422 University Ave W, St Paul, MN
Media Attention: CNN 50 Best Chinese Restaurants in the US
What: Sichuan Food and the only Chinese Restaurant in Minnesota to earn a best rating.
Visited December 21, 2007
Besides the regular menu, Little Szechuan offers two categories of lunch specials: 1) Typical Chinese food Americanized for the western palate and 2) Noodle Soup with a choice of meat.
We ordered the Pork Rib Noodle Soup and the Braised Beef Noodles Soup. Both soups came with a comforting heavy spicy orange reddish broth filled with noodles topped with a generous handful of chopped green onions and fresh cilantro. I’m uncertain what the noodle is, about 1/8 inch in diameter- but it had the right bite. The spicy broth was perfect for me. Of the two, the Beef was better with moderately tender and flavorful bits of brisket alas skimpy. Some of the pork ribs tasted off. There was an abundance of ribs in the soup.
The menu with colorful glistening pictures of entrees broke our will with tempting choices. We ordered the Chung King Chili Shrimp ($12.95) and Cumin Lamb ($12.95).
I had reservations on the Chung King Chili Shrimp, a one red pepper rated dish. I feared it would be a westernized dish. When the dish arrived at our table, we were disappointed with the stingy portions but with one bite, we were believers. The outside batter was mildly spicy crispy with a hint of honey sweetness. The batter inside had a pleasant gritty mushiness. The shrimp was perfect with butterfly shrimp overtones. We agreed this was the best dish in the excellent to world class category, and finding it better than most Cantonese shrimp dishes.
The Cumin Lamb, also a one pepper rated dish, was served on a bed of chopped cilantro. The lamb didn’t come out glistening as pictured in the menu and the lamb pieces were small. It appeared as if the lamb would be tough. How was it? The lamb wasn’t fall apart tender but was neither rough nor tough. I’ve never had lamb with cumin and cilantro but the result was a perfection trifecta. It doesn't have the mainstream appeal of the Chili Shrimp but it is a winner and it had my mind scrambling to recreate it in the kitchen.
Bottom Line: The Real Deal
Besides the regular menu, Little Szechuan offers two categories of lunch specials: 1) Typical Chinese food Americanized for the western palate and 2) Noodle Soup with a choice of meat.
We ordered the Pork Rib Noodle Soup and the Braised Beef Noodles Soup. Both soups came with a comforting heavy spicy orange reddish broth filled with noodles topped with a generous handful of chopped green onions and fresh cilantro. I’m uncertain what the noodle is, about 1/8 inch in diameter- but it had the right bite. The spicy broth was perfect for me. Of the two, the Beef was better with moderately tender and flavorful bits of brisket alas skimpy. Some of the pork ribs tasted off. There was an abundance of ribs in the soup.
The menu with colorful glistening pictures of entrees broke our will with tempting choices. We ordered the Chung King Chili Shrimp ($12.95) and Cumin Lamb ($12.95).
I had reservations on the Chung King Chili Shrimp, a one red pepper rated dish. I feared it would be a westernized dish. When the dish arrived at our table, we were disappointed with the stingy portions but with one bite, we were believers. The outside batter was mildly spicy crispy with a hint of honey sweetness. The batter inside had a pleasant gritty mushiness. The shrimp was perfect with butterfly shrimp overtones. We agreed this was the best dish in the excellent to world class category, and finding it better than most Cantonese shrimp dishes.
The Cumin Lamb, also a one pepper rated dish, was served on a bed of chopped cilantro. The lamb didn’t come out glistening as pictured in the menu and the lamb pieces were small. It appeared as if the lamb would be tough. How was it? The lamb wasn’t fall apart tender but was neither rough nor tough. I’ve never had lamb with cumin and cilantro but the result was a perfection trifecta. It doesn't have the mainstream appeal of the Chili Shrimp but it is a winner and it had my mind scrambling to recreate it in the kitchen.
Bottom Line: The Real Deal
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