Szechuan Delight

I used to love this place. then one day i ordered chicken w/ broccolli and the chicken tasted like rubber. so i thought it was an off day. then i ordered it again a few weeks later and the same thing...now i won't order from them because i totally think they microwave their chicken...bland and rubber are not my idea of good chinese food. they also raised their prices and it's really killing me to pay $20 for chinese food...but that's just me

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Whenever I walk by here, there is a good crowd of couples, families, and friends seemingly enjoying themselves. Oftentimes there are single people eating alone, reading.

I live nearby and while I was walking home late one night on a trash day and I noticed a large empty drum of MSG on the sidewalk next to the garbage bags. No plans on going to this place.

Why, esp. in a nabe like the Slope filled with adventurous foodies, hasn't some young chef tried out the Best Idea Never Tried Yet: fresh, authentic regional Chinese cooking, made comprehensible and accessible for Western restaurant-goers? There has to be a huge model for success in blending the familiarity of what Calvin Trillin called the "brown-sauce pipeline" generic Chinese joint, with the excitement of a good Chinatown dim-sum place or niche cuisine. It's common knowledge that these places are all mediocre clones based on an imagined pan-Chinese "restaurant food" model (evolved from chow mein joints to include lots of red-hot-pepper logos and the sorrowful "steamed" section for dieters)...but where's the creative guy (or gal) who will cook what we'd like best from his or her mama's kitchen? (NOT haut "Asian fusion" cuisine, that we got in plenty of high-end places.)

End of rant!

Calvin Trillin said the liquid from inside dumplings is the best food on Earth.

The only way to avoid getting absolutely toxic levels of MSG in the food here is to specify no MSG when you order -- and so that rules out already-made items like soups. I'm amazed in this day and age that a restauruant like this still exists -- even the bulletproof Chinese takeout place near me puts "No MSG" in big letters on its menus. Once you specify what you want, however, they are very nice and accommodating.

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This place used to be so good (10+ years ago), but now it's an awful, tasteless, greasy mess. Red Hot II is soooooo much better, as is Hunan Delight!

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I think Hunan Delight is the best. Red Hot is often quite greasy.

Are there really that many crappy restaurants in Park Slope?

I've gotten take-out from Szechaun Delight many, many times. Best Chinese food in Park Slope hands-down. However, I only order tried-and-true dishes that are very hard to mess up. Their soups are delicious and good value. That said, we've had some pretty bad dishes on Sunday nights (which are good the rest of the week) - probably a different cook than the rest of the week.

Addressing the MSG concerns - there is no proven scientific basis that MSG is bad for you. Having been practically raised on the stuff - I can tell you that it is a flavor enhancer and not much else. Brenda - go to any Chinatown - even go to Hong Kong - and they cook with it. It's called umami in Japanese.

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Is this an actual Sichuan place, with Sichuan dishes? Dan Dan noodle? Twice cooked pork? Or are they Sichuan the way Frank's Trattoria is Italian?

My wife and I eat here a LOT. as in 6-7 times a month since we are usually too busy to cook. It is simple and good, however I have a few comments:
1. they dont take care of their trash properly, and in the summer this corner smells terrible due to their bags spilling when the garbage truck picks them up.
2. They have no idea what 'Chow Mein' is supposed to be. my wife is chinese and twice we have ordered it and sent it back. They make it without noodles!
3. The general Tso's is good, but utterly different than any you find at other restaurants. I would suggest the empress chicken instead.
4. their simple items are best- Spinach & bean curd soup, sliced shrimp and chinese broccoli, etc. When they try to get fancy, it does not turn out that well.
Aside from my few gripes, the place is friendly and clean, super fast delivery, and the food is excellent for the price.

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Boerum Hill/Fort Greene could surely use a good Chinese restaurant. Or have I missed one in the area?

I've eaten at this restaurant off and on since I was in grade school. I went back last Christmas (movie and Chinese for my Jewish Christmas), and was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. I used to prefer Red Hot on 7th and 10th but I think it's not as good as it was a year or two ago. I think Szechuan Delight makes good eggplant dishes, General Tso's (I get it with white meat, think it's better), and has good Chinese vegetables. It's not the best in the world and it's pricier than standard take-out places, but it's pretty good, tasty, filling, and worth a try if you're hungry on 7th Avenue and not

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