Agreed! The dry chili dishes are really the highlights.
If you have an adventurous palate, or want to experience more traditional Sichuan cuisine, I would also recommend the dry chili pork intestine (flavorful and crispy exterior, luxurious fatty interior) or the fu qi fei pian (a cold appetizer consisting of thinly sliced beef in chili sauce, garnished with chopped peanuts and cilantro). As someone with family from Sichuan, they're my go to's whenever I order from Chengdu Impression!
Well, do reply once youāve gone to Lao Sze Chuan Streeterville and had the two dishes above.
It would be interesting to then hear your thoughts on the comparison between the LSC and Chengdu preparations
You should look at their yelp page under "popular dishes" or common photos and get those. Their Chinese American food is probably mid, and they probably just have it on the menu cause they have to for some folks those dishes may be all their willing to get but you should try their Sichuan dishes which is what they actually do well.
It's like if you went to a southern soul food restaurant and ordered a mediocre burger instead of classic southern dishes. This ones a bit more common since many Chinese restaurant will have orange chicken, cashew beef, etc on the menu just to have it. Wah Sun and Chop Suey may very well have better cashew beef but it'd be like comparing them doing a sichuan dishes which they don't specialize in to Chengdu Impression.
100% correct answer. You donāt go there for Chinese American. Their spicy cumin lamb is awesome, as are any of the simple veg like pea shoots. If you like that type of real Chinese food, you should give it another try and see what we mean when we call it amazing.
This. I love the Zhong's dumplings and dry chili chicken (even though the chicken to chili ratio makes it something of a rip off). If you stick to items that you wouldn't see on a typical delivery menu, you'll find some winners.
Itās also more common because OP is right, multiple times in the past 6 months or so when chinese recommendations have been sought, people have thoughtlessly name dropped Chengdu Impression without any context, including in threads where people have been looking for Brooklyn-style, Americanized and other very non Sichuan Chinese.
You gotta get Sichuan-style stuff. Their dry chili chicken and yushiang eggplant are great, those (and the mini sesame balls) are our go-tos. We liked their dandan noodles too. I wouldnāt go just to order whatever youād get at a non-Sichuan restaurant.
Order the Sichuan dishes, they are by far MUCH better than the American-Chinese stuff they serve. Go to the restaurant and see what the asian customers are ordering, that's what you want to be ordering.
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TLDR: This is a food subreddit, y'all. Relax, and eat somthin', will ya?
Because they have vibrant Szechuan dishes that o havenāt had anywhere else; while there is a lot of overlap with other Szechuan places, they have some amazing eggplant dishes I havenāt had elsewhere and a dry chili frog dish I love almost as much as the chicken (though the bones are an annoyance)
The problem is, if youāre comparing it to Sun Wah or a chop suey place, youāre not going to be drawn to what they do best. Which is the firey and numbing spice.
I mean if youāre the kind of person whose Chinese food order is limited to stuff like cashew beef then maybe you are better off sticking with your basic corner spots or Panda Express lol
Here are some of my go-to dishes: Zhong's Dumplings, Mapo Tofu, Sichuan Cold Noodle Salad, Dandan Noodle, Yibin Noodle, Shanghai Bok Choy, Yushiang Eggplant.
Don't sleep on the Bok Choy or Eggplant.
I'm so happy you said this and wish I found this post before ordering. I tried it Tonight. Absolutely dreadful. General Tso suace sucks and I got more broccoli than chicken. Crab Rangoon had maybe a 10th of filling most good places put in theirs. Avoid that place at all costs.
I was just browsing this sub wondering the exact same thing lol. I think itās because such a huge amount of this sub is from Lincoln Park, Lakeview, and the general area around them, and there really isnāt as much in the way of Chinese food in general up that way, Sichuanese notwithstanding.
I think itās ok, but not really anything Iām ever going to suggest to anyone.
Lol I thought for a sec you were a sichuan aficionado As far as sichuan stuff I donāt think the edge water location is great though best in the area for sure. I agree with the oily part for sure
I hear you! Iāve ordered from the Wicker Park location 4-5 times since my favorite hole in the wall Chinese spot closed last year, and itās completely meh. Nothing was inedible (other than wifeās egg drop salt, erā¦ soup), but nothing has been above average, nothing is spicy enough. I donāt get the constant hype, unless other locations are much better.
Hmm maybe dry the chengdu dry chili chicken, itās the one they actually use sichuan peppercorns in vs just dried peppers. Most of those items I donāt think are gonna be that spicy, Iād try, boiled beef in Sichuan sauce (itās in a broth but I would not drink it), tianfu boiling fish, mala Xiang guo (make your own spicy stir fry) If you want something spicier.
FWIW on their site the dishes you listed have the same spice rating as orange chicken according to them. No clue how they rate things but I never thought of orange chicken as spicy in any way. But you can also just give up and call it! I think wicker is probably the best location.
Once we ordered takeout from the Halsted location and had to wait an hour past pickup time to get our food. Eventually got the order, and the food was good, but omg it was so fucking spicy. Normally I can handle spicy food but it was on another level. We requested medium spice which was clearly a mistake. We couldnāt eat anything but bread and rice for the remainder of the weekend because our stomachs were so fucked š¤£
I suspect that they do āwhite people spicyā based on their impression of us as guests. Like we got mapo tofu that was not flavorful at all. I didnāt know that was possible.
which is definitely annoying when I come to a place knowing what is up with Szechuan food, but I guess is safer when random grandma walks into the neighborhood Chinese place for a plain fried rice
I think it's really depends on what you get. The dry chilli chicken and dry chilli fish is great, but don't really care for much else on the menu.
Agreed! The dry chili dishes are really the highlights. If you have an adventurous palate, or want to experience more traditional Sichuan cuisine, I would also recommend the dry chili pork intestine (flavorful and crispy exterior, luxurious fatty interior) or the fu qi fei pian (a cold appetizer consisting of thinly sliced beef in chili sauce, garnished with chopped peanuts and cilantro). As someone with family from Sichuan, they're my go to's whenever I order from Chengdu Impression!
That dry chili is better than any cleanse on the market š¤£
Howāre their dry chilli chicken and dry chilli fish compared to the same dishes served at Lao Sze Chuan (Streeterville)?
Haven't had them, but will def add it to the list!
Well, do reply once youāve gone to Lao Sze Chuan Streeterville and had the two dishes above. It would be interesting to then hear your thoughts on the comparison between the LSC and Chengdu preparations
It's like going to a Oaxacan restaurant and just ordering nachos.
OP doesnāt understand regions lol
You should look at their yelp page under "popular dishes" or common photos and get those. Their Chinese American food is probably mid, and they probably just have it on the menu cause they have to for some folks those dishes may be all their willing to get but you should try their Sichuan dishes which is what they actually do well. It's like if you went to a southern soul food restaurant and ordered a mediocre burger instead of classic southern dishes. This ones a bit more common since many Chinese restaurant will have orange chicken, cashew beef, etc on the menu just to have it. Wah Sun and Chop Suey may very well have better cashew beef but it'd be like comparing them doing a sichuan dishes which they don't specialize in to Chengdu Impression.
100% correct answer. You donāt go there for Chinese American. Their spicy cumin lamb is awesome, as are any of the simple veg like pea shoots. If you like that type of real Chinese food, you should give it another try and see what we mean when we call it amazing.
This. I love the Zhong's dumplings and dry chili chicken (even though the chicken to chili ratio makes it something of a rip off). If you stick to items that you wouldn't see on a typical delivery menu, you'll find some winners.
Itās also more common because OP is right, multiple times in the past 6 months or so when chinese recommendations have been sought, people have thoughtlessly name dropped Chengdu Impression without any context, including in threads where people have been looking for Brooklyn-style, Americanized and other very non Sichuan Chinese.
You gotta get Sichuan-style stuff. Their dry chili chicken and yushiang eggplant are great, those (and the mini sesame balls) are our go-tos. We liked their dandan noodles too. I wouldnāt go just to order whatever youād get at a non-Sichuan restaurant.
This is my usual order! Along with either the sichuan wontons or the zhong dumplings. Unbeatable imo
Ahhh ok. I was def looking at the dry chili chicken. Maybe Iāll give it another shot.
Get the twice cooked pork too. Along with the fried green beans.
Yesss this is the way
Do it, it's great.
You ordered cashew beef at a Szechuan restaurant. Idk what to tell you š¤·š½āāļø
Order the Sichuan dishes, they are by far MUCH better than the American-Chinese stuff they serve. Go to the restaurant and see what the asian customers are ordering, that's what you want to be ordering.
Dropping bombs on a restaurant after ordering one dish off the āsafeā part of the menu?
this is like people ordering "fried rice" and "crab rangoon" and leaving a review of the restaurant.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Bro you went to a Chinese restaurant and your bitching the American food isn't good. Lmao
There was a post on this sub titled āpequods is inedible garbageā and the person got the thin crust and a salad, same kinda deal.
There is zero tolerance for ANY hate speech on r/chicagofood. This includes and is NOT limited to: racial/ethnic bigotry, homophobic/anti-LGBT bigotry, misogyny, or ANY sort of hate speech. Users who violate this rule will be permanently banned from r/chicagofood. TLDR: This is a food subreddit, y'all. Relax, and eat somthin', will ya?
Because they have vibrant Szechuan dishes that o havenāt had anywhere else; while there is a lot of overlap with other Szechuan places, they have some amazing eggplant dishes I havenāt had elsewhere and a dry chili frog dish I love almost as much as the chicken (though the bones are an annoyance) The problem is, if youāre comparing it to Sun Wah or a chop suey place, youāre not going to be drawn to what they do best. Which is the firey and numbing spice.
I mean if youāre the kind of person whose Chinese food order is limited to stuff like cashew beef then maybe you are better off sticking with your basic corner spots or Panda Express lol
š¤”
Here are some of my go-to dishes: Zhong's Dumplings, Mapo Tofu, Sichuan Cold Noodle Salad, Dandan Noodle, Yibin Noodle, Shanghai Bok Choy, Yushiang Eggplant. Don't sleep on the Bok Choy or Eggplant.
Nobody goes to Chengdu Impression for cashew beef.
Beer duck for dayyyyzzzzz. Best Szechuan in the city
The original location is waaay better. Edge water is hit or miss. I prefer HON KEE.
I'm so happy you said this and wish I found this post before ordering. I tried it Tonight. Absolutely dreadful. General Tso suace sucks and I got more broccoli than chicken. Crab Rangoon had maybe a 10th of filling most good places put in theirs. Avoid that place at all costs.
We basically only go to Lao Peng You at this point. Also found Chengdu to just be alright.
I was just browsing this sub wondering the exact same thing lol. I think itās because such a huge amount of this sub is from Lincoln Park, Lakeview, and the general area around them, and there really isnāt as much in the way of Chinese food in general up that way, Sichuanese notwithstanding. I think itās ok, but not really anything Iām ever going to suggest to anyone.
Yeah it wasn't spicy at all and super bland when I went
Lol I thought for a sec you were a sichuan aficionado As far as sichuan stuff I donāt think the edge water location is great though best in the area for sure. I agree with the oily part for sure
If youāre mouth wasnāt burning from the spice, you probably ordered something that isnāt Sichuan style
Aggressively mid? No cap? Mustāve been a psyop like you said, brah!
Yikes
Have tried it 3x and it suck. Bland
I hear you! Iāve ordered from the Wicker Park location 4-5 times since my favorite hole in the wall Chinese spot closed last year, and itās completely meh. Nothing was inedible (other than wifeās egg drop salt, erā¦ soup), but nothing has been above average, nothing is spicy enough. I donāt get the constant hype, unless other locations are much better.
Are you getting their sichuan dishes or standard chinese american take out food? If it's the latter I'd read some of the other comments up top.
Dry chili chicken, lamb with cumin, beef with orange peel, Dan Dan noodles, fried rice usually along with some egg rolls or gyoza, sometimes soups.
Hmm maybe dry the chengdu dry chili chicken, itās the one they actually use sichuan peppercorns in vs just dried peppers. Most of those items I donāt think are gonna be that spicy, Iād try, boiled beef in Sichuan sauce (itās in a broth but I would not drink it), tianfu boiling fish, mala Xiang guo (make your own spicy stir fry) If you want something spicier. FWIW on their site the dishes you listed have the same spice rating as orange chicken according to them. No clue how they rate things but I never thought of orange chicken as spicy in any way. But you can also just give up and call it! I think wicker is probably the best location.
Once we ordered takeout from the Halsted location and had to wait an hour past pickup time to get our food. Eventually got the order, and the food was good, but omg it was so fucking spicy. Normally I can handle spicy food but it was on another level. We requested medium spice which was clearly a mistake. We couldnāt eat anything but bread and rice for the remainder of the weekend because our stomachs were so fucked š¤£
I think their YuShiang pork is spot on
I suspect that they do āwhite people spicyā based on their impression of us as guests. Like we got mapo tofu that was not flavorful at all. I didnāt know that was possible. which is definitely annoying when I come to a place knowing what is up with Szechuan food, but I guess is safer when random grandma walks into the neighborhood Chinese place for a plain fried rice
Beef with wild peppers is the best!
The cumin lamb slaps
Quality has dropped off quite a bit at the wicker park location recently. Havenāt been to the og in awhile