Reviews for Lao Sze Chuan (Downtown) in Chicago, IL
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 mapotofu was among the best I've had in my life-extremely flavorful, soft tofu, and a very generous portion (this could be said foreverything we ate!) Not too spicy, but enough to make you feel alive. The dry chili chicken was straight up addicting. I couldnot stop eating it. So crispy and juicy! I loved it. My personal highlight though was something we didn't even order. It wasserved as a sort of accouterment before our other food came out: lettuce shreds coated in chili oil? Not quite sure, but thiswas a fantastic accompaniment to each dish and I actually finished the plate before the rest of our food even came out. Felt noshame asking for another portion. Read more
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 amix up in the end with our cash but that was just a misunderstanding). If you're thristy as well there is a bubble tea placeacross the way that the restaurant is partnered with. You can order from then while waiting for your food and pick them upbefore you eat. Will definitely come back next time I'm in town! Read more
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!! ??? is a must. The only thing that disappointed us was ????. It was not really like the ????we usuallyhave in Asia. Overall, I would definitely come back to try more food. Read more
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'reapproaching from the street level, you're going to need to take the elevator up. You didn't miss it! If you are dining inbefore 8pm you can order boba tea from the nearby shop and have it delivered to your table. Read more
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 anappetite 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 tellpeople where I got it from. Great place. Give it a try! Read more
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 toooily. Seems the chefs over-Americanize the cooking to cater the non-Asian preference: deep fry + bread coat combo. But the realauthentic way of cooking does not have the chicken breaded or fried and it shall be bone-on. I ordered the rice ball as desertand it was cooked in sweet rice wine. This is very authentic and I like it. Read more
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 thinkthere should have been more added. It really brought out the flavor which made them irresistable!! The beef brisket noodle wasalluring 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 wellcan handle that! Overall the atmosphere was really nice! :) Read more
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 homelierrestaurants in Chinatown, and at lower cost. For me, this restaurant's main draw would be its large variety and authenticity; Ifelt little love through the dishes. Read more