Grand Sichuan International - Chinatown
125 Canal Street
(between Chrystie St & Forsyth St)
New York, NY 10002 (212) 625-9212
22 Reviews for Grand Sichuan International - Chinatown
Everything was red and spicy basically...ma po tofu, beef, whole fish, Jja-jjang myun, even the american broccoli! i think i saw some spam w/ hotpot...yikes!
Decor: large parties go downstairs - looks like a mahjong parlor or some1's living room - kinda grimey
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i'm pretty sure this is the one i went to... its past the temple at that corner.
anyway if u order spicey... they throw in a whole bunch of chili peppers... make sure u scoop it out after awhile or ur pot will be piping and u'll breathe spice out ur ears!
i think the stuff here is pretty cheap... tons of food with whatever u order...scallops, meats, lambs, veggies etc...
true szechuan spices is all i can say... definitley be prepared for water downpour!
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Weak!!! This spicy hot pot is not even close to the degree of spicyness it's suppose to be. The real deal is suppose to be so spicy that you're not suppose to let it touch your lips. You're not suppose to even think about eating the cabbage because of all the hot oil it absorbs. Yet we ate that stuff like it was nothing, letting it slop all over our faces. Our faces should have been permantantly damaged.
You can't blame them though. Chinatown is not as authentic as it aught to be. It has become sort of a cliche in my opinion. The taste of the broth seemed to be just salt water with spices. Where's the complexity and aroma of the broth? The places i've been in flushing are better but not anywhere near as good as ones in Taiwan. I actually got really excited when I saw duck blood on the menu since most places only have pigs blood. But it was nothing like real duck blood. Whatever, I should have known better.
I think the wierdest part about this place is that they charge you for condiments. What are usually staples to hot pot, such as the sa cha,scallions, vinegars, are being tacked on the menus as extras. Not cool. Not spicy. Not good.
If you want spicy food this is the place. The highly recommend the Beef Tendon with Hot and Wild peppers. Their other dishes are spicy too so get your water/milk ready.
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Happy Chinese New Year! take 2!
9 of us gathered here for hot pot and boy was it good, but not as good as my grandma's! ;) We got 2 pots, each half spicy and half chicken broth, and ordered a ton of food and beer. Overall we were very happy with our food, and quick service. I would have been happier if we were able to make our own sauces...
Not sure why, but when they wrote down our reservation, they didn't write the name down. So when we got there our table was given away. We figured it out, and was seated before another large waiting party...who promptly left when they saw us being seated. They need to organize their res system.
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If I had to use a song title to describe this place, my pick would be, "Light Your Ass On Fire."
My Southern Chinese taste buds couldn't handle the spicy side of this Western Chinese style hot pot, (think 40+ whole red chili peppers swimming in a quart of broth). I was sweating like Patrick Ewing at the free throw line.
The service is familiar, meaning, yell your order over the room if you have to to get what you want. Waiting politely will only get you ignored. They're not rude. They're just busy.
By the end of the meal, my mouth was numb and I didn't feel cold walking back in subzero weather.
If you think you can handle spicy, this is a place to try. For me, I'm going to lay it on the line and call myself a wuss, particularly after spending half the next day in the restroom because my ass was on fire.
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Ummm, they seated us in the basement. To be honest, they asked us if we wanted to sit in the basement first -- but we sure as hell didn't know what that meant. Then they led the four of us through the maze of noisy tables in the main dining room, down some stairs in the back, and into a large room that had 'office' written on the door. It was an office. With a desk and futon and two dinner tables placed in the middle of the room The other dinner table was taken by a large group of asian tourists, which ensured that there wasn't dead silence in the room during dinner. It was strange to say the least, but we just rolled with the punches and i'm glad we did.
A chinese friend dragged us here to get hotpot and it turned out to be really fun and delicious, even if i did burn myself when i grabbed onto the HOTpot.
After we finished communicating our order, the waitress recommended/required we ordered 6 more hotpot items, which seemed strange (pressure selling?) but ended up being a very good call as we had just the right amount of food.
The interesting thing about the hotpot broth is that it gets better as the meal goes on -- the items cooked in it give the broth more flavor and it also becomes more concentrated as some of the water boils away. By the end, i was ready to pick it up and drink straight from the hotpot..but i had already learned my lesson about touching the pot.
Not including our drinks and the tip, the bill came to $77 for 4, so figure about $22 each.
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In response to a previous review, while New York Times stars are not as difficult to garner as Michelin stars, being awarded one star does actually mean something. The system is out of 4 stars and a 1 star restaurant is at least good. That is most definitely not a contradiction to Grand Sichuan's Zagat rating especially when you consider that precious few restaurants in Chinatown get popular media exposure.
Yea, the Grand Sichuan in Chinatown (around the corner from the Fung Wah Bus) might be a bit dingy and look a bit worn in, but that's a result of it having been open and serving up delicious food for so many years. Think of it this way, Les Halles, the much hyped French Bistro, is dingy looking and rough around the edges. And, for a while everyone wanted to copy that look. At Grand Sichuan, you're getting that rustic, bistro feel and you're getting it authentically.
Food at Grand Sichuan is delicious especially if you like straight up, mouth on fire, gonna-feel-this-coming-out spicy Szechuan food. As Ryan T. mentioned, I always get the fu qi fei pian and the beef with small hot peppers when I go. I'd recommend getting some sort of stir fried vegetable (like kong xin cai) that isn't hot just so you can give your mouth a break cuz Grand Sichuan doesn't just settle on setting your mouth on fire, it wants you to remember it! And, it hurts so good... The one thing it won't hurt is your wallet, though. You can honestly eat til you explode here and still have some to bring home and spend less than $15.
Oh also, in regards to the men eating out of a giant pot mentioned in another post, that's Grand Sichuan's famous hot pot. I've been told by many that the hot pot here is the best in Chinatown. Particularly the hot and spicy broth that will absolutely blow your hair back. I haven't tried it myself yet but I do intend to. Probably in the winter though, because during the summer a big hot pot especially one that is as fiery spicy as I expect it will be is probably a little too much.
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I had fun here with my party of 15, but I have to object to the price range that's been set by other yelpers. Most of the hot pot items are in the range of $4-$7, so eating for less than $10 is unlikely. Sure, it's a place where you'll go with your friends, as I did, but to really get a feed on, you'll have to drop $20 or so apiece. I didn't even leave full. A giant slice of Sicilian from the San Genaro fest almost filled that void.
But still, the vegetarian stock is chock full of chillies. Be prepared to be set ablaze. I have to contest Olivia C's review, because the place was impeccable. Nice looking joint. It's fun time all around, but I'd like to nominate this place for another $, bringing it to $$ for dinner, at least.
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Decided to check out their hot pot offerings after reading the rave reviews about this place. The restaurant itself was very humid and grimey. They seem to be too cheap to turn on the AC. This place is probably first restaurant I have been to outside of hole in the wall places that doesn't turn on the AC. Anyway getting to the hot pot. We had the half normal broth and half spicey broth pot along an assortment of meats and vegetables. The spicey broth was indeed spicey. It didn't taste spicey but after you ate from it, your nasal passages would be cleared in an instant. I have to say though the meats and vegetables weren't particular fresh.
The service was ok but not great. It seem to take a while for them to bring out our hot pot. I also got weird vibes from the owners, always looming about watching you like hawks ready to swoop down and rip you off. The prices here were pretty high for what you get. They make you buy everything for your hot pot separately which I found very odd. Most decent hot pot places I have been have everything inclusive. 7 bucks each for a plate of thinly sliced two dollar beef and pork? Five bucks for a plate of fifty cent cubes of tofu? Another five for green vegetables?! Hey folks you can buy these ingredients for dirt cheap at the local Chinese grocery store.
The owners probably make a killing her off unsuspecting Americans. Overall their hot pot was just ok, not great. I have had better hot pot elsewhere.
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i don't have much to say other than that i had the hot pot here, half spicy with beef and half regular with chicken. it was soo damn good. i'm not a hot pot expert (it was my first), but i have to say it was my favorite chinese meal ever probably. the restaurant interior and service are nothing special at all, but the food more than makes up for it. all the raw ingredients were fresh and the meat was good, although it did seem that the chinese couple sitting across the table from me did have much leaner beef than mine, but whatever, it was still great.
oh, one suggestion would be to take out all the chili's from the spicy broth immediately or soon after it arrives cause that stuff is HOT!
Grand Sichuan in Chinatown is a great place for sichuan style cooking. Get ready for some spice and bring on the heat (and glasses of ice water) as you dive into hot chili oil drenched dishes. There are alternative less spicy dishes, but if you're their for the sichuan food, all of it should be pretty damn hot. Check out the dan dan mian, the fu chi fei pian, the hot small peppers and beef, and the tofu casserole (non-spicy) to have a meal for kings. The hot pot is supposed to be pretty good here as well - you can choose from a spicy or plain broth.
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Grand Sick One.
Place is great--for a Law and Order Crime Scene.
Exposed wires. Ripped up carpet. Men eating out of a giant pot. Raw meat dripping off one of the dining tables.
Zagat, I ask you, is anything sacred? :( "Highest rating for food among Chinese restaurants by Zagat survey in 1999-2007."
Then this contradiction, that I think got lost in translation. "1 star awarded" by NY Times in October 1997.
The veggie fried rice is kinda nice, kinda dry; fresh scrambled egg on top of a trough of white rice and canned peas and carrots.
Grand Sichuan was the closest place I could find on the block near the Fung Wah bus to Boston, though yes, I'm lazy, there are plenty of great places to eat in Chinatown near by..
I might be ignorant to this particular cuisine but my "sweet stick rice ball soup" dessert, more like a desert, looked and tasted and smelled like it had sand in it. Cloudy water with pasty tasteless sand dumplings. It reminded my of Rockaway and the creatures I would capture and let go in a similar plastic pail.
I ate my Grand Sichuan on the Fung Wah, cursed and threw most of it because I was seriously frightened of that dessert.
I will not die this way on the Fung Wah!
And what is up with the digital clock/time bomb on the wall that shows milliseconds. I don't need my fast food thaat fast and I'm certainly not counting down New Year's here. There could be some good authentic food here too but I'm just so very scared.
Pluses. A view of the traffic before the stately Manhattan bridge. Cheeeapp food.
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I've been to Grand Sichuan twice now for hot pot, most recently bringing my parents there. At the end of it, my dad claimed it was his favorite
Chinese meal ever. And growing up in NYC, we've eaten a lot of Chinese food over the years. It was jam packed so we sat with a few other small groups at a large family size table, which was an interesting experience but ended up being fun. And yes, the service isn't that great, and its warm inside.
But the hot pot is where its at. All the ingredients we had seemed very fresh, contrary to what some other reviews said, and top quality. We got half spicy broth, half regular broth, and as always, the spicy broth is very spicy. But the dipping sauces, especially the garlic sauce, are outstanding, so they can make up for the mild broth's blandness if you want to avoid the spice. All around, a great place for a group of people. Our meal was exactly $20/person, including drinks, and we left stuffed!
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I really, really wanted to try the hot pot. Unfortunately, there is a $20 minimum on this item and the waiter said that it is more of a group item. Next time I will bring the foot ball team.
Best Hot Pot in the City!
I don't know if this location in Chinatown is the original Grand Sichuan, but it is by far better than any of the other locations I've tried.
You have to know what to order though... the authentic Chinese dishes are superb.
I highly recommend going with a big group of people and ordering the hotpot, half regular broth and half Spicy broth. and make sure you get an order of rice cakes and clear noodles to throw in the broth... you won't regret it~
Their wontons in hot oil are also fantastic... we always get two orders they're so good!
And the couple who own the restaurant are so cute! They're super sweet and adorable~
I am usually not a fan of really spicy food but this place is so good that I can't help myself! Can't stop eating it!!
Spiciest restaurant in town!!
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Ok so - it took me forever to make sure this was the right Sezhwan place (the map shows it on the wrong corner - it's actually between Bowery and Christie, not forsyth and Christie) but after much googling - i think this is it...
Fantastic! As with all things, eat what they make best (you don't go to MacDonald's for Salad so don't eat general Sweet and Sour pork in a Sezchwan place) Order the hot pot (and i mean HOT) with the partition so you can have the AMAZING spicy broth and the mild chicken stock (which would make your Jewish grandmother jealous) from there you can add whatever tickles your fancy...from sliced beef to duck tongue it's all good so don't be shy and throw caution and comfort to the wind and sweat your way through it....
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Amazing lunch deals! Soup, rice and a delicious main course, all for less than $4. In the middle of NYC! Plus it's right next to the Fung Wah bus stop, so it makes for a perfect pre- or post-trip meal.
Beware, however, that this cuisine is spicy - if you can't take the heat, you may be better off looking elsewhere.
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The Dan Dan Mein is stunningly hot and outrageously good. It's like eating electricity - but in a good way. Among the best cheap light lunches in the United States.
This an excellent sichuan restaurant, which is especially nice since, to my knowledge, it is the only exclusively sichuan restaurant in chinatown. Some of the dishes may be a little unusual to those accustomed to chinese fast food, but there are plenty of safe choices for anyone, as long as they like spicy food. I almost always order the kung bao style chicken and potatos. The dan dan noodles are also really good, but unbelievably spicy. The only time I ordered them I brought them on the fung wah bus without any water or bread, and really regretted it.
incredible - outside of one or two restaurants in boston, i have to give this place top billing for the Most Authentic Chinese food i've ever had in the contiguous 48 states. exactly what a foursome of homegrown mainland chinese childhood friends need on the eve of a reunion celebrating 7+ years of friendship. on our table: szechuan-style eggplant with garlic sauce and minced pork, general tso's tofu and mixed vegetables, stir-fried spinach in garlic sauce, steamed fish in blackbean sauce, and fresh seafood soup.
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one of my fav in town for spicy chinese . go for HOT POT . those who are scared of eating out of a giant pot are fucking lamers, period.
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