Lao Sze Chuan

Dropped by for a midweek dinner and was quickly seated. Ordered the Szechuan beef (good but pretty standard), soup dumplings (very good) and green beans (flavor good but temp lukewarm). The green beans showed up almost room temp, we asked them to reheat, they did and apologized, but the beans were the exact same temp as before… sigh… Charged for small bowls of steamed rice… Don’t really care that much but really? Overall it was fine, not a destination but decent for a Chinese fix…

Sweet and sour shrimp, potstickers, spring rolls, Szechwan green beans, chicken fried rice, and Kung Pao Chicken were all delicious. Small list of beer and wine options but they have a BYOB option with a $ 10 corkage fee. With a big group, the tables with the lazy susans are perfect! We were able to share with ease.

Very good authentic chinese cuisine, its so spicy and so tasty, I love this place and definitely would love to come again!

Peking duck is the best. So happy with Chinese food here. Will definitely come back. Jessie our server is really excellent.

Came here Friday night for their 7 course Peking duck dinner. It was a good and bad experience.
The good: The duck was amazing, sauce and flavor is on point, and accompanying dishes of pickled spicy cabbage, duck fried rice, and green beans are delicious. We savoured every bite and had enough rice and vegetables to take home.
The bad: service was slow, restaurant is crowded, and tables are very small and close together. Despite making it known we are here for a 7 course Peking duck meal, they sat us at a tiny two person table. When I asked to switch to a bigger table (which remained empty the entire time we were there), the server says «Uhmm. No, you can’t move there.. Because that’s not my area.» So what? But I didn’t want to argue. Naturally, we ran out of room and everything felt like it’ll fall off at any moment. Lastly, the «soup» they served was so bland, it felt like they served water and added green onions on top. Not joking! Dessert was horrible: it’s two bites of cheesecake. You can see the accompanying photos I’ll upload.
To close, the duck course, although delicious, is NOT worth the price.

Delicious! I’ve had Szechuan in Philly many times, and this place is very comparable to the highly rated Philly places! I came with a large group on a Saturday evening without reservations and they were very accommodating. It is a very large restaurant and was bustling, but we only had about a 10 minute wait. We ordered multiple small and large dishes to share and they were all delicious! The black and gold saki was really good and went down smoothly. I’m glad I got to experience this fantastic Szechuan restaurant I’m Chicago.

The food: ²⁄₅. We tried shredded potato, egg noodles with chicken and half a peking duck w/​duck soup. The highlight of the meal were the egg noodles, which were a little greasy, but very flavorful. The potato was fine, but had little to no flavor, like any potato I suppose, but given the nature of the cuisine, a little spice would’ve been nice. In general, if you like spice, this is only about ²⁄₅ on the heat scale, so very mild in comparison to what Szechuan cuisine is supposed to be. Now, their house special peking duck was far too underwhelming for me to come back. At $ 50 for half a duck, we probably got half a breast with little to no sides/​condiments. The sides included 1 tiny shredded cucumber, 1 table spoon of greens, 1 table spoon of garlic paste and some sauce. The duck soup came with zero meat and nothing but green onions in it. Where is the rest of the duck? As far as I know, a duck usually has 2 legs, 2 wings and a lot more breast meat. There are some restaurants where I feel the price point is not justified given the dishes, and then there is Lao Sze Chuan, which is nothing more than a rip off.
The service: ³⁄₅. The service was fine, but a little on the slower side considering they weren’t busy. Our duck soup arrived 20 minutes after we finished the rest of the dishes and we had to ask the waiter if it was coming at all.
Overall: ²⁄₅. Chef Tony might have all kinds of accolades, but he has no shame in using them to rip you off.

Feeling lazy, wanting take-​out, we chose Lao Sze Chuan solely based on their proximity to our hotel. (Usually I read reviews.) Son-​of-​a-​gun, our meal was great!
The kung pao chicken was amongst the best I’ve had. Large portion, plenty of chicken, spicy, flavorful — yum. The hot and sour soup ranks a notch below. Inordinately spicy for the average Joe. (And I’m one who generally orders h&s soup when dining Chinese.) Plus there were no crispy noodles in our take-​out bag. Boo!
Our little taste of Lao Sze Chuan prompts me to return when in Chicago.

Sometimes a simple half sandwich, half soup lunch combo doesn’t really cut it for me on a rainy day and instead I crave my comfort food. It just so happens that my comfort food is fatty pork belly and mapo tofu with rice. So many places have mapo tofu on their menu but it’s usually just all sorts of awful because it’s never spicy enough. Yes, granted I snack on raw jalapenos but the mapo tofu at so many restaurants has the same amount of heat as cucumber, which is none. So I’m not sure if it’s because I requested extra heat and extra mala (the numbing peppercorn flavor) but I was like, FINALLY some heat. No one wants to spend $ 14 on regular boiled tofu so make it hot damnit! The sauce was decent and it didn’t come with ground pork, but I think I clicked on the vegetarian one by accident. Ewww. But overall, this is one of the better mapo tofus I’ve had here in Chicago.
The Chairman Mao Hong Sue was $ 15 bucks and it was pretty tasty although not as tender as some of the pork belly I’ve had elsewhere. Overall this was an expensive but decent lunch and a way better meal than the hot pot dinner I had at the other Lao Szechuan in Chinatown which was just terrible.

I definitely like the food here but the quantity of it has been cut off dramatically. It makes sense that the quantity is less but price is more expensive than the Chinatown same chain same name restaurant. However, recently is not been acceptable. We ordered take out and it looks like they only give us half of the food what we get. I have attached pictures– I’d rather pay delivery fee and get it from Chinatown than coming here if they keep doing this. Maybe in few years I have to LOOK for the lamb in the pile of spices?

Good Chinese food. I typically make a reservation same day. The kitchen has a huge window you can look in. While I liked it, some of my friends did not appreciate the ducks (feathered but still with a neck, head, and beak) that the hang in the window. If that makes you squeamish, there are plenty of tables out of sight of the kitchen. This place is great for groups. They have large tables that very comfortably seat 8 with a lazy susan that makes sharing so much easier. They’ll also let you bring in a cake if you’re celebrating something. The menu has so many options it can be exhausting, but the staff is very friendly and will help you order. Definitely get Tony’s 3 pepper chicken. It’s very very good and not spicy. The xiao long bao is great (don’t worry if you aren’t adventurous, you’ll like it).

This is probably one of the best Chinese restaurants I’ve been to in the Chicago area!
I went here with one of my friends and my brother. My friend had a groupon for our meal so we were able to get the well-​known entré, the Peking duck. We didn’t get the whole duck, just the half duck, but with all the other plates we got it was enough to fill us up. For an appetizer we got the soup dumplings which were delicious.
By the end of our meal, our bill was $ 116, but with the groupon it came to a mere $ 26. It was a beautiful thing. So you can still eat here even if you don’t plan on getting the half or whole duck.

Our first time here, and may I add, we will be back soon! We are celebrating the official 3^rd year anniversary of when my hubby and I first met. _​_​_​_​_​LAO SZE CHUAN, means «DON’T FORGET YOUR HOME TOWN» also the chef is from this province back in China.
Chinese cuisine, rich and colorful as its main features diversified color, aromatic flavor, and excellent taste. With these three characteristics, it is not only tasty but also a work of art for people to appreciate. Right at the entrance there is a beautiful hand crafted fancy wooded chair that greets you as you come right into the 1^st floor level. The walls are artistically adorned with Chinese décor, and as you approach the elevator, you will notice that the elevator has artistic and colorful texture on the walls, which I find quite interesting.
As you exit the elevator, you cannot help but to look straight at the nicely floating stairs that are in the middle of the room and right next to their Lux bar. As you look around the booths and tables you see a lot of reds, mint greens, and holster back pillows on each booth for back support. They start you off with a FREE spicy coleslaw and cold waters on wine glasses.
As I scrolled thru the menu, I saw a lot of choices, and all the menu items are easy to order as they are numbered and they have a picture of each dish, which makes selection a lot easier to choose from. I ordered the Orange Peeled Chicken, one bowl of white steamed rice (which by the way you get free refills). My hubby ordered the Basil Chicken and Fried Rangoons.
Our experience was great and the service was friendly and attentive. As we paid we walked thru the mall entrance from the restaurant, and we noticed that they also have a buffet for lunch. We ordered off the menu but we asked the hostess and she mentioned that their buffet is $ 10.00/person Monday thru Friday. We ordered 2 entries 2 waters and our tab was $ 41.65 not including tip.

My orders: Sichuan wonton & dan dan noodles (must haves for any spicy food lover)
Pros
+ Food: very delicious. I love the open concept kitchen which allowed us to see right through as to what the chefs were doing.
Cons
— Seating: I ended up sitting at the bar area just because I didn’t want to wait the hour for a table, however I did like the fact that this was one of the few restaurants that was open on a long weekend/​holiday.
— Over the top marketing: I don’t know how I feel about the over-​the-​top marketing. While I don’t doubt the authenticity of the food/​the restaurant, I I didn’t appreciate the over glorification of the «oriental» culture which was pervasive throughout the establishment.

So husband had wanted to go so we made a reservation. Then I started checking the Unilocal reviews. Almost cancelled as I worship Unilocal and rarely go willingly to any place that is not at least a solid 4 stars.
Decided to try it anyway as it is close by.
Happy to report that we had a better experience than many of the other reviewers. We speculate that maybe there is a new manager?
Anyway, service was good. Not spectacular but good. Manager came by to make sure drinks, etc. were fine. All staff were very friendly.
The free spicy cabbage appetizer was a bit too hot for me but hubby («food should make you sweat») happily ate it all.
We had the soup dumplings, which are quite good, as others have reported.
We decided on Kung Pao chicken and Singapore noodles with pork. The portions were huge – so I am guessing they have changed things up as others have reported small portions. There was plenty to take home.
The Kung Pao chicken was good, but not your typical version. Quite a bit of celery and mushrooms. A bit of a disappointment was not chili peppers.
We especially enjoyed the Singapore noodles, which had great flavoring.
It was a solid 3.5 (I’m a somewhat tough grader). I am giving it a 4 because it exceeded expectations.

Solid, Chinese food in downtown Chicago; just too spicy in my opinion. I know that Szechuan food is hot and all, but for my taste it was overboard. We came in here on a Friday a bit early at 6p.m. and were immediately seated. For an appetizer we ordered a pancake appetizer, comprised of two large egg based pancakes with a crispy fried onion infused something or other on the inside. There was a plum sauce as well as a spicy sauce inside. This appetizer was delicious but the spicy sauce was very, very spicy!
For dinner my wife ordered the Mapo Tofu, which was so spicy and diabolical looking I didn’t even try it. My wife enjoyed the dish immensely, but said that despite the fact that it was very flavorful she was having a hard time eating it due to spice level. To be clear, my wife eats the spiciest food if all time without any trouble all the time, so I fully believe that this was like hot lava!
I had the General Tso’s tofu which was served with little corn, peppers and some crispy tofu in a delicious sweet, spicy and savory sauce. The issue with this dish once again was the spice level; I asked for it mild and it was so hot I couldn’t eat enough to actually be full!
I probably drank 7 glasses of water. I know I am a wuss when it comes to spicy food, but when my wife thinks it’s crazy spicy, it’s too spicy. I almost wonder if this downtown location of a Chinatown staple is showing off a bit and being outrageously spicy to be cool.

For the price, the food could have been better
Maybe because I had ordered the Peking duck and a steamed whole fish instead of the typical sweet and sour chicken or pork dish or the combination fried rice
Usually restaurants on Michigan Avenue would be considered high end and pricey and exceptional. However, this wasn’t the case for the price
It came up to almost 50.00 –60.00 per person for the dinner. I could have gone to a different Chinese restaurant for that price. The sweet n sour chicken and combination rice was normal and typical but we could get that anywhere. At high end Chinese restaurants, you want to order specialty dishes. Unfortunately, the Peking duck was a bit greasy. The salty spicy fried squid was soft and bland. The fish was mediocre. The appetizer was great — the dumplings with black sesame and lots of juice inside. That I enjoyed.

Perhaps, more 3.5. The food was okay, probably better Chinese food in Chinatown, but the ambiance makes up for the mediocre food. Skip the desserts, they’re really no good.

A bit disappointing given my experiences at other locations. I get that when you have a location on Michigan Ave, prices will be higher and you can get away with surcharges. But the Mag Mile location goes a bit overboard with this — higher prices, smaller portions, and no lunch menu when dining in. If I were a tourist or living in River North with limited Chinese food options I would have no issues. There’s no question that the food is going to be good regardless of the location (though the Szechuan chicken I had at the Chinatown location was noticeably better than the one I had here) but if I can get to the Skokie location in 15 minutes from Logan Square and pay $ 8 vs $ 12 for twice as much food, that’s exactly what I’m going to do.
When I asked for the lunch menu at 12:00 on a Monday, I was told that their lunch menu was only for take out. I figured, no problem I’ll just order an entrée then and take the leftovers home. Apparently the $ 12 entrée portion is identical to the $ 8 lunch portion, only for $ 12 you do not also get soup, an appetizer, an amuse bouche and rice (my tiny bowl of white rice was $ 1 extra here) like you do at the Skokie location.
My Szechuan chicken was tasty and fresh but a bit heavier on the soy sauce which masked some of the other flavors. Not too oily, which I appreciated. But the tiny plate was finished quickly.
Service was friendly, but slow as others have noted. The ambiance is excellent. Sleek, modern, and clean. And the food was def good (and many other items are even better).
If you’re in the mag mile area with a hankering for Chinese, and some extra time on your hands, this is your best option. And better yet, if you’re with a group, this place is fantastic with an extensive menu of items to share. But if you’re a Chicago local, you’re better off hopping the red line to the Chinatown location or going shopping at Old Orchard instead hitting up the Skokie location. Quality food for sure but a rip off compared to the other locations.

Mrs. and I dropped by Lao Sze Chuan to grab something small to eat while we were on the 30 – 40 minute waitlist for Purple Pig downstairs.
Yes, we were at a restaurant to eat before going to another restaurant to eat.
We decided to get xia long bao and their famous mapo tofu. Figured this would be good of an appetizer before going down.
After we placed our order, our server brought us a small plate of spicy cabbage on the house. We didnt really think of much at first but that spicy cabbage was spicier than we expected. It was spicy and bit salty to stimulate our appetite.
Being pleasantly surprised, we decided that if two dishes that we ordered were delicious, we would cancel Purple Pig for the night and see what Lao Sze Chuan had to offer.
Finally two dishes came out and they were delicious, so we decided to stay here for the night and ordered the Peking Duck platter.
Lao Sze Chuan’s xia long bao wasn’t the best I’ve experienced, but still good nonetheless. Good clean flavor, dumpling skins weren’t too thick and the soup inside was pretty good. Just wish they were little bigger so there’s more soup inside.
Their famous Mapo Tofu was pretty different from other mapo tofus I’ve had. Rather than being cooked with ground meat and packing heavy flavors, it was pretty light yet still flavorful and definitely spicy. Just be aware that this dish packs peppercorn.
Now the peking duck.
Lao Sze Chuan’s peking duck was one of the best I’ve had. Very savory, good crunch on the skin and soft meat on the inside. Peking duck comes with sliced green onion, sliced cucumber, plum sauce, pureed garlic, piles of flour roll paper, and duck skin covered in brown sugar.
Pureed garlic added a nice hint of flavor to the duck wrap.
Definitely worth a visit if you’re in the mood for spicy and clean Chinese cuisine.