Famous Sichuan 12-04-2009

Location: 10 Pell St.
Time: 7pm
People: Spontaneous 11 Ramen and Friends: ALev, MGru, JLam from MeSoHungry, MGill, TrishP, MDunc, MichelleB, GiselaM, LauraE, RB and myself

Feelings: We went immediately to Famous Sichuan in Chinatown on a tip from Kavie's co worker. It is located right across the street from ever so popular Joe's Shanghai. Unlike Joe's, Famous Sichuan was only half full and many looked to be experienced Sichuan foodies, many of which ordering hot pots. I also liked that it was spacious and clean, and especially the bathroom was cleaner than many other Chinatown joints.

The service was surprisingly attentive and quick, and they did not rush us at all to order or after we finished our dinner. We ordered everything family style and shared the dishes using the large Lazy Susan in the middle of our table, which made the dinner much easier. I wish every restaurant had a Lazy Susan, so Ramen and Friends events would go even smoother.

For appetizers, we ordered dragon eye ball steamed bun ($6.95) and steamed veggie dumplings ($4.50). The dragon eye balls were actually made with sweet pork instead of actual dragon eye balls, and they were a good mixture of juicy dumpling and pork bun.

For entrees, we had Camphor tea smoked duck ($16.95 for half a duck, but we ordered whole), sauteed string beans with minced pork ($8.95), wok roasted lotus roots ($9.95), shrimp chow fun ($7.95) and singapore mei fun ($10.95) and shredded pork ($9.95). I expected the dishes to be spicier since it is a Sichuan restaurant, but everything tasted rather mild. Perhaps we only ordered the milder dishes, or the restaurant adjusted the heat content for us, uncustomed looking folks in Chinatown.

A popular dish, and my favorite as well, was the lotus root. The lotus root was breaded, deliciously seasoned with pepper spiced salt, and wok roasted. While other dishes had the soft texture, it was nice to have the crispy sensation of lotus root for a change. The two noodle dishes were well cooked and seasoned without being too greasy or soggy. The duck had the flavor of smokey bacon with a hint of tea, and it was a big hit at the table. (although it seemed difficult to eat a big chunk of duck with chopstick) The shredded pork was unspectacular but still good, and they wanted to taste what it would be like if they added the real amount of heat.

The bill turned out to be $12.50 (plus $3.50 per beer) per person. We left the place happy and full, with a bit of spare change for a scoop of Zen Butter ice cream at Chinatown Ice Cream Factory.