Grand Sichuan International

[Bond Girl]

Okay, where on St. Marks? I live in the East Village? Haven't seen it.

[Stone]

Didn't know it had opened. I'll try it soon.

I think it's in the St. Mark's mall, with Quiznos and Supercuts.

Feh.

[Bond Girl]

No wonder I haven't seen it. Not sure if I can put up with the scene there.

[bpearis]

I posted this on Monday in the regular Grand Sichuan thread, but here it is again.

Grand Sichuan on St. Marks Place is now open in that minimall type thing that also houses Chipotle. 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 friendly 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 four restaurants,plus an online version of that large book that explains the menu in detail. It's a fun site.

Edited August 26, 2004 by bpearis (log)

[nani]

The military waitstaff uniforms seems a little over the top. I'm going to try it out on Sunday, notwithstanding the minimall location.

[bpearis]

The military waitstaff uniforms seems a little over the top.  I'm going to try it out on Sunday, notwithstanding the minimall location. 

It's like you're in a Manchurian Candidate brainwashing sequence or something. It wasn't crowded when I went (maybe 6pm Saturday) but I think it had just opened. That block of St. Marks rivals 42nd between 7th and 8th for most heinous block in NYC -- just replace the gawking tourists with dissafected over-pierced teens. St. Marks has much better food, though.

Edited August 26, 2004 by bpearis (log)

[Pan]

bpearis, what do you like better on St. Mark's Place (and I assume you mean the actual street, not the whole neighborhood)? Start another thread on this if you like.

As for me, it sounds like the place will certainly be good enough to be my new standby for Chinese delivery. And perhaps if I tell them to make it spicy, they will. Anyone try that yet?

(Michael just back from China)

[bpearis]

bpearis, what do you like better on St. Mark's Place (and I assume you mean the actual street, not the whole neighborhood)? Start another thread on this if you like.

I meant St. Marks Pl has better food options than 42nd st. around Broadway.

In addition to the GS, I really like Yakitori Taisho, La Palapa's pretty good (haven't been in a long time), Typhoon Lounge.

As for getting the food spicy at Gran Sichuan, I know they woulda made it a lot spicier if we'd asked them too. The staff is very friendly and accomodating.

[Pan]

I just ordered #31 (Spinach w. Ginger Sauce) and #87 (Chong Qing Dry & Spicy Chicken) for delivery from the St. Mark's location. I told the woman on the phone that I like spicy food. We'll see how it turns out in a few minutes. Wish me luck; it's my first Chinese meal since I returned from China Thursday early morning.

[Pan]

Verdict:

#31 was too fibrous (I ate it anyway for the fiber), but #87 is delicious. Yes, it's definitely easily good enough to become my standby Chinese delivery place, leaving all the preexisting mediocre East Village Chinese places way back in the dust.

[Dave H]

Since bpearis's much appreciated announcement that GS EV was (finally!) open for business, I've ordered delivery from them twice:

Order #1: Red Cooking Pork w/ Chestnuts; House Spicy Bean Curd

Order #2: Braised Sliced Beef w/ Chili Sauce; Eggplant with Garlic Sauce

Everything was generally delicious. Not quite as good as the meals I've eaten at the 9th av. and 50th location (although I've never had any of the above dishes there, so it's hard to say for certain); but close enough that the difference could easily be due entirely to the fact that it was delivery. Certainly it was significantly better than the delivery I've had from the Murray Hill GS.

The lack of serious spiciness in the Braised Sliced Beef w/ Chili Sauce seems to be inherent in the dish itself; the House Spicy Bean Curd, for instance, was plenty spicy, although I could believe it being perhaps a half-step less so than the version on 9th and 50th.

One final note: when I asked about the fresh chicken menu, the woman taking my order said that while they didn't have it they were planning on adding it soon.

[Pork Neck]

I had the best all-around meal I've had at any GS at the St. Mark's location last night. Service was genuinely enthusiastic and helpful without being intrusive, and each dish was in top form. We stuck mostly to the GS classics, with a few exceptions-

Sichuan Wonton w/ Red Oil

Crab and Pork Soup Dumplings

Dan Dan Noodles

Braised Beef Filets w/Chili Sauce

Gui Zhou Spicy Chicken

Dy and Sauteed String Beans

Cured Pork with Garlic Shoots

Minced Chicken w/ Green Pepper and Vegetables

While maybe not as incendiary as the other locations, the flavors in the spicy dishes were far more balanced and delicate. This was one of the most enjoyable meals in recent memory, and, with a current BYO policy, certainly among the best values. Fantastic.

[Stone]

I wasn't hungry last night, but decided to order in from GS. I didn't have a menu so I just asked for kung pao chicken and singapore mai fun, which I figured they had.

The kung pao was excellent. Lot's of tender chicken, crisp waterchestnuts, celery, etc. It came with a bunch of toasted chilis, but wasn't particularly hot. I'll have to ask next time.

The noodles were a bit over-cooked, but otherwise very good.

[bpearis]

I wasn't hungry last night, but decided to order in from GS. I didn't have a menu so I just asked for kung pao chicken and singapore mai fun, which I figured they had.

The kung pao was excellent. Lot's of tender chicken, crisp waterchestnuts, celery, etc. It came with a bunch of toasted chilis, but wasn't particularly hot. I'll have to ask next time.

The noodles were a bit over-cooked, but otherwise very good.

Are they using real Sichuan peppercorns at this branch (the ones that make your mouth numb)? The dishes I had there don't use them, but I know Kung Poa does...

[Stone]

Thanks for reminding me. I think so. I'm pretty sure. There were little guys in there that looked like sichuan peppercorns and had a bit of the numbing effect. Not nearly as strong as the ones I had at 50th street. Maybe these were old?

[Stone]

I had some braised pork dish at 54th & 2nd the other day. The menu should really warn whether the dish has pork meat or pork belly. Bascially, this was braised slices of fat. I know some people rave about this stuff, but I don't get it. I wasn't a off-putting as I thought, but I didn't find it enjoyable to eat. The flavor was excellent. If it was slices of meat, it would have been a wonderful dish.

Fried dumplings were small and disappointing.

[tommy]

I had some braised pork dish at 54th & 2nd the other day. The menu should really warn whether the dish has pork meat or pork belly. Bascially, this was braised slices of fat. I know some people rave about this stuff, but I don't get it. I wasn't a off-putting as I thought, but I didn't find it enjoyable to eat. The flavor was excellent. If it was slices of meat, it would have been a wonderful dish.

i ordered that at that location...twice...forgetting the second time that the first time it was a bunch of fatty belly. hopefully i won't make that mistake again. but yeah, i just don't see the point of that dish. great flavor, but inedible for me and my guest.

on the other hand, i've had pork belly that was wonderfully tender and delicious elsewhere.

[Stone]

on the other hand, i've had pork belly that was wonderfully tender and delicious elsewhere.

The pork belly I've had a French-ish places (i.e., French Laundry, Gary Danko) were excellent. But instead of thin slices of fat (with maybe a shred of meat), they were larger slices or "bricks" with a nice combination of the two textures.

I guess that proves that French cooking is superior to Chinese.

[Pan]

I guess that proves that French cooking is superior to Chinese.

Humph!

Compare a cheap Parisian bistro to the Li Family Restaurant in Beijing and then check in again.

[bpearis]

Went for lunch today... they seemed to have ditched the green Mao uniforms, probably a smart move. But in it's place, they now have the fresh chicken as an option for any dish.

[Eric_Malson]

The lack of serious spiciness in the Braised Sliced Beef w/ Chili Sauce seems to be inherent in the dish itself; the House Spicy Bean Curd, for instance, was plenty spicy, although I could believe it being perhaps a half-step less so than the version on 9th and 50th.

Um, the braised beef with chili sauce at the 9th Ave./51st St. location is pretty consistently about the spiciest thing on the menu, so I wouldn't say it's the dish itself--just that location's version!

[Dave H]

Um, the braised beef with chili sauce at the 9th Ave./51st St. location is pretty consistently about the spiciest thing on the menu, so I wouldn't say it's the dish itself--just that location's version!

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Interesting. Was just browsing the list of explanations (also handed out with the menus when eating in) and noticed that it is indeed supposed to be "one of the most spicy and famous Sichuanese dishes"; what I got was not even close. My only guess is the they gave me braised beef with brown sauce instead--in fact, there was definitely celery in there so that must be what happened.

Moreover, when I finally ate at the restaurant last week--which was tremendous, incidentally; better even than either of my two meals at the 9th Av. location--the Chong Qing chicken was just about the spiciest thing I've ever put in my mouth. (What, you mean I wasn't supposed to eat all those whole chili peppers? But the chilis were actually less spicy than the chicken!! ) And the ox tongue and tripe and the cured pork in a little hot wok were both of at least the requisite spiciness. So they're certainly not toning down the spice as a general rule.

[Pan]

After getting delivery and takeout from this place about 5 times, my verdict so far is that the Sichuan dishes are not all on the level of the Chelsea or Hell's Kitchen locations but many of them really are at a comparable level, and the food is quite good. The Hunan recipes, I'm not as sure of. I got #119 Spicy & Sour Vegetables, and they left out "salty," which was perhaps a stronger taste than anything else (and too strong by far). But though I'll approach the Hunan part of the menu with caution, my bottom line is I'm glad this place is in my neighborhood.

[Gary Soup]

That block of St. Marks rivals 42nd between 7th and 8th for most heinous block in NYC -- just replace the gawking tourists with dissafected over-pierced teens. St. Marks has much better food, though.

←

I lived at No. 9 St. Marks Place ca. early 1962 and the only action on the block was at the Polish Brotherhood Hall across the street (loud Polka parties on Saturday nights).

Plenty of eats on Second Ave., mostly mittel-European, to fortify me on the way to Stanley's Bar or the Ukranian movie place.

I was there about a month ago, as a gawking tourist, but would gladly have come as a disaffected teen, all things considered.

Edited September 9, 2004 by Gary Soup (log)

[snausages2000]

Checked out the St. Marks Grand Sichuan a couple nights ago.

I've been to the Chelsea location about 15 times, Chinatown 5 times and each of the others once.

I'd rank this meal in the top 3 of my cumulative Grand Sichuan experience (nothing can top my virgin experience a few years ago: an orgiastic 18 course birthday banquet).

Started With:

Dan Dan Noodles - Smokier and hotter than they've ever been served in Chelsea. That's a good thing.

Soup Dumplings - Nothing special. Have had better in Chelsea, though I've noticed they've been a bit bland there lately as well.

Entrees:

Cold Spinach With Ginger Sauce (aka Green Parrot with Red Mouth in Chelsea) - Pretty different than the Chelsea version. Nowhere near as much ginger bite. Much heavier use of lemon and garlic. Still solid, but I prefer it loaded with ginger.

Ma Po Tofu - Excellent. Heavily spiced with anise and pepper.

Red Cooking Pork Hot Pot (from the expanded Hunan section) - I've always liked the Red Cooking Pork dish at the other locations, but this tops it. Instead of chestnuts, the pork is accompanied by whole cloves of garlic, chili peppers and other veggies, served in, well, a hot pot.

Hunan Chicken - Another diced chicken winner. Kung Bao, Hunan, whatever. They always nail these dishes, although the peppercorns were a bit weak. Personally, I don't mind. The peppercorn flavor was more broadly distributed in the dish, rather than dominating the occasional bite.

I only sampled two such dishes, but the Hunan menu seems a legitimate and well-executed addition to their repertoire.

As others have noted, the place was nearly empty (8pm on a weekday).

Very pleased, though, that it seems to be on par with the 9th Avenue locations rather than the East Side lesser-lights...