Dining Advice, Tips, Recommendations, and News
PrintGrand Sichuan International: Still Going (Uphill)
With the good neighborhood Chinese restaurant something of an endangered species, I am happy to report that the Grand Sichuan International on 24th Street and Ninth Avenue (212-620-5200) is still turning out first-rate, moderately priced food. GSI is a mini-chain that periodically gets the "gone downhill" reports from diners, but based on Monday night's meal, the food at 24th and Ninth at least is, if anything, going uphill. Here's what we had last night, with nary a loser in the bunch:
- Dan Dan Noodle with Chili Sauce
- Sichuan Wonton with Red Oil
- Pork and Crab Soup Dumplings
- Sautéed Shredded Potatoes with Vinegar (what I call Chinese hashbrowns)
- Sautéed and Dry String Beans with Minced Pork
- Spicy Double-Cooked Pork (the fattier version)
- Fresh Baby Chicken with Young Ginger Root
- Shrimp with Sichuan Sauce
For dessert, we got sweet orange slices, fortune cookies, and a request to vacate our table.
As for the other locations: Peter Meehan liked the one at 19-23 Saint Marks Place (at 8th Street; 212-529-4805). The one at 50th Street and Ninth Avenue is closed, and I have heard good recent reports on the one at 1049 Second Avenue (at 56th Street), called Grand Sichuan Eastern (212-355-5855).
Has anyone recently eaten at the Grand Sichuan at 125 Canal (at Chrystie Street; 212-625-9212) or Grand Sichuan NY at 227 Lexington Avenue (b/n 33rd and 34th streets; 212-679-9770)? It's very difficult to keep track of all these iterations, but if we attack this problem collectively, we should be able to do just that.
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9 Comments:
The best GSI was the one that closed down, Grand Sichuan International Midtown, on 8th and 49th. The other branches, while good, just didn't have that thing going on. I particularly loved their "Freshly Killed Kung Pao Chicken". In fact, I loved it so much that "kungpao" was the master password for eGullet's server for at least the first two years.
jperlow at 3:36PM on 07/18/07
This is the third post about NYC restaurants to hit the front page today.
With the new reorg, shouldn't this stuff go in the "Eating Out" section?
Lou at 3:40PM on 07/18/07
Sorry, I spoke too soon: I see now that these are links to the appropriate posts, and not the posts themselves.
So, does every SE post get a link on the home page? Still finding my way around.
Lou at 3:47PM on 07/18/07
No worries, Lou! The idea is give you a view of everything new across the site on the home page, and that's why you see everything there.
Alaina Browne at 5:01PM on 07/18/07
I like it. I just had to redo my RRS stuff, since the SE feed now gives you everything (all Talk, all Eating Out, etc.).
I think the section "Required Eating" should now be "Blog." The top of some posts says "posted to Required Eating," and that section no longer exists, right?
When you sign up for the Blog feed, the title (at least in Google reader) the title shows up as Required Eating as well.
Lou at 5:18PM on 07/18/07
jperlow, sorry to disagree but I thought the midtown branch had sunk firmly into the "gone downhill" category my last couple of visits before it closed. The one on 9th and 24th has been consistently excellent for years. They also have the "freshly-killed" chicken specials (sometimes you'd swear you can hear them squealing and squawking their last in the kitchen!).
My personal favorite is the Au Zhou chicken (gotta specify the fresh-killed). They also make the best cold sesame noodles on the planet. And Ed, next time try the beef or fresh-killed chicken with spicy green peppers and the baby bok choy with black mushrooms.
kqrbob at 5:24PM on 07/18/07
How does it compare to Wu Liang Ye?
guttergour at 9:43PM on 07/18/07
God I love this place. Especially for anything with pork.
Last time we got these long beans with garlic and pork, holy crap.
cmballa at 11:00AM on 07/19/07
the one on saint marks place (i live across the street) is going down down down, unfortunately.
Dish at 9:55AM on 08/03/07