Szechuan House

This is an interesting place.

My wife and I were hungry and driving home from the ferry and just kind of saw this place and went "we should get some take out".  I checked the reviews and they were mixed but went in and perused the menu.  She wanted ginger beef so I asked if they had ginger beef and got laughed at.  I was minorly embarrassed as a silly white person but asked for a recommendation and was told the Kung Po Chicken was good.  I ordered that, hot and sour soup, and tan tan noodles.  The interior of the restaurant is quite simple - white tablecloths, not too much decoration. 

Anyway, the food was interesting.  Hot and sour soup is my favourite usually and this was probably 7/10 - well made, a little different, maybe a little too peppery for my tastes.  The Kung Po Chicken I am having a lot of trouble deciding my own opinion on.  My wife didn't like it but I found the spicy oily sauce to be super interesting.  I keep going back for more with the leftovers.  The chicken is sort of scrappy but not necessarily in a bad way.  It kind of benefits the dish.  I feel like there is some kind of careful traditional history to the way it was prepared and that I am learning to overcome my opinions of what I like or dislike in a dish.  The peanuts and spice were very good and complex.  It tastes like something I could easily crave and never find a similar alternative for.  The tan tan noodles were decent.

Anyway, I could easily see someone disliking this place, or someone else loving it, which explains the reviews.  I think I like it - despite the slight rudeness, scrappy chicken, peppery tendencies, it's still something special and that puts it above pleasant but bland chinese food that can be found everywhere.

After having Szechuan food at Highgate Chinese Restaurant a few weeks earlier, I was back in the mood for some more Szechuan cuisine so I dropped by Szechuan House Restaurant on Imperial for some take-out.