Jump to content

  • Welcome to the eG Forums, a service of the eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters. The Society is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of the culinary arts. These advertising-free forums are provided free of charge through donations from Society members. Anyone may read the forums, but to post you must create a free account.

Chengdu 1

rooftop1000

By rooftop1000
in New Jersey: Dining

 Share

Recommended Posts

jmbrightman

jmbrightman

Posted
Posted
They just opened a Chengdu1 in Glassboro, about 10 minutes from my house.  I had some leftover cold spicy chicken last night, now I can't wait to go and choose my own dishes tonight...

The spicy baby wonton, double cooked pork, and salt and pepper squid were all very good. Next visit, the beef tendon and Ox Tongue appetizers with one of the lamb dishes...

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 2 months later...
Curlz

Curlz

Posted
Posted

Had to bump this up since there was the "where to go for spicy food?" discussion and C1 became the focus...

I get to C1 pretty regularly, but dinner this past Friday night was, for some reason, above and beyond on the fantastic scale. Every bite was greeted with "Is it me, or is this particularly amazing tonight?!?" Lien was in the kitchen so we know that's a factor, but even so--just wonderful. We had the spicy baby wontons (a given on every trip), the hot and spicy jumbo prawns (OMG just thinking about them might get me back there tonight), the spicy lamb (which had just the right balance of heat/sichuan peppercorns), sauteed long beans (YUM!), and samples of the dishes for the kids. SO. SO. GOOD.

The place was packed with Asians and non- alike, so the kitchen and service slowed a bit, but you know what? I don't care! If you haven't been in a while, go--C1 is as good as ever. :wub:

"I'm not eating it...my tongue is just looking at it!" --My then-3.5 year-old niece, who was NOT eating a piece of gum

"Wow--this is a fancy restaurant! They keep bringing us more water and we didn't even ask for it!" --My 5.75 year-old niece, about Bread Bar

"He's jumped the flounder, as you might say."

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 3 weeks later...
lights19

lights19

Posted
Posted

My husband and I travelled to the Glassboro location tonight. After reading this thread, we were left with too many potential dishes to order, and too few people to eat them. I'm already looking forward to tomorrow's leftovers.

We tried the spicy baby wontons, the sausage pictured upthread, potato and green pepper, spicy lamb and volcano chicken. I don't have much experience with authentic Schezuan food, and was happy with the variation of spicy flavors in each dish. We'll be revisiting soon and often.

The restaurant was empty, I hope it's a reflection of a midweek night at the end of the summer rather than a trend.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
jo-mel

jo-mel

Posted
Posted

At Chengdu 1 last night, we added a couple of dishes that were on the less hot side, as our adult daughter is not as gung-ho as we are about spices.

We had Spicy Lamb with Special Pepper Sauce, a fav of ours, Chicken with Yellow Chives which had some large red peppers in it but was not HOT, Steamed Riblets with Rice Powder, Shredded Potatoes with Green Pepper - (a must have dish for me), and Sauteed Bean Thread with Snow Pea Sprouts. This last dish was the first time I've had it at CH1, but would order it again.

About those shredded potatoes. I had them in China years ago, but never could find a recipe for them when I scanned my many, many Chinese cook books. I had them again with a group of Chinese students at Dartmouth, but still could not find them anywhere. I made some on my own but they weren't quite the same. Finally, I came across a recipe in "Cooking from Mainland China" (158 authentic recipes from the PRC -- Barron's) I was delighted, to say the least! You can imagine how I felt when I read the first reports from Chengdu 1. I love them!!

I should really go there more often as we have barely scratched the menu and I am torn when I go over the menu. I do wish, tho, that there were more wheat noodles. Copper Well Street Noodles is a favorite of mine and a Sichuan dish, altho its roots were as a street food. Hmmmm -- I wonder if they would make them for me?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 2 weeks later...
jmbrightman

jmbrightman

Posted
Posted
My husband and I travelled to the Glassboro location tonight. After reading this thread, we were left with too many potential dishes to order, and too few people to eat them. I'm already looking forward to tomorrow's leftovers.

We tried the spicy baby wontons, the sausage pictured upthread, potato and green pepper, spicy lamb and volcano chicken. I don't have much experience with authentic Schezuan food, and was happy with the variation of spicy flavors in each dish. We'll be revisiting soon and often.

The restaurant was empty, I hope it's a reflection of a midweek night at the end of the summer rather than a trend.

I called to order a few nights ago, and was told the restaurant had changed owners. No more authentic Szechuan in South Jersey, far as I know. If you find something, let me know.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
ejebud

ejebud

Posted
Posted (edited)

I called to order a few nights ago, and was told the restaurant had changed owners. No more authentic Szechuan in South Jersey, far as I know. If you find something, let me know.

It wouldn't surprise me, it was a 2 hour drive to and from the Cedar Grove location. I'll see Lien within the next week, so I will ask him the scoop.

Eric

Edited by ejebud (log)

President

Les Marmitons-NJ

Johnson and Wales

Class of '85

Link to comment
Share on other sites
jmbrightman

jmbrightman

Posted
Posted
I called to order a few nights ago, and was told the restaurant had changed owners.  No more authentic Szechuan in South Jersey, far as I know.  If you find something, let me know.

It wouldn't surprise me, it was a 2 hour drive to and from the Cedar Grove location.  I'll see Lien within the next week, so I will ask him the scoop.

Eric

any info you can find will be greatly appreciated.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
ejebud

ejebud

Posted
Posted
I called to order a few nights ago, and was told the restaurant had changed owners.  No more authentic Szechuan in South Jersey, far as I know.  If you find something, let me know.

It wouldn't surprise me, it was a 2 hour drive to and from the Cedar Grove location.  I'll see Lien within the next week, so I will ask him the scoop.

Eric

any info you can find will be greatly appreciated.

Sorry guys, I did speak to Lien and he has sold the South Jersey location. He lost a boatload of money. I know how he feels.

Eric

President

Les Marmitons-NJ

Johnson and Wales

Class of '85

Link to comment
Share on other sites
jmbrightman

jmbrightman

Posted
Posted
I called to order a few nights ago, and was told the restaurant had changed owners.  No more authentic Szechuan in South Jersey, far as I know.  If you find something, let me know.

It wouldn't surprise me, it was a 2 hour drive to and from the Cedar Grove location.  I'll see Lien within the next week, so I will ask him the scoop.

Eric

any info you can find will be greatly appreciated.

Sorry guys, I did speak to Lien and he has sold the South Jersey location. He lost a boatload of money. I know how he feels.

Eric

It is a shame. The new owner is serving up more tired General's Chicken and Happy Family.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 3 weeks later...
worshipsf

worshipsf

Posted
Posted (edited)

Love, love, love this place!

The baby wontons in the sweet addictive sauce are always a must for us, along with a nice crispy plate of hot & spicy shrimp. Or hot & spicy soft-shell crab. Or hot & spicy twin lobsters, like we found this past weekend. Which, at $21.95, was an unbelievable bargain...

Edited by worshipsf (log)
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Curlz

Curlz

Posted
Posted
Love, love, love this place!

The baby wontons in the sweet addictive sauce are always a must for us, along with a nice crispy plate of hot & spicy shrimp.  Or hot & spicy soft-shell crab.  Or hot & spicy twin lobsters, like we found this past weekend.  Which, at $21.95, was an unbelievable bargain...

Would those be the hot and spicy PRAWNS (or so they say on the menu)? Definitely one of my favorite favorites there...

"I'm not eating it...my tongue is just looking at it!" --My then-3.5 year-old niece, who was NOT eating a piece of gum

"Wow--this is a fancy restaurant! They keep bringing us more water and we didn't even ask for it!" --My 5.75 year-old niece, about Bread Bar

"He's jumped the flounder, as you might say."

Link to comment
Share on other sites
MJP

MJP

Posted
Posted

Avoid the Fruit Shrimp - we got fried shrimp doused in mayo. I'm not kidding.

"Part of the secret of success in life is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside" -Mark Twain

"Video games are bad for you? That's what they said about rock 'n roll." -Shigeru Miyamoto, creator of The Legend of Zelda, circa 1990

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Curlz

Curlz

Posted
Posted

Um...EWWWWWWWWWWW.

"I'm not eating it...my tongue is just looking at it!" --My then-3.5 year-old niece, who was NOT eating a piece of gum

"Wow--this is a fancy restaurant! They keep bringing us more water and we didn't even ask for it!" --My 5.75 year-old niece, about Bread Bar

"He's jumped the flounder, as you might say."

Link to comment
Share on other sites
NancyH

NancyH

Posted
Posted
Avoid the Fruit Shrimp - we got fried shrimp doused in mayo.  I'm not kidding.

Did your dish look anything like this: gallery_21337_6173_30854.jpg?

We enjoyed this Crispy Shrimp in Mayonnaise Sauce at Lao Sze Chuan in Chicago during the 2008 EGullet Heartland Gathering, and even though it seemed kinda Western - it tasted fantastic!

"Life is Too Short to Not Play With Your Food" 

My blog: Fun Playing With Food

Link to comment
Share on other sites
worshipsf

worshipsf

Posted
Posted
Love, love, love this place!

The baby wontons in the sweet addictive sauce are always a must for us, along with a nice crispy plate of hot & spicy shrimp.  Or hot & spicy soft-shell crab.  Or hot & spicy twin lobsters, like we found this past weekend.  Which, at $21.95, was an unbelievable bargain...

Would those be the hot and spicy PRAWNS (or so they say on the menu)? Definitely one of my favorite favorites there...

Yes, by hot & spicy shrimp I meant the prawns; that is what we usually get. However, this time they had hot & spicy lobster as well... the sign for it was posted on the door and I know it's usually not there so it must have been a special that day.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Cook456

Cook456

Posted
Posted (edited)

The shrimp with mayo is not really all that western. I have dined with my asian friends and when they order, we've had a similar dish with shrimp and walnuts with a light mayo sauce.

It is interesting, but not one of my favorites.

Edited by Cook456 (log)
Link to comment
Share on other sites
jo-mel

jo-mel

Posted
Posted

The Mayo Shrimp has been around for quite a while and I've had it several times at Chinese wedding banquets. The 'fruity' part may be from the pineapple (sometimes orange)juice, and/or coconut milk that is often found in the sauce recipe.

I believe the recipe was born when Hong Chefs went eclectic and combined their traditional Cantonese background with an international flavor. (I could be wrong, but that is the way I heard it)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 3 months later...
Curlz

Curlz

Posted
Posted

Gong Hey Fat Choy!

A group of us were at C1 last night for our annual Chinese New Year outing...thought I'd share, especially since some of these dishes are only on the special New Year's menu for a few weeks:

-Spicy Baby Wontons (a sub for a crab and __ soup b/c we just LOVE these)

-Steamed (boneless) spare ribs in lotus leaves***

-Lamb chops

-Crab with rice cakes

-Scallops in ginger

-Peking duck

-2 whole fish; one in a sweet sauce with pignoli nuts on top, the other was fried/crunchy with a somewhat...er...let's say fermented flavor to it.

-Spicy Jumbo Prawns

-Sauteed Snow Pea tips

-Sliced lotus root in orange sauce (GORGEOUS)

-Double-cooked pork (belly) w/fermented black beans* (We opted to have this for dessert instead of the sweet that was on the menu. Really.)

We also added Ma Po Tofu, as our C1 virgin said it's one of his favorite dishes. Let's just say it passed his test. :wink:

The lotus-wrapped spare ribs were fantastic; the meat took on a beautiful floral flavor, which we all assume came from the leaf. Prawns were stunning, and of course, we doubled that order. And the lotus root was one of the best palate cleansers I can recall anywhere!

The menu showed $348 for 10 people (it's slightly higher per person as the number of diners declines); by the time we got out of there with our substitutions/additions and tip, it was $50pp. PHENOMENAL value, and another great meal at C1!

"I'm not eating it...my tongue is just looking at it!" --My then-3.5 year-old niece, who was NOT eating a piece of gum

"Wow--this is a fancy restaurant! They keep bringing us more water and we didn't even ask for it!" --My 5.75 year-old niece, about Bread Bar

"He's jumped the flounder, as you might say."

Link to comment
Share on other sites
jo-mel

jo-mel

Posted
Posted
Gong Hey Fat Choy!

A group of us were at C1 last night for our annual Chinese New Year outing...thought I'd share, especially since some of these dishes are only on the special New Year's menu for a few weeks:

-Spicy Baby Wontons (a sub for a crab and __ soup b/c we just LOVE these)

-Steamed (boneless) spare ribs in lotus leaves***

-Lamb chops

-Crab with rice cakes

-Scallops in ginger 

-Peking duck

-2 whole fish; one in a sweet sauce with pignoli nuts on top, the other was fried/crunchy with a somewhat...er...let's say fermented flavor to it. 

-Spicy Jumbo Prawns

-Sauteed Snow Pea tips

-Sliced lotus root in orange sauce (GORGEOUS)

-Double-cooked pork (belly) w/fermented black beans* (We opted to have this for dessert instead of the sweet that was on the menu.  Really.)

We also added Ma Po Tofu, as our C1 virgin said it's one of his favorite dishes.  Let's just say it passed his test.  :wink:

The lotus-wrapped spare ribs were fantastic; the meat took on a beautiful floral flavor, which we all assume came from the leaf.  Prawns were stunning, and of course, we doubled that order.  And the lotus root was one of the best palate cleansers I can recall anywhere!

The menu showed $348 for 10 people (it's slightly higher per person as the number of diners declines); by the time we got out of there with our substitutions/additions and tip, it was $50pp.  PHENOMENAL value, and another great meal at C1!

How was the lamb done?

And was the rice cake that smoth oval that is kinda chewy? (I love that texture)

What kind of sauce for that dish?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...