Chili Szechuan, newly resident in the former Green Garden space at 4626 Baltimore, neatly fills the gap between the takeout-only, bulletproof Lucky’s (4710 Baltimore Ave) and the popular, pricier Han Dynasty (3711 Market St). With its varied menu, fresh-tasting ingredients, reasonable prices, and central location, Chili Szechuan will soon be doing brisk business.
I went for eat-in dinner with the family one night, then ordered delivery with co-workers for lunch the next day. The “Chef’s Special” menu offers Szechuan favorites like Dan Dan Noodles ($5.95), spicy/crisp Szechuan Style Cucumber ($5.95), and Mapo Tofu ($9.95), each of which rivals the Han Dynasty versions. Cumin Lamb ($14.95) is just lots of thinly sliced, tender, spice-crusted meat with onion slivers, and the Dry Pot Flavor Jumbo Shrimp ($14.95) packs enough heat to cause temporary but not unpleasant paralysis of the tongue. You can also get the Dry Pot treatment for Fish, Rabbit, Lamb, Frog, Beef, or Chicken, or choose from other Szechuan styles like Pickled Chili Flavor, Salt Backed Flavor, and Tofu Pudding flavor.
If you don’t like flaming spice, there’s the “Americanized” menu. The Sesame Chicken ($11.95) is sweet and gloopy, and the Chicken Lo Mein noodles ($7.25) are dark and tasty. Of the appetizers not marked with hot peppers, the kids liked the flavorful, crispy House Special Chicken ($6.95) and the good quality Boneless Spare Ribs ($5.95), with dipping sauce on the side. The chefs do not skimp on the proteins – there are no extraneous filler vegetables taking up space on your plate. So you’ll want to order a vegetable dish (each $8.95). My co-workers and I tried Eggplant with Garlic Sauce: plump, purple, creamy, perfectly cooked. For lunch, order from the regular menu or get one of the “Combo” specials ($7.25): smaller portions of “Americanized” dishes with a choice of three soups and white, brown, or fried rice. There’s also an eggroll option. My co-workers tried Szechuan Chicken and Cashew Chicken lunch specials – each delicious and a terrific deal.
As with all new ventures, there are some logistical kinks. At the online order portal (www.chiliszechuan.com) I couldn’t input all the variables of the Lunch Special Combos, so I gave up and called it in. My advice for now is to phone or fax. Also you might want to specify that you want rice – we had to ask for it after our eat-in food was served, and it was left out of the lunch order altogether, so we called back and the delivery guy made a second trip.
As for the ambiance of the dining room, I think it’s perfect. Nothing fancy: just clean, warm and pleasant. New, white Ikea dishes. Nice waiter. No music, but I like hearing the drama and clatter beyond the kitchen door. People are coming and going, getting their take out, so wear a sweater for the drafts. Unlike Lucky’s it’s only open ‘til 10:30, and unlike Han Dynasty, there’s no bar, but you can BYO. Be sure to BYO corkscrew or bottle opener, and don’t be surprised to find yourself drinking wine out of ceramic cups. All of these things are good things, in my opinion: at Chili Szechuan, you are paying for the food, and it’s totally worth it.
– Jen
Chili Szechuan 4626 Baltimore Ave Phone: 215-662-0888 Hours: Daily 11:30am-10:30pm Kid-friendly, Delivery, Credit Cards Accepted, Take Out
February 12th, 2013 at 10:11 am
“…each of which rivals the Han Dynasty versions.” And then you list my favorite Han Dynasty dish: cumin lamb. The price points look to be right about where Han’s are, though. Still, sounds like a challenge I might have to accept…
February 12th, 2013 at 10:17 am
I’m so glad you did a story on this place! It is AMAZING–as good or better than Han Dynasty, cheaper, and the staff are nicer. I haven’t tried their website’s online ordering system, but I ordered lunch using Grub Hub and that worked really well.
I’ve been there three times in the last two weeks (approaching addiction?). My favorite dishes were dan dan noodles, mapo tofu, and eggplant in garlic sauce.
Bonus: They deliver past 50th St. (and pretty much all over the city).
February 12th, 2013 at 11:58 am
Thanks for the review. It’s not uncommon for traditional Szechuan cuisine to use meat stocks in the sauces of vegetable or tofu dishes–does anyone know whether that’s the case with Chili Szechuan? If dishes can be prepared vegetarian, I’d love to check it out!
February 12th, 2013 at 1:58 pm
I miss Green Garden!
February 12th, 2013 at 2:53 pm
I have been there once. The eggpalnt with garlic was so oily that my wife could not eat it and I was gassy that night. The brown rice was dried out. I think this was within a week of opening so I am willing to give another chance.
February 13th, 2013 at 2:38 pm
Got food there last night. It was okay, but not nearly as good as Han Dynasty. Eggplant with garlic sauce was too greasy; dry pot shrimp was more dull peppery than flavorful spicy.
February 14th, 2013 at 11:50 am
got the dandan noodles last night and thought it was very good. Glad to have the new addition to the neighborhood. but I do miss Green Garden and the little girl that ran the show.
February 15th, 2013 at 9:10 am
Anyone know why Green Garden closed? Was it due to the fact that there was never anyone in there? I thought it was such a solid Chinese place!
February 15th, 2013 at 12:14 pm
I felt so bad for Green Garden during the dollar strolls. I got a shrimp skewer once that was solid, but there was never a line for them.
February 15th, 2013 at 1:35 pm
The wife and I had a horrible experience with the delivery food. White rice tasted and looked 2 days old and the meat itself was more gristle and fat in our dish. I may try again in a few months if I hear good things, but I was bummed out.
February 20th, 2013 at 9:38 pm
Boo! Lousy service. We placed an order, they offered to deliver, so we said yes. We live around the corner. It didn’t arrive. After an hour I called again. The man told me the order was on its way. A half hour later I called again, he said it was on its way. Twenty minutes later I called to cancel the order, and all the man said was, “It’s on it’s way, it’s on its way.” That was our first and last experience with Chili Szechuan. Maybe the food is good, but the delivery sucks.