Chongqing hotpot

[ratgirlny]

I just saw that the branch of Grand Sichuan on Lexington in the 30's has Chongqing hotpot on its menu. We were recently in Chongqing, and my kids had a blast eating hotpot. Has anyone tried this specialty at this restaurant? Is it any good? I've been to the other branches of Grand Sichuan (west 50's, St Marks) but never this one. The blurb says it specializes in Chongqing cuisine. Is it actually authentic?

Any other sources for Chongqing hotpot in NYC? This is a super-spicy kind of hotpot.

http://www.grandsichuan.com/ProductDetails...x?ProductID=770

Edited June 4, 2007 by ratgirlny (log)

[Nathan]

I haven't had the hotpot but the Chongqing chicken items are superb.

[Luckylies]

there's a place in chinatown all the way east on canal that has great sichuan hotpot.....what's the name???

googled it.

Grand Sichuan.

Of course.

[Dave H]

Yes, had a fantastic hotpot a couple months ago at the original GS in Chinatown. Have not had it at any other locations. (don't believe it's offered at St. Marks?)

Also good for hotpot is Happy Family in Flushing, but my impression is it's a more northern Chinese style of hotpot, and most people seem to prefer their sweet white broth to their spicy red broth (you can get a hotpot with a divider down the middle). I disagreed, but I'm a bit of a spice fiend.

[Nathan]

and Meehan recently wrote up getting it off the menu at S&T as well.

[ratgirlny]

I haven't had the hotpot but the Chongqing chicken items are superb.

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Was it the chicken that is buried in chiles? I saw someone eating that at the Grand Sichuan on St Marks, and it looked just like the ones I had in Chongqing. There was a stall at a food court (yup, a mall food court) that specialized in that dish, and those things were FLYING out of there! I found it very tasty, but a bit hard to eat because we had to dig through all those chiles to find the chicken bits.

[ratgirlny]

Thanks for the responses. I am not looking for the mild kind of Chinese hotpot, although I am sure that is good too. I specifically want the Chongqing style, with the red broth which has lots of chile peppers floating about. My kids adored it, and my 7 year old specifically requested it for his birthday. I would love to surprise him on his next birthday.

[Nathan]

I haven't had the hotpot but the Chongqing chicken items are superb.

←

Was it the chicken that is buried in chiles? I saw someone eating that at the Grand Sichuan on St Marks, and it looked just like the ones I had in Chongqing. There was a stall at a food court (yup, a mall food court) that specialized in that dish, and those things were FLYING out of there! I found it very tasty, but a bit hard to eat because we had to dig through all those chiles to find the chicken bits.

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correct.

[Nathan]

Thanks for the responses. I am not looking for the mild kind of Chinese hotpot, although I am sure that is good too. I specifically want the Chongqing style, with the red broth which has lots of chile peppers floating about. My kids adored it, and my 7 year old specifically requested it for his birthday. I would love to surprise him on his next birthday.

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it is definitely served off the menu at Spicy & Tasty in Queens.

[hheman]

Several years ago, I met someone whom I thought was the owner of the Grand Sichuan chain. He told me that that the restuarant in the Manhattan Chinatown is actually not owned or run by him. This is also fits in with why that location is not listed on the GS website. I have never eaten there myself for this reason.

As for Sichuan hotpot, there are quite a few options in NYC. We usually go to Flushing for hot pot. We typically go to Shanghai Tide or East Manor for the all you can eat. However, their Sichuan "guodi" (or soup base) is not that spicy. Little Lamb in Flushing is also a popular hotpot joint, but their soup base is mostly known for the herbal ingredients. The best bet in Flushing for an aunthetic spicy Sichuan base is probably Spicy and Tasty or "Xiaolajiao." The latter's Chinese name means "little pepper," and I apologize for not remembering its English name. It is one street removed from the Flushing Mall, and there is a cartoon of a red pepper on the sign.

In Manhattan, a few of the GS locations have hotpot, as does the Duoyi branch in Midtown. We used to go to Duoyi quite often, but after finding some extra ingredients in our food (sharp wooden stick in the Country Style Double Cooked Pork and two long strands of plastic in Pork with Yellow Leeks) we have stopped.

there's a place in chinatown all the way east on canal that has great sichuan hotpot.....what's the name???

googled it.

Grand Sichuan.

Of course. 

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