The Snowlady Chronicles: In Search of Authentic Szechuan Food in NYC

August 12, 2011

In Search of Authentic Szechuan Food in NYC

Friday August 12, 2011

LAX

June Gloom in August

While in NYC, I try and have French, Italian, Middle Eastern, Jewish and Chinese Food. Although they say LA (ie, Monterrey Park) have the best Chinese, it's a hike. Nothing like Manhattan where everything is maximum 30 minutes away.

One of my favorite Chinese dishes of all time is Ma-Po Tofu. It started in Japan. I remember going to Takashimaya at Yokohama station with my mother and sister over the weekend for shopping. We used to stop at this Chinese restaurant that had Ma-Po Tofu Teishoku (lunch special). It was my favorite. My mother, when cooking Chinese for dinner would always make Ma-Po Tofu with either a stir fried chicken dish or her famous pepper steak. Her Ma-Po tofu though was the best.

So it was natural that the first Chinese dish I learned to make was Ma-Po Tofu. To this day, when I feel blue or a bit under the weather, I make Ma-Po Tofu as it is comfort food for me. Now this is odd for many Westerners as Ma-Po Tofu is a classic Szechuan dish so is SPICY! But I love it. Over the years, I've made several different versions of Ma-Po Tofu: miso based, fermented black bean sauce based, etc. And now that Szechuan peppercorns can be legally bought in the US, I make a quite authentic Szechuan Ma-Po Tofu.

So when my BFFs Ray and Susan introduced me to Szechuan Gourmet on 56th street close to 8th avenue, I was a bit skeptical. But given both are experts in Chinese food (they are Chinese American and have lived in Hong Kong - THE capital of exquisite Chinese food) I gave it a chance. And I'm glad I did. It was FABULOUS! It is so good, that I've been back there several times. And I have to say their Ma-Po Tofu is one of the best I've had. I wish I knew how to make it like they do.

Szechuan Gourmet Pork Dumplings: So delicate and very good

Dan Dan Noodles - another very popular and SPICY Szechuan dish

Ma-Po Tofu: Tofu casserole with minced pork, lots of garlic and chile. Delish but makes you sweat!

Another specialty: Stir Fried Pork Belly with Leeks

I guess I should have started this blog with a description of Szechuan food. Szechuan food comes from?? yes, Sichuan province in southwestern China. It's famous for the liberal use of garlic and chile, 2 of my favorite ingredients. The capital of the Sichuan province is Chengdu which UNESCO has designated to be a city of Gastronomy in 2011. So someday I'd like to visit and experience authentic Szechuan cuisine.

And a couple of weeks ago while in NYC, Susan Ray and I decided to check out Legends Chinese Restaurant in Chelsea because the nytimes wrote an extremely positive review. So, naturally, we had to check it out. Unfortunately, the word got out so it was chaos in the restaurant. (The bar ran out of club soda!) Anyhow, we got a table and ordered a feast . Susan and Ray's friend also joined us but we still had enough food for say 8 people! So we had our usual: dan dan noodles, dumpling, ma-po tofu, stir fried pork belly. But we also added their home made house noodle and hot/spicy/crispy prawns. Unfortunately, the service was pretty bad, but the food was excellent except for the dumplings. The dumplings were not as good as Szechuan gourmet. But the Ma-Po tofu..... THE BEST. I have to say better than Szechuan Gourmet which I thought was impossible. Dan Dan Noodles were also good, but we liked Szechuan Gourmet better. Stir fried pork belly? I didn't have any as was stuffed with Ma-Po tofu but my dinner companions thought it was comparable to Szechuan Gourment. The prawns? LOVED IT! And the home made noodles - so, so. I definitely want to go back again when things calm down.

Legends Dan Dan Noodles