a different flavor that what I'm used to. It had some kind of spice in it that was spicy. He LOVED the egg roll. It has ruined him for other egg rolls

The 3 chili chicken wasn't available as a lunch special, but they ended up throwing in the eggroll I asked for for free, which was very nice. I took the left overs home and fried them the next morning for breakfast - that woke my tongue up for the day. It was better the first time, though. I liked the bite size pieces and the balance of spicy and crunchy and rich that wound through the dish. As a side note, I also enjoyed watching the televisions which were showing craftsmen making little dolls out of clay and elaborate embroideries.

The place was very busy, and the service was a little slow, but very friendly. We got the egg rolls after our entrees, but that was fine, they were nice and hot.

Thanks for the recommendation, we'll be back.

Went to Lao Sze Chuan for brunch last weekend with my family. It was nice to go with more people, as this was I was able to sample more dishes. We ordered what seemed like a lot of food yet managed to finish pretty much all of it. There's something about eating spicy food that gets you into a focused capsicum zone. I imagine this capsicum zone is much like a runner's high, except I wouldn't really know because I'd rather eat than run.

We ordered, five powder beef, ma po tofu, beef boiled in Szechuan sauce, Tony's Three Chile Chicken, and salt and pepper green beans. Again, this was a deeply satisfying meal. The five powder beef was a definite, if the only, disappointment. Neither the texture or flavor did much for us after the first few bites. Everything else was right on, however. The beef exceedingly tender and flavorful without being overwhelmed by spice. The tofu much the same but spicier where the tofu may have been bland alone. The chicken remains too sweet yet totally addictive. The salt and pepper green beans, while perhaps not a specialty were a nice change of pace and expertly prepared. The breath of the wok was extremely apparent as the beans were perfectly cooked and characterized by a subtle smokiness.

Dinner and Movie night!

Gonna stop at the Downers Grove location for my first LSC visit (carryout).

From this thread I think I have our menu planned...

Egg rolls
Tony's Three Chile Chicken
Lamb with Cumin
Ma Po Tofu W/ ground pork

I know it will be great and I cannot wait!

Thanks in advance.

(The movie? The Astronaut Farmer)

Panther in the Den wrote:Dinner and Movie night!

Gonna stop at the Downers Grove location for my first LSC visit (carryout).

From this thread I think I have our menu planned...

Egg rolls

Nicely filled. Not too much cabbage,

Tony's Three Chile Chicken

Great! Dried peppers with chopped red and green hot peppers. Spare saiuce (not swimming, good to keep the chicken crispy for the half hour drive), sauce not too sweet with a good fresh garlic flavor. The gribblins were a hit!

Lamb with Cumin

A bit spicer (the seeds from the sliced hot peppers vz clean chopped?) with a good lamb flavor. The cumin complemented the lamb well!

Ma Po Tofu W/ ground pork

Not our favorite. It might be very good but the sauce was odd to our tastes. We really do not like custard style tofu.

I know it will be great and I cannot wait!

Thanks in advance.

(The movie? The Astronaut Farmer)

Pretty good! Strong mood swings though...

All in all a great meal!

Does Tony Hu chef at the Chinatown location? Special preparations available?

Last night was another night of Cookie requesting Tony's 3-Chili Chicken. What Cookie wants, Cookie gets. So, it was off to LSC (Chinatown) for us.

Chicken? As good as usual. Szechuan string beans? Also, a favorite and as good as usual.

But there was an underdog dish, a Cinderella-story, that took center stage for me last night: Sole Fish Fillet in Chili Bean Sauce.

This dish was new to me. As a fan of Chinese fish fillet preparations in general, this one caught my eye last night. I was really pleased by the hearty fillets in a very spicy, salty, rich chili sauce. It had all the excitement of Ma Po Tofu--with seafood!

This is getting to be a problem for me because the number of "favorite" dishes that I have at LSC is growing so long as to be unwieldy.

We also tried an appetizer recommended to us: Steamed Ribs with Mashed Rice. This is an interesting dish with an excellent, complex flavor. Small riblets, steamed soft and coated in a soft, grainy rice mash. It had fragrant sweet notes of cinnamon (?) and ginger. But, I had a hard time eating it. I am not someone who normally has texture problems with food, but the texture of this dish was extremely off-putting to me. The combination of the soft meat and moist, soft mashed rice coating gave these riblets the texture of food that had already been chewed--astoundingly unpleasant to me. Definitely a dish to try, but not something I'll be ordering again for a table of two.

One other side note: They were serving beer last night, and my ID was checked.

Panther in the Den wrote:Does Tony Hu chef at the Chinatown location? Special preparations available?

Tony is often on site (as he was last night), watching the whole operation, front and back. But I don't think he's ever cooking.

As far as special preparations, just ask. I've organized a few big events there and Tony is very accommodating.

Best,
Michael

eatchicago wrote:One other side note: They were serving beer last night, and my ID was checked.

They were serving beer in Downers Grove too.

Panther in the Den wrote:

eatchicago wrote:One other side note: They were serving beer last night, and my ID was checked.

They were serving beer in Downers Grove too.

Thanks,
I don't think the hiccup in their alcohol service ever affected the DG location.

eatchicago wrote:But there was an underdog dish, a Cinderella-story, that took center stage for me last night: Sole Fish Fillet in Chili Bean Sauce.

Michael,

All the "excitement of Ma Po Tofu--with seafood!" I'm hooked, next time at LSC Sole Fish Fillet in Chili Bean Sauce will be on the table.

I've had the pleasure of hearing Mr. Pigmon wax poetic about Steamed Ribs with Mashed Rice as well and, given his impressive culinary chops, I'll have to try them at least once, though your description of " texture of food that had already been chewed" is not particularly appealing.

Enjoy,
Gary

Panther in the Den wrote:

Ma Po Tofu W/ ground pork

Not our favorite. It might be very good but the sauce was odd to our tastes. We really do not like custard style tofu.

Then I would say that ma po tofu is probably not for you. Lao Sze Chuan's version is a proper one (aside from the substitution of pork for the traditional beef). You may also not be fond of hot bean paste.

eatchicago wrote:But there was an underdog dish, a Cinderella-story, that took center stage for me last night: Sole Fish Fillet in Chili Bean Sauce.

Second. I tried this one for the first time about a month ago, and I agree wholeheartedly, it's one of the best I've had there.

Panther in the Den wrote:All in all a great meal!

I would not hesitate to go back. I am honored to add it to my list of great restaurants!

I noticed LSC has a hot pot dinner on their menu. Has anyone had the hot pot dinner here? Any recommendations? I had hot pot dinner for the first time on a recent trip to China and would like to give it another go!

Always loved this place, but what a wacky liquor deal-No beer again last Friday (8/10/07)at lunch.

jn2001 wrote:I noticed LSC has a hot pot dinner on their menu. Has anyone had the hot pot dinner here? Any recommendations? I had hot pot dinner for the first time on a recent trip to China and would like to give it another go!

LSC has excellent hot pots with a wide variety of broths and meats/seafood to select from.

I was going to ask "What is Hot Pot" but decided to search first.

Wikipedia entry

Mmmm... That does sound good... Chinese Fondue

Is LSC's a really good Hot Pot?

Really good, especially in winter. I've seen it served in both one and two section pots - with two, you get a really spicy broth on one side and a mild one on the other. My favorite choice of meats and veggies are squid, beef, cilantro, string beans, tofu, and convolvulus. Served with delicious condiments. A warning: the oils in the hot broth can wreak even more digestive havoc than the Ma Po Tofu and Boiled Beef, but they're worth it.

Erik M., Tony C. and lovely fiancee and I actually did a little LSC vs. Mandarin Kitchen hot pot faceoff this spring that I'd meant to post about but never got around to. LSC does, in fact, do a fantastic hot pot. I thought the mild, milky side was better at Mandarin Kitchen, but I preferred LSC's spicy (though I believe Erik and Tony may have preferred Mandarin Kitchen). LSC's was very nicely rounded, a little mellower, not as hot. The flavor profile was in the neighborhood of their Ma Po Dofu, if that helps at all. Mandarin Kitchen's, on the other hand, was significantly hotter, seemed to contain every damn piece of root, bark or grass under the sun, and strongly favored cumin. I did enjoy some of the bold, unusual flavors of MK's, I just thought the cumin was too overwhelming and threw off the balance. The quality of the meats and vegetables for dipping were unquestionably better at LSC.

So, upsides and downsides. Both very enjoyable.

what exactly consists of the Beef and maw Szechuan dish I've read about on here and why would the waitress comment to some that they would not like it?

babern38 wrote:what exactly consists of the Beef and maw Szechuan dish I've read about on here and why would the waitress comment to some that they would not like it?

Here is a picture courtesy of GWiv


It's a very Chinese dish and the waitress might be a bit gun shy serving to to run-of-the-mill Americans for fear that they will send it back.

mmmmm... spicy maw goodness in all it's glory.

babern38 wrote:what exactly consists of the Beef and maw Szechuan dish I've read about on here and why would the waitress comment to some that they would not like it?

I remember the last time I was going to order I looked up Maw and I found out it is the stomach lining. There were other items that did look better so I took a pass that time.

I am planning to give it a shot though (sometime after the rabbit ).

A year ago tonight, my husband and I had dinner at LSC, and got engaged after dinner. We decided to celebrate the occasion by having dinner there tonight.

We arrived later than we'd planned, and as a result it was packed. We shared a table with another couple and a family of four. The Boy and I split shanghai egg rolls, he had dry chili chicken and I had dry chili string beans. Everything was absolutely perfect, including the company of strangers, who were all friendly and talkative. I think good food does that to people.

We just might have to make this an annual tradition.

My wife and I shared LSC takeout before Dr. Atomic on Wednesday; they do a brilliant job with the packaging so everything stays hot and slides into the fridge with snap-on lids for easy reheating. In addition to the standard Chicken Crack and Garlic Eggplant, we had Tofu Homestyle (which is like Salt and Pepper preparation, but with a touch of cinnamon and less diced hot pepper) and Chengdu Dumplings, which travel MARVELOUSLY in their ginger oil, keeping them piping hot and moist. I am planning to go back tomorrow (Sunday, my last 2007 visit) at about 12:30 for a snack after morning singing; don't hesitate to say hello (perhaps by sneezing a loud achoo-LTH) if you're there.

Santander wrote: and Chengdu Dumplings, which travel MARVELOUSLY in their ginger oil, keeping them piping hot and moist.

I am a big fan of the Chengdu dumplings! I actually prefer them to any of the dumplings at Katy's.

I left my aunt at Good Samaritan Hospital at 4:15pm yesterday and realized that I both a) had not had lunch and b) had nothing in the house for dinner tonight. A quick call to LSC and I got my standard $16 mix: Tony's Chicken Crack and Chendu Dumplings. Eat half, store half, two great meals for $8 each. I find that both dishes do well the next day, but that's about it. The lamb w/cumin, however, has not fared so well as a leftover.

threadkiller wrote:

Santander wrote: and Chengdu Dumplings, which travel MARVELOUSLY in their ginger oil, keeping them piping hot and moist.

I am a big fan of the Chengdu dumplings! I actually prefer them to any of the dumplings at Katy's.

I often, after a full meal at LSC, put in a order for several servings of Chengdu Dumplings to bring home right before we get the check. I actually think they dumplings may improve after a day or so sitting in the sauce.

I did go back today with out-of-town guests and we were on cloud nine as usual. No Chengdu today (we went all-vegetarian), but the Baby Bok Choy with Straw Mushrooms and Vegetarian Szechuan Noodles hit the spot.

Important side note: when I ordered tofu on Wednesday, I asked for it "salt and pepper preparation" since I didn't have a menu in front of me and had had this item at LSC before. The receipt said "tofu homestyle," so I figured that was the correct name for it. Today, we ordered it again, and tofu homestyle was home-made delicious chewy tofu with vegetables in a garlic black bean sauce, not dissimilar from the hand-pulled tofu at Double Li. So I can recommend both the official tofu homestyle and the special-request salt and pepper tofu (if you can find someone who gets your drift). Happy holidays!

Since Gary already posted his pics of our lunch on this thread, I thought I'd post mine here. 7 of us met for a terrific lunch yesterday at LSC. As many times as I've been to LSC, the place is remarkably consistent. Yesterday's lunch was no exception. Most everything we ordered was fantastic . . .


Sliced Beef & Maw - Szechuan style...I can't imagine going to LSC and not starting out with this dish. I love the flavors and textures and the chili oil heat is a great precursor for the meal.



Spicy Szechuan cabbage...always love this stuff, which is served on the house.



Chengdu Dumplings...a bit on the cold side but really the only misstep of the lunch, and it was minor.



Pork in Peking Sauce...sweeter than the other dishes but delicious in its own right. I loved the tender pieces of pork.



Tony's 3-Chili Chicken...Hot, sweet, crunchy and moist. I love this dish.



Dry-Chili Prawn in shell...Great prawns perfectly cooked in a dry chili-style. I'd never had this before but will definitely order it again.



Stir-fried sliced potato with fresh chili...Had this for the first time back in October and I really like it. It's fairly neutral and the potato is al dente.



Baby Octopus with sour chili pickle...there was some talk at the table that this dish, even though it was clearly octopus, tasted like squid. Ultimately, it was determined that they just taste very similar. I loved the sour flavors, combined with the tender octopus.



Pot herb (yu choy) with ground pork...a nice accompaniment for the other dishes -- especially the spicy ones. The greens had an enjoyable bitterness that didn't overwhelm.



Crispy shrimp with mayonnaise sauce...I loved this dish, which I'd never had before. The ultra-crispy shrimp were coated in a light mayonnaise sauce that had a subtle citrus note. Very addictive.



Ma Po Tofu...just awesome. Not that I ever would, but I could make a meal out of this dish and some rice. It's a great dish which balances heat with sweet masterfully.



Very reasonable bill

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:Ma Po Tofu...just awesome. Not that I ever would, but I could make a meal out of this dish and some rice.

I would and I do, with regularity. LSC's Ma Po Tofu is one of my all time favorite winter "meals in a bowl".

ronnie_suburban wrote:

Stir-fried sliced potato with fresh chili...Had this for the first time back in October and I really like it. It's fairly neutral and the potato is al dente.

I'm just sorry that I read Gary's post about the late-notice lunch on Wednesday too late to even think about trying to attend.... As I posted on the Christmas Eve LSC dinner thread, I thought the food we had that night was outstanding! The crispy shrimp with mayonnaise sauce was a revelation! One note: The stir-fried potato with fresh chili that we had that night was made with what appeared to be fresh jalapenos, rather than the dried red chiles that appear in Ronnie's photo above. More in keeping with the name "fresh chili," no?