Szechuan Ace

[Daniel]

Szechuan Ace

732.937.9330

1721 State Route 27

Somerset. New Jersey

There were four people in my party, so we were able to try some different things on the menu..

I must say, while reading the menu posted on the window, I was not expecting much. .I was happy to see there was another menu, with some more interesting choices..

Here was a little bite they brought to the table.. It was pretty good.. A little spice..Mung beans and soy beans?

Cold Sesame Noodles.. This was a decent version.. Nothing special.. The best part were the noodles.. Served al dente..

We also had the Sichuan Dumplings.. These were fairly good. A nice garlicky sauce.. But missing the spice from the Sichuan Pepper.. I am always disappointed when a restaurant claiming to be Sichuan Cuisine, doesnt use the Sichuan Pepper..

Spinach Tofu Soup: The soup was good.. Nothing special, but certainly solid..

Pork w/ noodles.. This dish was pretty average.. It tasted like a bland chili with linguini.. Again not bad, but not that good.. Lacking in the heat and flavor composition I expect in Sichuan Food..

Next was a spicy pork dish.. Little slivers of pork cooked with a spicy seranno pepper sauce.. Again, I expect the spice to come at least partially from Sichuan Peppercorns.. At least fool me and use a Sichuan Oil.. This dish had some heat and some good flavors..

Tea smoked duck.. My favorite meat dish of the meal.. The smoke flavor was evident, but not enough.. The duck was crisp, but really fatty and kind of short on the meat..

Chinese Okra:

This was my favorite thing we ordered.. It was really super.. They prepared this extremely well.. I loved the corn starchy light garlic sauce they served this with.. A great Okra presentation..

Although it might seem like I am bashing the place.. I am not.. I just happened to love Sichuan Food.. I have had eaten it in Sichuan, I have had it in many places.. If it was just billed as regular American Chinese Food, I would have been less harsh.. This place is good.. Far from great.. If you are with in a 10 minute drive, it probably will be some of the better Chinese Food you can get..

Edited March 27, 2006 by Daniel (log)

[bgut1]

Daniel - Thank you for an excellent review and the great photos. I've got to remember to bring a camera along the next time I intend to review a place. BTW, do the waiters/patrons look at you funny when you take pictures of your food? That being said, I must confess that none of the dishes look very appetizing to me - especially the noodle dishes (one even looks like Cincinnati-style chili). I hope in this case, the food tastes better than it looks. I will however give this place a go the next time I'm in the New Brunswick area. Again thank you.

Edited March 28, 2006 by bgut1 (log)

[jo-mel]

Daniel -- If you go there again. why don't you tell them that you want "hot" -- that you like "ma la". Maybe they might let loose?

Great pictures! Just the fact that they have a different vegetable than the usual broccoli or snow peas makes them seem a cut above. the sauce on the noodles looks like the sauce for "Ants Climbing a Tree". They didn't have those transparent noodles on the menu?

[Daniel]

Daniel - Thank you for an excellent review and the great photos. I've got to remember to bring a camera along the next time I intend to review a place. BTW, do the waiters/patrons look at you funny when you take pictures of your food?  That being said, I must confess that none of the dishes look very appetizing to me - especially the noodle dishes (one even looks like Cincinnati-style chili). I hope in this case, the food tastes better than it looks. I will however give this place a go the next time I'm in the New Brunswick area. Again thank you.

←

Thanks Bgut.. In terms of taking pictures, its something I just do.. I dont even think about it anymore.. I keep the camera in my pocket and will snap a shot.. Even with the waiter right at the table.. After all its my food.. I dont cause a scene or stand up, or take awhile to focus.. Just snap and start eating..

[Daniel]

Daniel -- If you go there again. why don't you tell them that you want "hot" -- that you like "ma la".  Maybe they might let loose?

Great pictures! Just the fact that they have a different vegetable than the usual broccoli or snow peas makes them seem a cut above. the sauce on the noodles looks like the sauce for "Ants Climbing a Tree".  They didn't have those transparent noodles on the menu?

←

The only spice in the food I ordered came from red pepper or serrano pepper.. So, even if they did add the spice, it wouldnt be the Sichuan Pepper I am looking for.. I asked for Sai Fun or Clear Rice Noodles, Bean Thread or Glass Noodles, but they didnt have any.. Another strange thing not to have at a Sichuan Restaurant.. It is a good restaurant there were other things I would try..

[jo-mel]

Can you ask them what dishes they have that use those wonderful peppercorns?

Any Chinese diners while you were there?

I googled for a menu of the restaurant, but couldn't find one. There was one review that raved about the spiciness of their dishes!

[Daniel]

I guess I should have asked if any dishes have the sichuan peppercorns.. We were the only non-Chinese speaking people there.

[twobrain]

been to SA a few times, small restaurant, good food

[Daniel]

Hi twobrain.. Do you have any favorite items you get there?

[andrewhwest]

Daniel,

I share your enthusiasm for Sichuan food and the ma la flavors. My wife and her family are from Chengdu, and we spent a week in Chengdu just last summer.

Of the pictures you showed, the sichuan dumplings looked pretty good, the cold noodles looked pathetic, the squash/okra also looked decent.

We've been to Grand Sichuan Intl. and Wu Liang Ye in NYC. Both have been above average for Sichuan food. Fortunately for my family, we found an even better and really authentic Sichuan restaurant just 20 minutes away in New Jersey, China Chalet in Florham Park. The chef is from Chengdu.

I put some pictures from one of our many trips there in the China Chalet thread.

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=66295&hl=

I'm surprised that people haven't picked up on how good and authentic this restaurant's Sichuan dishes are - I think fans of this cuisine should be driving from NYC to try it - we think the Sichuan dishes are generally even better than Grand Sichuan or Wu Liang Ye.

Ask the hostess or waiter to have the chef recreate an authentic Chengdu dining experience, emphasizing "ma la" numbing and hot flavors. Sichuan crab or lobster specials have been really good when available, loaded and infused with sichuan peppercorns and their numbing flavor.

[Daniel]

Lovely Andrew,

Looking forward to reading about and then going to China Chalet.. Thank you for bringing this restaurant to my attention.. I really like Sichuan Crab Dishes..Had a Lobster Monday night over at Grand Sichuan too I often go to China during Crab Season and love to see all the red buckets along the roadside filled with crabs..

I have been making this simple Sichuan Hot Pot and including crabs into them.. From Land of Plenty.. I was wondering if you cook Sichuan in your home and could recommend an English cook book..

Edited March 29, 2006 by Daniel (log)

[andrewhwest]

Daniel,

When you go to China Chalet, mention that you've been to Sichuan and want the real thing. You can also mention that you heard their place was good from the American with the family from Chengdu.

I did teach myself to cook Sichuan dishes using my wife as food critic. I haven't been cooking lately as my in-laws from China have been staying with us and doing the cooking.

I found the Wei-Chuan book series to be very good beginning books, if not as authentic as Land of Plenty. I think that Wei-Chuan's "Chinese Cuisine" and "Chinese Cuisine: Szechwan Style" are both worth buying. That's how I learned how to cook easy stuff like mapo tofu, fishy eggplant, fish-flavor pork, twice-cooked pork. The best thing about these two books is that every recipe has illustrations, which really helps when you are learning a new dish. Then you experiment with the flavors to suit your taste - I always added more sichuan peppercorn, hot bean paste, garlic, ginger, green onions than Wei-Chuan indicated. Shopping for ingredients for the first time in an asian grocery store is challenging, but these books make that process easier too.

I have "Land of Plenty", and it looks good, especially for those already familiar with Chinese cooking, but a lot of the recipes look to be a bit more complicated, less practical than the sort of everyday dishes I typically make. I haven't cooked from it yet, except for a failed pickle experiment.

BTW - I cook hot pot at home sometimes too, wasn't crazy about Dunlop's recommended selection. I suggest making chicken broth yourself and trying some of the pre-packaged hot pot bases fromt the Asian stores. Then get some thin sliced frozen meats - lamb, beef, good Chinese groceries have them ready for hot pot. Sliced Chinese canned spam. I like some thawed frozen fish balls, soaked dried mushrooms, slices of potato. Napa cabbage, mung bean noodles. We just use tons of chopped garlic with pure sesame oil (not an oil blend) as the dipping sauce - the broth tends to drip off your food into the dipping sauce, salting it for you as you go along.

Good luck!

[zhelder]

Wow, those dumplings look great. Too bad this place is way too far for me to go. Does anyone know of any good casual Szechuan/Sichuan restaurants in the Bergen County area (preferably Fair Lawn or Ridgewood area)? I know about China 46 (great, but a bit far to go for a casual quick dinner) and Chengdu (too highbrow for me). Any others around the area?

[percyn]

Daniel, I used to go here for approx 10 yrs when I lived in Princeton. Once they know you like hot food, you will not be leaving there without sweating a bit...but they have to know you.

We usually ordered the Dumplings in hot oil (Chao Shou), the Noodles with pork (Ja Jian Mein) and either a beef with little hot peppers, or pork with little hot (green) peppers. Occassionally the dumpling sauce is a bit watered down, but when it is fresh and thick, the spices really get you in the back of your throat !!

Cheers

Percy

Edited August 20, 2006 by percyn (log)

[twobrain]

Hi twobrain.. Do you have any favorite items you get there?

←

i dont remember what ive had there other than

the spicey beef noodle soup

i think its the ma la niu ro mien