Lao Sze Chuan review: Upscale Chinese eatery burns with unforgettable fire
May 8—I haven't been able to stop thinking about it.
No, not the overall great meal a friend and I enjoyed on a recent Friday-night visit to Lao Sze Chuan at Pinecrest in Orange Village.
And, no, not the excellent work turned in by our server, Jonathan, who answered multiple menu-related questions and offered winning suggestions.
It's the way the spices danced on my tongue.
I've not experienced anything that was the taste sensation of my pepper beef entree — one of the myriad tempting options at the first Ohio location of the Szechuan cuisine chain tracing to late-1900s Chicago and chef Tony Hu. The Pinecrest spot, opened in mid-2023, is owned and operated by Sheng Long Yu.
We arrived for our 6:30 p.m. reservation and had to wait briefly to be seated. That gave me time to appreciate the tasteful decor, starting in the lobby, which is home to the restaurant's beautiful glass-encased collection of wine.
Just about everything screams "upscale," from the white tablecloth-covered table to the nearby bar area punctuated by an exquisite multi-tiered lighting feature. I say "just about everything" because the prices, while not low, are pretty reasonable when considering the high quality of the food.
We started with drinks, I with the Toki Old Fashion ($16), made, obviously, with Japanese whiskey Toki, and quite delicious and reasonably complex, and Cassandra with a glass of one of the restaurant's six sakes, Ozeki Nigori ($8). She, too, was quite pleased.
As for starters, we went with my go-to Asian starter, Crab Rangoons ($9.95), and one of Jonathan's suggestions for another, the Xiao Long Bao $13.95.
The latter consisted of pork soup dumplings, served in a lovely hexagonal box. I had to admit to Jonathan I was a soup dumpling novice, and, with no judgment, he walked me through the right away to eat them. In all, it was a savory treat that was, in fact, fun to eat.
Oh, and those rangoons? Possibly the best I've ever had and also the least interesting thing we tasted all night. To be clear, that's praise of the restaurant and in no way a critique of the crispy-and-creamy little deep-fried wonton wrappers stuffed with cream cheese and mock crab meat, served with a sweet dipping sauce. (I'm a little surprised the restaurant doesn't use real crab meat, but I can't argue with the flavor here.)
Early on, Jonathan told us the restaurant specializes in Peking duck, which does get an outsized amount of territory in the menu. Considering taking a "when in Rome" attitude, I flirted with the idea of getting the signature Peking Duck entree (half set, $48/full set, $88), complete with tableside carving, but I just wasn't feeling it.
What exactly was I feeling? I wasn't so sure, as SO many dishes sounded fantastic but Jonathan asked me a few questions about my tastes and walked me through a few options. He went so far as to snap a photo with his phone of one just-completed dish I was considering, and, as it looked a little underwhelming, I passed. That was so helpful!)
I landed, eventually, on the on the Longhorn Pepper Beef With Cilantro ($31.95), as spicy beef and cilantro are both in my wheelhouse. Thinking back, it's hilarious that I wondered if it wouldn't be all that interesting.
Every bite of the tender beef, served with a few veggies and accompanied by white rice, was a happening. I've simply never experienced anything like the zesty tongue dance the peppercorns were conducting on my tongue. I really couldn't shut up about it, both to Cassandra and to Jonathan, who initially was worried when I began, "There's something going on here." This dish would be too spicy for some people, but to say simply that it's spicy is misleading. It was such a distinct and lovely variation on what I think of as spicy, the cilantro going a long way to balance the dish.
One Lao Sze Chuan complaint: You are not able to substitute noodles for rice in the dishes that come with the latter, which Cassandra really wanted to do. We'd have had to order a separate noodle dish and mix and match, Jonathan explained. That seemed like a bit much, so Cassandra chose the Fried Flat Noodles ($20.95 with shrimp as the protein). All's well that ends well, as she took to the dish, which also boasts onions, carrots, scallions, egg, bean sprouts and chives. I enjoyed my (shrimpless) bite but, for once, had no order envy.
I will note that, upon ordering a different sake later on, Cassandra was brought what was proved to be a glass of white wine, Jonathan saying sometimes sake is served in a wine glass, which led to the minor mistake. The place seems so precisely and efficiently run that I was surprised to hear that.
I can't wait until I find the time for a second visit to Lao Sze Chuan, at which I will strive to order another one of the entrees that interested me or, if I'm feeling it, the Peking duck.
Realistically, though, I'll almost surely again order the Longhorn Pepper Beef With Cilantro. Let's dance!
Reviews are based on one anonymous visit to a restaurant.
Lao Sze Chuan
10 Park Ave., Suite 10
Orange
216-331-4642
Location: North part of the Pinecrest development, just west of Silverspot Cinema.
Cuisine: Chinese/Szechuan
Hours: 3:30 to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Sunday
Liquor and wine: Full bar.
Vegetarian: Several options.
Special diets: Several gluten-free options
Reservations: Accepted
Prices: Moderate to high, with entrees running from less than $20 to more than $40.
Value: Good.
Ratings (of five):
Food: 5.
Atmosphere: 4.5.
Service: 5.
Solve the daily Crossword
