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Grand Sichuan International

Pan

By Pan
in New York: Dining

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Pan

Pan

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted
The general concensus of people that have been to many of the branches is that, one or two dishes aside, the 9th Avenue branch is the best.

Sam, I'm sure you're referring to the 9 Av. location north of 50 St., not the one on the corner of 24 St. and 9 Av. Which location are you referring to, sabg?

Michael aka "Pan"

 

Felonius

Felonius

Posted
Posted
Okay... seriously.  We need to get together a GSIM feast of Biblical proportions.

I would love to join you in a group dinner and expand my horizons at GS.I always seem to order the same 3 dishes with same 2 friends. Count me in anytime.!

Count me in too. Had lunch there yesterday by myself and damn it was good! The bright side of a solo lunch with several menu items is fridge full of GSI leftovers. I'd really like to go with enough people for once to be able to try a wider array of dishes at one seating.

slkinsey

slkinsey

Posted
Posted

Had dinner there last PM. Everything was excellent, as usual. One thing we noticed was a group of Brits (Australians?) at a large table, all of whom had brought a bottle of red wine, all of which were open. This is now the second time I have noticed this group at GSIM.

Joe and I couldn't help thinking, and remarking to each other, what a waste it was of both wine and food.

--

  • 1 month later...
Pan

Pan

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted

There will be a new branch of Grand Sichuan at 23 St. Mark's Place, the renovated/new building with the Quizno's and so forth between 2nd and 3rd Avs.! Now, finally, perhaps there will be a truly good Chinese restaurant in the East Village that I'll be able to get delivery from! The sign is on in English and Chinese, but the restaurant is not yet open and it may be some time yet.

Michael aka "Pan"

 

Pan

Pan

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted
to which of the existing GSs will this one be related?

Beats me! All I saw was the sign.

Michael aka "Pan"

 

tommy

tommy

Posted
Posted (edited)
to which of the existing GSs will this one be related?

Beats me! All I saw was the sign.

i'm still trying to get the other 5 straight, and re-reading this thread just now didn't help. :wacko:

anyway, if they have the fresh killed not long time refrigerated chicken, i'm in.

Edited by tommy (log)
tommy:eats.com
Pan

Pan

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted

I'll try it no matter what. If the place is even 1/3 as good as the one at 50 St., it'll be better than any other East Village Chinese place.

Michael aka "Pan"

 

markk

markk

Posted
Posted

How do you tell the Fresh Killed Chicken Kung Bao at Grand Sichian International (9th & 50th) from the regular version on their menu? I ask because a few weeks ago a friend and I went and had the fresh killed Au Zhou and of course it was outstanding. He returned the other day and had a very disappointing Kung Bao, and now is not sure that he specified the Fresh Killed version - does anybody know how (other than disappointing) he'd be able to tell the difference?

Overheard at the Zabar’s prepared food counter in the 1970’s:

Woman (noticing a large bowl of cut fruit): “How much is the fruit salad?”

Counterman: “Three-ninety-eight a pound.”

Woman (incredulous, and loud): “THREE-NINETY EIGHT A POUND ????”

Counterman: “Who’s going to sit and cut fruit all day, lady… YOU?”

Newly updated: my online food photo extravaganza; cook-in/eat-out and photos from the 70's

picaman

picaman

Posted
Posted

The biggest difference I notice is textural--there are no striations in the chicken meat in the fresh chicken version.

:smile:

Jamie

See! Antony, that revels long o' nights,

Is notwithstanding up.

Julius Caesar, Act II, Scene ii

bio • website

snausages2000

snausages2000

Posted
Posted

Grand Sichuan in the East Village. Beautiful.

I haven't been this excited about a restaurant opening since Chuck E. Cheese came to Rockville, MD when I was 5. If they could just install skee ball and giant singing animatronic mice at GSI my life would be complete.

This is like dropping a quality-bomb on the existing Chinese spots in the Astor vicinity. Grand Sichuan makes all other Chinese options within a 12 block radius obsolete. Not that there were other Chinese options. I hate eating on St. Marks. Junkies and homeless trust-fund kids aren't appetizing, but, for Grand Sichuan, I will endure such eye-sores.

As Grand Sichuan proliferates around the city, could there come a day, as in baseball, with the spread of too-perfect retro-modern stadiums, where we actually feel nostalgic for the inferior, outdated things we were once accustomed to? When we're eating our fresh killed kung pao chicken in plush, heated seats at the Ebbets Field clone on the West Side highway in 2018...we'll long for nothing more than some bland lo mein in the cold, half-empty upper deck at Shea.

Speaking of baseball, I've come to realize that Grand Sichuan provides as good a litmus test for sizing up new acquaintances as the old 'Mets or Yankees' question. As with a Yankee fan, I know that I can pretty much dismiss the notion of serious respect for or long-term compatability with a person who doesn't like the Sichuan fire.

rshorens

rshorens

Posted
Posted

I just returned yesterday from a trip to New York with 7 other family members attending a wedding. We made a reservation at the Grand Sichuan on 745 Ninth Avenue. Since our group included some picky eaters, I put our dinner completely in the hands of our waiter. He patiently listened to our array of requests(6 people wanted spicy food, 2 not spicy, one calorie conscious person who needed a lot of vegetables) and allergies, and we let him and the chef come up with a variety of dishes satisfying this scenario. Of course, we don't quite know the names of what we had, and we stuck to conventional meats and fish, but we ended up with just the right amount and combinations of foods at a very reasonable cost($15 per person including a 20% tip) The service was very efficient, and I am happy that I heard about Grand Sichuan on egullet.com. Next time I go, I'll be with a smaller group and can try the more exotic dishes

Roz

  • 1 month later...
Stone

Stone

Posted
Posted

This may be answered somewhere in here, but is Grand Sichuan Int'l, on 54th and 2nd, the same people?

  • 1 month later...
agbaber

agbaber

Posted
Posted

I'll definately be going on my next trip into the city from Boston.

When I know the dates I'll post em. Hopefully I can get some companions! (and from the looks of it, it wont be hard...)

Andrew Baber

True I got more fans than the average man but not enough loot to last me

to the end of the week, I live by the beat like you live check to check

If you don't move yo' feet then I don't eat, so we like neck to neck

A-T-L, Georgia, what we do for ya?

The Gentleman Gourmand

Sethro

Sethro

Posted
Posted (edited)

Well, I tried the 50th st location, and must agree that it is leaps and bounds above the Chelea one.

The Fresh chicken (Ahzou style) was clearly the star of the meal. Soft and striation free, just like the name would suggest, and the sauce was milder than I expectected which suited the great quality of the chicken well.

Also noteworthy was the Ma Po Tofu, which might just have been THE spiciest Chinese dish I've ever had. Insanely spicey in fact. I love that, but I imagine it's not for everyone. What really impressed me though, was how well the salt was controlled. I find in alot of Chinese cooking that salinity seems to altogether vanish, but here it was present and in perfect balance.

The Cantonese style fried lobster was also superb in flavor, but was way too greasy for my taste (especially considering that I had to use my hands to eat it...even though the tail had been thoughtfully bashed into akward chunks). The flavor was right on but otherwise it was a pretty clumsy preperation.

For appetizers I tried the Pork Wontons in Chilli Oil, Dan Dan Noodles and Spare Ribs. The Dan Dan was delicious, but once again overly greasy. The Wontons and Ribs were flat out bad. The ribs in particular were virtually inedible due to their fat content--think "gristle lolipop".

Overall it was a very good meal, with a couple of sore spots. For one thing, there was no soap or toilet paper in the bathroom. I mean, I know where I was...I'm not one of those guys who asks about the single malt selection at a diner, but c'mon. A man needs to wash his hands.

I'll be back for sure though...at that price, who wouldn't go back? I'm dying to try their "Special Thanksgiving and Halloween Menu" as well! Heh.

Edited by Sethro (log)
slkinsey

slkinsey

Posted
Posted

Thanks for your thoughts, Sethro. My take on GSIM is that, just like most Chinese restaurants in the US, you have to order the right things. In the case of your meal, the lobster and ribs are something I would never order. They're not Sichuan. As of the Dan Dan noodles, my understanding is that they're supposed to be oily from the chili oil. I'd be interested to hear what it was that you didn't like about the wontons in chili oil. They've been popular around here.

Anyway... if you like spice and you liked the ma po dofu, try the beef fillets in chili sauce. Usually the hottest thing on the meny. The freshly killed kung pao chicken is also not to be missed. We also enjoy the stir fried pea shoots and the house cured bacon with bea pods and rice cake for a mild change of pace.

--

Pan

Pan

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted

Sethro, I hope you told someone that the bathroom was out of soap and toilet paper!

What you say about salt at Grand Sichuan strikes me funny, because if there's anything that bugs me about the place (and I really like it), it's that they tend to be heavy on the salt to my taste.

Michael aka "Pan"

 

Sethro

Sethro

Posted
Posted

Admittedly, I do tend to like things a little on the salty side, but this was the first Chinese food experience I've ever had where I was even concious of the salt's contribution. I'd still say that the Ma Po Tofu was perfectly spiced in general though.

As for ordering Cantonese dishes at a Sichuan joint...yeah I guess you're right. I just wanted to see how they handled some dishes I had a high level of familiarity with. Next trime I'll try the beef fillets and some of your other recomendations--thanks or that.

My specific problem with the wontons was the fact that they were very soggy. As soon as you plucked one from the bowl it's skin would tear and slide right off. They hadn't been sitting around long either, as they arrived from the kitchen at apprx 500ºf an almost melted a hole through the table. :wink:

  • 3 weeks later...
bpearis

bpearis

Posted
Posted

Grand Sichuan on St. Marks Place is now open in that minimall type thing that also houses Chipotle. We went yesterday. It's the most tricked-out of all the Grand Sichuans with a major Mao theme going in this one, right down to the waitress' army green uniforms. They were freindly and helpful in reccomending dishes.

At the moment, there is no fresh-killed chicken menu and most of the dishes inspired by the Chinese TV show are there but have been incorperated into the regular menu and given less flowery names. ("Green Parrot with Red Mouth" is now "Spinach with Ginger Sauce" on the Cold Plates section.) There is also a large Hunan section in addition to the other more familar GS items. Everything we had was good, though the braised beef with chili sauce was nowhere near as incindiary as what they serve at 9th and 50th. It is certainly a welcome addition to the East Village.

The website has menus for all three restaurants, including an online version of that large book that explains the menu in detail.

"If it's me and your granny on bongos, then it's a Fall gig'' -- Mark E. Smith

nani

nani

Posted
Posted

Has anyone been to the new Grand Sichuan on St. Marks Place? Is it as good as the ones in Chelsea/Midtown?

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