Testimonials & Articles

The Boston Sunday Globe • January 20, 1991
Calendar Section
Dining Out
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"In Sung," it was written in "Chuang Tzu," a book of the 3d century BC, "there was a keeper of monkeys. Bad times came and he was obliged to tell them that he must reduce their ration to nuts. 'It will be three in the morning and four in the evening,' he said. The monkeys were furious. 'Very well,' he said. 'it will be four in the morning and three in the evening.' The monkeys accepted with delight."

In many ways, Chinese restaurants prove the principle that the philosopher taught as "Three in the Morning." Many are in malls. Menu offerings are similar. The decor is a relentless mix, Ch'ing and Ming and Manchu, chaotic as a curio-shop window.

Yet the Szechuan House proclaims that there is a difference between four in the morning and three in the morning. For the last year it has been in the mall across from Gile Stadium. But it is bright and airy; its colors are Western tinges, mauves and pinks. Design is simple: pictures of flowers or mountians in fog. No placemats with astrology. And there may be a chance to get four in the morning and four in the evening. Here the food is better, even when the dishes are old favorites. And there is enough new tastes to offer pleasant surprises.

The menu offers advice wise as Chuang Tzu's. Two adults should try a soup, it said, then split two or three dishes. The appeal of Chinese cuisine often comes in the mixture of colors and flavors. So for appetizers try the Chicken Soong ($4.95 for two), diced chicken mixed with minced garlic and scallions, or Crab Rangoon ($3.75), delicious crab and scallions and cream cheese tied together in a deep-fried noodle. The Szechuan House is a place to bring children, and our 9-year-old critic praised the beef teriyaki. The house special soup ($5.50 for two) was a hearty broth filled with vegetables, chicken, pork and shrimp.

Each entree plates was garnished with a turnip. Its flesh was pared off in paper-thin strips, and then the strips were arranged into the shape of a flower.

Szechuan food has the reputation of being hot and spicy. At Szechuan House the spiced are gentle. The crispy spicy fish ($12.50) is a large filet of fish, deep fried, then coated with a tangy red sauce. That favorite of new Chinese cooking, General Chao's chicken ($9.50) has a spiciness that sneaks through the honey-based sauce.

The young ones and the adults both praised the sesame beef ($10.50), chunks of beef in a rich sauce with sesame seeds; a Shanghai duck ($10.25) was a mixture of duck fried to a tasty crisp and more succulent pieces along with the vegetables. The white sauces offered less differences; the sauce of the seafood flower basket ($12.95) tasted similar to the sauce of the scallops in velvet sauce ($9.25). The chief difference was that the former also had shrimp and lobster and other fish, and was served in an attractive basket made of deep-fried noodles.

Thomas A. Brown, the president of the California Culinary Association in San Francisco, predicted last week that Asian food is one of the upcoming trends of the 90's as the number of Asian immigrants increases. Because of its food quality and attractive surroundings, Szechuan House should be well ahead of the trend; if not, I'm a monkey's uncle.

The Boston Sunday Globe • February 15, 1996
Cheap Eats
Chinese food that's worth the trip out of state
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I find it a general rule, with some notable exceptions, that the farther you go from China-town, the less likely you are to find good Chinese food. It's also a general rule that you should not order a martini in a Chinese restaurant. People who stir-fry well don't seem to stir gin and vermouth well, and the reverse is probably also true.

But all rules should be put to the test now and then, which is why I was in Manchester, N.H., on a snowy evening watching with some trepidation as the bartender hoisted a bottle of Beefeater. As she strained the drink into the glass, a second person arrived - a quality control inspector perhaps - looked at the drink and shook his head. A hushed conversation began, and the waiter joined them for a summit conference. I tried to imagine what a martini made by committee would taste like.

Still, Szechuan House had been highly recommended by an impeccable source, the menu was promising, so I guess I deserved whatever I got beverage-wise. What arrived in the little stemmed glass was perfect - crisp and icy cold. I was tempted to order another immediately before the committee lost whatever it had going for it. Less patient and less scientifically minded folks at the table, however, wanted to move on to the food.

We ordered willy-nilly, and without realizing it, we created a theme of crispiness. First came the scallion pancakes ($1.95), crispy and flaky on the outside, moist and tender within. They came with a dipping sauce that might some day be declared a controlled substance. Egg rolls ($3.50) were light and also crisp, made on the premises, we'll bet, not at some egg roll factory.

The entrees arrived with a big bowl of rice, which, naturally, we hardly touched. Sesame chicken ($8.50) was breast meat pounded to imperial slimness, crackling crisp and a honey-accented sauce. Chicken with garlic sauce ($7.25), one of our non-crispy selections, turned out to be crispy anyway - at least the crunchy julienne vegetables, which contrasted well with the tender chicken.

Orange beef ($10.50) carried a hot and spicy warning, but we found it relatively mild. The beef was sliced just thick enough to retain a tasty moistness inside while the crusty exterior stood up well to the sauce.

Hunan pork in black bean sauce ($7.25) featured tender strips of bamboo shoots. The bean sauce could have been more assertive, but it did have a pleasant after-bite of spiciness.

Crispy duck ($9.25) was truly a bargain - a huge portion of duck that had been marinated in spices, steamed and then fried. Steaming had obviously eliminated most of the fat and the result was delectable, served with a tangy, hoisin-based dipping sauce.

We went slightly over the limit for what turned out to be the hit of the meal, crispy spicy fish ($12.50). It was a huge filet of cod swimming in suitably spicy Hunan sauce, the crispy outside embracing the succulence within.