Got takeout from Kan Bei because I thought it was in Chinatown. It was absolutely not, which is not their fault. The dishes I got were not particularly good. Chili-fried chicken was dry and dull, fried rice was meh. Dan Dan Noodles were okay? Skip this one and do delivery from Aunt Dai instead. Or try someplace else in Chinatown.
Already had smoked meat at Dunn's Famous, now it was time to try Schwartz's. The regular sandwich at Schwartz's is about half the size as the super-large sandwich at Dunn's but I almost didn't care because it was so good. Flavor burst out every time I took another bite--slightly spicy, tangy. I'd give Dunn's an A for quality, and Dunn's is better value because you get so much more. But somehow I think Schwartz's tastes better.
Got takeout from AuntDai, which is famous for descriptions of menu items that are extremely blunt. Got the Kung Pao Chicken and some rice. It's good, but not what I expected. The flavor is outstanding, but it didn't have the "numbing" feel of the sichuan peppercorns and it's 50% green bell pepper. If you like slightly spicy, high-flavor, stir-fried green peppers you'll love this. I poured the remaining sauce over the rice and savored every last drop.
Got takeout from Sammi & Soupe in Chinatown for lunch. This is the type of dumpling that has soup inside of it, so it's like having a bite-sized explosion of soup once you eat. Never had this type of dumpling before, but it was phenomenal! Got the Juicy Pork Classic & Juicy Chicken and Mushroom. Both were very good. Definitely recommend.
Starting a thread of restaurant reviews at #ASA2024 in #montreal
Dunn's Famous: I had this 7 years ago for the first time and it was a revelation. Got the Super Combo Smoked Meat and it was excellent. And huge! I also got poutine and it was good but the two of them together was like 2.5 meals. The Super Combo is extremely tasty, don't worry at all about not having enough food. I promise.
Lunch at La Chinesca today, a Mexican-Chinese fusion restaurant north of the convention center. Lunch veers more towards the Mexican side; all of us ordered some variation on birria tacos and everyone went away very happy. Not a place to get huge gobs of food for cheap, but it's good. Ambiance is extremely unique; try to reserve a spot on the patio. Great place to hang out with old friends for a couple of hours.
The Loews breakfast buffet is $32 but if you ask for a takeout box, you can get enough for every meal of the day. I recommend the avocado toast.
Bottom line:
If you order from DanDan, get the DanDan Noodles or Dry Pepper (Chongqing Chicken).
If you order from Emei, the family-style tofu and the kung pao chicken are both good. (the Dan Dan noodles, interestingly, are not)
If you order from Yi Pin, do *not* order the Kung Pao Chicken. Chongqing Chicken / Dry Pepper Chicken is a better idea. Dan Dan Noodle is also good.
Ordered takeout from Yi Pin tonight. Dan Dan noodle was very good, but Kung Pao was unacceptable. I kind of want to give this restaurant an incomplete; I should known it was a gloppy Americanized mess from the description. If I had ordered the Chongqing Spicy Chicken I probably would have liked this more.
Ordered takeout from Emei in Chinatown tonight with @john_zinda.
I got the kung pao chicken, John got the family-style tofu. They were very good. We saw Yong Cai while we were there; he said his food was also excellent. Spice level is much closer to what I expected from Sichuan food; what I got was a "1", moderate-to-high heat and numbs the mouth a bit. A "3" is only for the brave. Definitely recommend.
One more sichuan restaurant left to try here...
Jonathan Horowitz
Elizabeth Wrigley-Field