Famous Sichuan is the Real Deal

I was there a week ago Saturday night. The food was excellent.

Dan Dan noodles - as good as any I've had around the city

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Stir-Fried Minced Chicken w. Pine Nuts and Lettuce - this was the 2nd time we had this. Last time I thought it was very good but needed a bit more heat. I mentioned it this time around and they upped the spice level. Terrific. I haven't seen this dish at other restaurants in years. Believe me, I've looked.

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Shredded Beef w. Spicy Dried Bean Curd - the first time I had this here. An excellent version.

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Roasted Beef Filet w. Bean Curd Sauce - Tender full flavored beef, perfectly cooked and a generous portion of ma po tofu. Another dish I haven't seen elsewhere

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A bonus - a girl wearing a skull jacket!

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Now it's possible that the old chef left that evening for greener pastures when the restaurant closed that night, never to return. Or maybe he didn't. (We've got one report about one dish.) Or maybe the old chef took a night off. Or maybe the new guy doesn't do a good job with lobsters. We'll just have to wait a while and find out.

Bob Martinez in Manhattan

Famous Sichuan is the Real Deal

"Famous Sichuan used to be my favorite Chinese restaurant. "

One bad meal and you cross it off your list? Wow. You're strict.

Bob Martinez in Manhattan

Changing face of East 6th Street

I know what you mean. In the 1980s Passage to India was pretty good. In the mid 2000s Angon was fine to very good.

Bob Martinez in Manhattan

Hakkasan - new luxury Chinese restaurant in Midtown

I agree completely. In my post of April 24th I said as much -

"I think almost all of us who respect Chinese food would like some higher end options in new York. Places with nicer decor, more ambient lighting, smoother service and yes, some great dishes that you can't get at the dozens of very good "bright lights" places around the city. We'd also be willing to pay more for it if the price/perfomance ratio were right.

There's no reason a place like that can't be successful charging around $130 for dinner for two. I'd give something like that a try assuming I heard good things about the food."

Bob Martinez in Manhattan

Hakkasan - new luxury Chinese restaurant in Midtown

"What is it? What is this fixation about regarding what seems to be the cheap+good food syndrome (plus toilets that make you throw up) attitude in NYC?"

I think you have to get the "good" part right before you tack on the "expensive" part.

BTW, where are you getting that "toilet" stuff? I ask because although you've posted extensively and knowledgeably about Chinese food I see that you've never posted on the Manhattan board. (I only read back over 10 pages of your posts. Forgive me if you posted something back in 2008.) Are you fully familiar with NY Chinese restaurants? There are plenty of very good ones which boast clean bathrooms as well.

The choice isn't between Hakkasan and some dump.

Bob Martinez in Manhattan

Hakkasan - new luxury Chinese restaurant in Midtown

Pete Wells' review should drop next month. I suspect you'll find it problematic as well.

Bob Martinez in Manhattan

Hakkasan - new luxury Chinese restaurant in Midtown

Adam Platt weighs in -

"Hakkasan Is Ruby Foo’s for Rich People"

http://newyork.grubstreet.com/2012/05/hakkasan_adam_platt.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+nymag%2Fgrubstreet+%28Grub+Street+-+nymag.com%27s+Food+and+Restaurant+Blog%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

Bob Martinez in Manhattan

Park Slope lunch with Dad

More on CDF - http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/741378

Bob Martinez in Outer Boroughs

Park Slope lunch with Dad

Al Di La on 5th Ave. is open for lunch and not all that far away. Camp Di Fiore, also on 5th Ave., serves very good Roman style pizza in a pleasant atmosphere. Dad might like both those choices.

Bob Martinez in Outer Boroughs

Googa Mooga Food Festival in Prospect Park

It was the "katy" part that fooled me. Apologies.

Bob Martinez in Outer Boroughs

Googa Mooga Food Festival in Prospect Park

Now I get it. It was all Katydid's fault.

Eater has posted a bunch of Tweets from journalists and food industry types that pretty much say the same thing as her.

http://ny.eater.com/archives/2012/05/the_25_best_tweets_about_the_great_googamooga.php

Yelpers weren't kind either.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-great-googamooga-festival-brooklyn

Bob Martinez in Outer Boroughs

help! unidentified Tribeca tiny restaurant

"doesn't seem to be any further space in back or upstairs (at least not from my quick look)"

Maybe he missed it? If your suggestion isn't the right place he can check Peppolino out. It's right in that micro-neighborhood.

Bob Martinez in Manhattan

help! unidentified Tribeca tiny restaurant

Peppolino?

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&safe=off&gbv=2&biw=1280&bih=598&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=pepolino+nyc&fb=1&gl=us&hq=pepolino&hnear=0x89c24fa5d33f083b:0xc80b8f06e177fe62,New+York,+NY&cid=0,0,13974253834928951587&ei=bE-1T9PgCqme6AGgg7DfDw&sa=X&oi=local_result&ct=image&resnum=1&ved=0CBoQ_BIwAA

Bob Martinez in Manhattan

Favorite Paper Towel?

Bounty for me too. The ads are absolutely true - it's stronger and more absorbent than the others. It's not the cheapest but it's the best. Offsetting the cost is the fact that you'll use less sheets to do the same job.

Bob Martinez in Not About Food

Iconic NYC Restaurants?

Calling Sammy's "not so good" is like saying Mike Tyson has "a bit of a temper."

Bob Martinez in Manhattan

Famous Sichuan is the Real Deal

I think when I finally break my pork belly fast that will be the dish I do it with.

Bob Martinez in Manhattan

Famous Sichuan is the Real Deal

I thought you'd been there already. You always beat me everywhere. :-)

Bob Martinez in Manhattan

Famous Sichuan is the Real Deal

There’s a back story to this place. Let me take you back to the early 1980s. Reagan was president, disco was in the air and Szechuan food had recently arrived in NY. Life was tougher then. Unlike today you couldn’t find terrific Sichuan restaurants in every neighborhood - you had to make a pilgrimage to Flushing or Chinatown and even there the pickings were sparse. But if you looked hard, you could find them. A fine example was the House of Taiwan on Pell Street.

At that time Sichuan food in New York was still evolving. The menus were considerably shorter than Sichuan restaurants today but they still had food that you couldn’t get anywhere else. House of Taiwan was executing beautifully. They served robustly flavored Kung Pao dishes, their General Tso’s chicken had real heat to it and the Chungking chicken was laced with plenty of red chilies. The place was great. They didn’t just pile on the spices – this was a careful kitchen and all the dishes had real balance.

I regularly took my kids there. They were 5 and 6 and they loved it – Chinatown was like a trip to another world. Narrow streets. Exotic sights. From the sidewalk you could watch giant carp swimming in tanks. It was at House of Taiwan where my kids learned to eat Sichuan and use chopsticks. The restaurant closed in the mid 1980s and we mourned it.

Flip the calendar ahead almost 30 years and the same storefront that housed House of Taiwan now contains Famous Sichuan. It’s almost enough to make you believe in mystical connections. The best part of all is that Famous Sichuan is a fully worthy successor.

We’ve gone twice. In terms of décor it’s your standard bright lights Chinese place, maybe a cut above most. Pleasant enough.

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They serve a predominately Chinese crowd with a sprinkling of Westerners. Service was good on the first visit but the place was only 40% full. The second time around they were doing a really good business. Unfortunately this forced us to be assertive in flagging down servers to get additional rounds of drinks and later, the check. I can live with that.

On to the food. (Keep in mind that we’re describing 2 separate meals here. There are limits to how much even we can eat.)

Starters –

Sichuan wontons with red oil – A very good version in a city that lately is filled with equally worthy examples.

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Stir fried minced chicken with pine nuts and lettuce. – This was a sentimental choice. The great Hwa Yuan in Flushing used to serve a roughly similar dish in the late 1980s. It was a wonderful blend of diced chicken, celery, pine nuts, and hot spices. This one was good in its own way but they skimped on the pine nuts, an essential ingredient.

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Sichuan wontons w. pepper sauce – Reading the menu, this seemed like an interesting variation on the standard wontons in hot oil. On the plate it was fine but overbalanced by an excess of vinegar. Assuming that’s what they intended there’s no reason to order this again.

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Chengdu Noodles w. spicy sesame sauce – This appeared with the cold dishes but is actually served at room temperature. It was excellent. It wasn’t mentioned on the menu but the noodles contain bits of crispy bean sprouts that added a nice crunch and freshness. The overall flavor was distinct from the standard dan dan and cold sesame noodles but every bit as good as the best versions I’ve had of those dishes. A keeper. (I really need to start taking notes – these descriptions are somewhat imprecise.)

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On to the mains –

Sautéed Fresh pork bacon with spicy sauce. – Our old friend Enhanced Pork (from Spicy & Tasty), aka pork belly with chili leeks (Szechuan Gourmet). This was a very good version but I ordered it in a moment of weakness. I need to put a pork belly moratorium into effect. I’m becoming jaded even by excellent examples.

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Braised Beef Filet with Napa Cabbage – This is a close relative of the braised chili beef we get at Grand Sichuan House in Bay Ridge. Like its sibling dish there’s a dusting of spices on top that needed to be mixed in. (If you don’t do this you’ll blow the top of your head off.) We love the version at GSH (an 8.5 or 9 out of 10) but this was a 10. The beef was wonderfully tender and flavorful. Even when you mix it carefully it’s not a dish for sissies. This was hot stuff.

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Roasted beef filet in bean curd sauce – This was ordered on a different visit than the preceding dish. The beef was meltingly tender but the spicing was different and the inclusion of silken tofu changed the flavor profile entirely. This was an excellent dish, which is a surprising verdict for me. I dislike the consistency of even the best made silken tofu (I prefer tofu cooked to a firmer texture) but this dish won me over.

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Stir friend chicken w. spicy capsicum – This was a great version of a dish that’s become a standard at better Sichuan restaurants around the city. If you haven’t tasted it you’ll really enjoy it here. If you’re familiar with it unless you’ve got a specific craving you may want to try something new. It’s a very good kitchen so your chances of getting something different and memorable are high.

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Portions ranged from generous to very large. The large dishes are priced proportionately at around $17 or $18. If we were moderate people we could easily have shared one of the larger entrees but we wanted to taste everything. The leftovers are sitting in our fridge.

Based on a couple of visits I’m adding Famous Sichuan to the ever growing list of first rate Chinese restaurants around the city. I am also disproportionately pleased that an excellent Sichuan restaurant is operating on the site of the legendary House of Taiwan.

Bob Martinez in Manhattan

What's good near the last R stop in Bay Ridge?

And of course, there's Embers Steakhouse.

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/242415

Bob Martinez in Outer Boroughs

Szechuan Gourmet/Flushing vs. Hunan Kitchen Grand Sichuan/Flushing

I haven't been to Hunan Kitchen but I was underwhelmed by Szechuan Gourmet in Flushing. (The one in Manhattan is terrific.)

Spicy and Tasty remains excellent. If you have access to a car Little Pepper, on College Point Blvd, is excellent as well.

Bob Martinez in Outer Boroughs

What's good near the last R stop in Bay Ridge?

Grand Sichuan House is very good.

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/461890

Bob Martinez in Outer Boroughs

Anyone tried Hot Kitchen on 2nd Ave?

I'm really glad you liked it.

Bob Martinez in Manhattan

Smorgasburg: What a Pretentious Rip Off.....

I don't have "anger" for Smorgasburg, I have *scorn* for the specific places I mentioned. I didn't have to go hunting to find them either. The places I mocked had the biggest lines. They were the most popular.

My post on Smorgasburg wasn't a scientific evaluation. I didn't go up and down the aisles and assign quality/price-value scores to each and every stand. It was based on overall impressions.

I don't doubt that you can get some good things at Smorgasburg (although you'll probably pay through the nose for them.) What comes along with it are plenty of twee vendors and equally twee customers who think they're saving the planet by growing beans in their backyard.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7225/6992931710_0c6a9fc0b7_o.jpg

Aside from some well directed scorn I think a lot of this stuff is pretty funny. I am not alone.

http://video.ca.msn.com/watch/video/brian-williams-media-story-of-2010-ny-times-discovers-brooklyn/17y31vwo0

Bob Martinez in Outer Boroughs

NY first-timer with adventurous palate

I strongly second Bohemian Hall. You'll want to be sure it's a bright sunny day at this time of year. Hit it on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/64756738@N00/sets/72157624851447387/show/

Bob Martinez in Outer Boroughs

McCormick Spice - Ground Cumin

I agree. I've been doing that for years. There's no reason to buy McCormick if you can find an alternative.

Bob Martinez in General Chowhounding Topics

Hakkasan - new luxury Chinese restaurant in Midtown

What I saw was a bunch of people firing questions at IG trying to trip him up in order to discredit his review.

Bob Martinez in Manhattan

Hakkasan - new luxury Chinese restaurant in Midtown

"I may be wrong, but it's precisely what the majority of New Yorkers think about "Chinese" or "Asian" food, it seems to me. *Not* necessarily Chowhounders."

Well sure. Those were Zagat's lists, a type of People's Choice awards. Not necessarily the people who know much about Chinese food.

There were a couple of recent threads on the better Chinese restaurants in NYC that I would recommend.

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/838991

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/844445

Bob Martinez in Manhattan

Hakkasan - new luxury Chinese restaurant in Midtown

The first 2 links were all fusion places. Chinese food for people afraid of actual Chinese restaurants.

The last one was somewhat better although it still contained some clunkers like Shun Lee and Chin Chin. Xi'an Famous Foods is fine for what it is but it's basically a food stand. To call it a restaurant is a misnomer.

That list also left off plenty of worthy contenders. Honestly, I think mainstream websites really aren't very good at identifying the best Chinese restaurants.

Bob Martinez in Manhattan

Hakkasan - new luxury Chinese restaurant in Midtown

What I liked about your review and InsolentGourmet's is that you didn't review the restaurant you wanted Hakkasan to be, you reviewed the restaurant it actually *is* and applied reasonable benchmarks to evaluate it.

I think almost all of us who respect Chinese food would like some higher end options in new York. Places with nicer decor, more ambient lighting, smoother service and yes, some great dishes that you can't get at the dozens of very good "bright lights" places around the city. We'd also be willing to pay more for it if the price/perfomance ratio were right.

There's no reason a place like that can't be successful charging around $130 for dinner for two. I'd give something like that a try assuming I heard good things about the food.

Bob Martinez in Manhattan