Lao Sze Chuan (Downtown) Reviews
Submitted by Vijay Joshi on 07/31/2022
Vijay Joshi 5 stars rating.
We absolutely loved Lao Sze Chuan. Stumbled into it on accident and had an absolute ball. We ordered the dry chili chicken, mapo tofu, and green beans. The beans were okay, a bit salty for my taste, but not bad. That is where the negatives end!
The mapo tofu was among the best I've had in my life-extremely flavorful, soft tofu, and a very generous portion (this could be said for everything we ate!) Not too spicy, but enough to make you feel alive. The dry chili chicken was straight up addicting. I could not stop eating it. So crispy and juicy! I loved it.
My personal highlight though was something we didn't even order. It was served as a sort of accouterment before our other food came out: lettuce shreds coated in chili oil? Not quite sure, but this was a fantastic accompaniment to each dish and I actually finished the plate before the rest of our food even came out. Felt no shame asking for another portion.
Tim Cheng 3 stars rating.
The food was good but I felt it lacked the last bit of attention to detail that would have made it great. The Peking duck was tasty but came cold, and was not crispy. The dry hot pot met expectations, but better dry hot pot can be had in homelier restaurants in Chinatown, and at lower cost. For me, this restaurant's main draw would be its large variety and authenticity; I felt little love through the dishes.
Submitted by Tim Cheng on 08/21/2022
Susan Zhang 3 stars rating.
If you are looking for traditional authentic Sichuan food, this is not the one. Please don’t order the dry pot, too salty and oily. Service is not good.
Submitted by Susan Zhang on 08/16/2022
MIngo JC 5 stars rating.
Good, good, good. A crab rangoon is a real crab Rangoon. It would be best if you grabbed it.
This price is quite expensive, but it is reasonable for downtown Chicago. Lastly, my bill included the services charge of 20%.
Submitted by Mingo Jc on 07/27/2022
NerdyAndNatural 5 stars rating.
We went during the weekend but there was no wait for a table even though it was packed. I order the Spicy Beef Brisket Noodle Soup(?) which was nice and spicy. Food was amazing even though I couldn't eat it all and service was great (though there was a mix up in the end with our cash but that was just a misunderstanding). If you're thristy as well there is a bubble tea place across the way that the restaurant is partnered with. You can order from then while waiting for your food and pick them up before you eat. Will definitely come back next time I'm in town!
Submitted by Nerdyandnatural on 07/10/2022
Serene H. 4 stars rating.
It’s such a pleasure to finally visit this place. The intestines were soooo goood. It had the decent spice on the intestines. They did a good job!! æ²¸é¨°éš is a must. The only thing that disappointed us was 蒜泥白肉. It was not really like the 蒜泥白肉we usually have in Asia. Overall, I would definitely come back to try more food.
Submitted by Serene H. on 06/17/2022
Gabriel 5 stars rating.
Lao Sze Chuan is worth a visit! The food is consistently delicious and you can even catch a peek of the food preparation in the glass-walled kitchen. The real star of this place is the duck, so make sure you at least order the duck fried rice.
If you're approaching from the street level, you're going to need to take the elevator up. You didn't miss it!
If you are dining in before 8pm you can order boba tea from the nearby shop and have it delivered to your table.
Submitted by Gabriel on 06/14/2022
Shay Today 4 stars rating.
It was a great experience. Came here with friends from work and it was amazing. The food was very tasty. I got the Mapo Tofu and it was very good and spicy. I love spice but beware...if you can't handle the heat, avoid the spicy entrees. Come with an appetite because you will get your money's worth. I left with a doggy bag but still excited to eat it for lunch so I can tell people where I got it from. Great place. Give it a try!
Submitted by Shay Today on 05/27/2022
Cidane CG 3 stars rating.
It was amazing to see the Lao Sze Chuan near DC, which I visited almost a decade ago, is indeed one branch of theirs. Despite of their success in expanding business, taste is less impressive. In my possibly demanding opinion, the spicy fried chicken is too oily. Seems the chefs over-Americanize the cooking to cater the non-Asian preference: deep fry + bread coat combo. But the real authentic way of cooking does not have the chicken breaded or fried and it shall be bone-on. I ordered the rice ball as desert and it was cooked in sweet rice wine. This is very authentic and I like it.
Submitted by Cidane Cg on 02/14/2022
Colton Barney 4 stars rating.
It was good and authentic, staff was very nice.
The soup dumplings were absolutely amazing and I would have liked to just flat out order 4 full plates of them cause they were so good.
The string beans had a strange smell to them which was off putting. Yet the taste was immaculate. So I am in between on them.
The Sze chuan dumpling was good. The sauce was delicious but I think there should have been more added. It really brought out the flavor which made them irresistable!!
The beef brisket noodle was alluring in smell. The real kicker is the broth. It's worth every sip. It's a bit spicy, but anyone who can't handle spice well can handle that!
Overall the atmosphere was really nice! :)
Submitted by Colton Barney on 02/05/2022
