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I wrote my first review of Lao Sze Chuan back in February of this year. In short, I had been looking for what I considered a good Chinese restaurant since Ben Pao closed a couple years ago. Note that I did not say “authentic” Chinese food. I have never been to China, so all my experience with Chinese food has been in American (and a few Peruvian) Chinese restaurants. I have had some delicious food in these places, but people who know tell me it is rarely even close to authentic. I am also told that much of the food at Lao Sze Chaun (website) is much closer to what you would find in China. All that is to say that I have no credentials to judge how authentic the food is or is not, but I can tell you if it is delicious (or not), at least to my taste.

At the time I wrote the first article, I mentioned that Chef Tony Hu, owner of this and several other Chinese restaurants, was something of a celebrity in Chicago, known as “The Mayor of Chinatown,” and an ambassador of sorts between Chicago and China. That changed a few months later when he was charged with wire fraud and money laundering. He pleaded guilty and the case is awaiting sentencing. [Update 11/20/17: Hu was sentenced to a year in jail, a$100,000 fine and $1 million in restitution.] This is a food and travel blog and I normally avoid discussing political or social issues, but this particular elephant in the room was too big for me to completely ignore.

With that unpleasant aside out of the way, let’s turn our attention to the food, shall we?

I love Hot and Sour Soup. It is one of the dishes I use to judge how good a Chinese restaurant is.

This was not the best Hot and Sour Soup I have ever had, but it was very good and I would order it again. First, the broth was rich, flavorful and thick. The balance of hot and sour was good. The mushrooms, tofu and bamboo shoots were plentiful. This is a vegetarian dish but I didn’t miss the meat at all. I’m not sure what the difference between the “House Special” version and the regular version is (both are on the menu without explanation), but maybe I’ll try that next time. There is also a seafood version on the menu. The cilantro leaves on top added a nice bit of freshness, but the sesame seeds, as far as I could tell, were mostly just for looks.

Valeria is a fan of Wonton Soup, so that is what she ordered.

Unlike Valeria, I am not a fan of Wonton Soup. It’s certainly a safe choice, most places, but is bland to my taste. This was fine. The broth had some flavor, rather like a good chicken noodle soup. Saltiness was about right for me, a little too salty for Valeria, which is normal for the two of us. The wontons were large, cooked just right, and filled with (I think) ground pork. Whatever the filling, it was pretty bland. The chopped lettuce and scallion on top added some flavor, texture and visual appeal. Valeria was happy with it, I thought it was kind of bland, which, as I said, I usually do and that’s why I don’t order Wonton Soup anywhere. Your taste may vary!

Last time I was there a bowl of spicy cabbage appeared on my table as soon as I sat down. This time it came with the soup.

This is not kimchi, or at least any kind of kimchi I have had. The cabbage is fresh and crispy and tossed in a house made chili oil. As I said in my previous article, people’s tolerance for spice varies all over the map, so descriptions like “mild,” “spicy,” or “very hot” don’t really mean much. If you think the food at P.F. Chang’s is spicy, this stuff is hot enough to kill you. If you routinely munch on Serrano and Habanero chilis, this is just a nice palate cleanser. If you do like spicy, this is kind of addictive and you keep coming back for more even as your eyes tear up. Chili heads know that feeling!

I ordered a couple of the same dishes I really liked on the previous visit to see if they were consistent and, hopefully, because Valeria would like them, too. The first was Orange Beef Tenderloin.

This is an outstanding version of orange beef. The tenderloin is sliced thin, lightly coated in corn starch (or maybe rice flour) and fried. The sauce is mildly spicy, has a distinct orange flavor, is slightly thickened and very delicious. I only wish there was more sauce on the plate to be soaked up by rice (probably a very American thing to say). The tenderloin is, as it should be, very tender. Most importantly, Valeria also thought it was great.

I tend to order a lot of spicy dishes, so I always try to get one that is not spicy and, ideally, a little on the sweet side. Last time the Crispy Shrimp with Lemon Sauce did the job, so I ordered it again.

As far as I could tell, both of these dishes were identical to the ones that were served on my previous visit. The shrimp were lightly breaded—again, just corn starch, I think—and fried. The slightly crunchy and perfectly cooked crustaceans were coated in a flavorful lemon sauce that was sweetened just enough to balance the sharpness of the citrus. Valeria loved them as much as I did. 

Next, a new dish. Valeria loves sea bass and the Chef’s Special Sea Bass with Chili Bean Sauce caught her eye (mine, too).

The sea bass was just cooked through and the bean sauce was flavorful and had just enough spicy kick to complexify the sauce. It was a generous portion and the leftover half made a perfect breakfast for Valeria the next day.

Arguably the most famous dish at Lao See Chuan is the Chef’s Special Dry Chili Chicken. I ordered it last time and thought it was very tasty, but didn’t like the fact that the delicious chicken bits were hidden in a pile of chili peppers.

If you’d like to try making this at home, you can get the recipe and watch Chef Hu make it by clicking here.

This time, however, I ordered Tony’s Three Chili Chicken.

Good move! This stuff is downright addictive. The chicken is lightly coated in a spicy mixture and fried. The chicken is super moist and tender. I don’t know just what the spice mixture is, but I know that Szechuan (Sichuan) peppercorns are in the mix. 

These are not true peppercorns at all but are actually a dried berry. Szechuan peppercorns are not too spicy (depending on how much you use and your personal tolerance for spiciness), but has a unique, slightly numbing effect on the lips that identifies it right away. Try using it as a seasoning on just about anything. It plays very nicely with ginger and star anise if you want to add even more flavor,

This chicken, to my taste, was much better than the Dried Chili Chicken. It was easier to eat and tasted even better. Did I mention it was addictive? You just keep going back for one more piece.

Valeria and I both love lamb and cumin is a spice that marries well with it, so that was our final choice of the day.

Another nicely spicy dish with lots of flavor from the cumin, Szechuan peppercorns and chilis. I’m guessing there was some garlic and ginger in there, too. If you generally enjoy Chinese food but aren’t necessarily a lamb lover, give this dish a try. You may change your mind about lamb.

You can actually make this dish pretty easily at home, if you are into cooking Chinese. There are variations all around China and outside of China, but here is a basic recipe and method of preparation.

Of course all five entrées were brought out at once (or almost at once) and we mixed and matched them on our plates with some white rice. Our chopstick skills are sort of average American, but each dish was easy to eat with chopsticks. 

I have read many reviews complaining of poor service at Lao See Chuan in each of its locations. On my two visits, the service was neither particularly slow or fast. Certainly not the best in town, but not so slow that I would complain.

One very good sign is that this restaurant is full of Chinese people ordering in Chinese and, from all appearances, enjoying their meals very much.

Perhaps this is a result of eating in too many Chinese-American restaurants, but I do wish the dishes here came with with a little more sauce, at least the ones that are actually served with some sauce. I really like to let that soak into my rice and enjoy it, but maybe that’s just me.

So my conclusion after the second visit is pretty much the same as after the first: I was glad to return, this time with Valeria, and will definitely go again. It’s a good place to take friends and share many plates. The noise level is lively, mostly from conversation, but you can talk fairly easily with your tablemates. 

Lao Sze Chuan Downtown
Address: 520 North Michigan Ave, Suite 420, Chicago, IL 60610
Phone: (312) 595-0888
Reservations: opentable.com
Website: http://www.laoszechuanchicago.net
Dress Code: Smart Casual
Price Range: $30 and under
Hours: Lunch & Dinner Daily, 10:30 am to 12:00 am
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All images were taken with a Sony Alpha a6300 camera and a Sony-Zeiss SEL1670Z Vario-Tessar T E 16-70mm (24-105mm full frame equivalent) F/4 ZA OSS lens or Sony 35mm (52mm full frame equivalent) F/1.8 E-Mount Lens using ambient light. Post-processing in Adobe Lightroom® and Adobe Photoshop® with Nik/Google plugins.