Several recommendations (including one from Nancy Leson… thanks Nancy) guided a group of us to a strip mall next to an abandoned KMart in Bellevue for a memorable Chinese meal at the Szechuan Chef. Above are the remains of the meal that included hand-shaved noodles, a savory “house pancake” with dipping sauce, Kung Pao fish, and Crispy Mandarin Tofu.
It was brilliant, and reminded me of several epic meals in Shanghai. Along with the food, the brisk service, funky lighting, and marble-topped tables summoned up Shanghai.
All that and possibly the humidity in the dining room from the steaming hot pots bubbling on tables all around us. Hot pot meals are one specialty of the house.
When you go… which you should… order hot pot for the table or do what we did. We chose instead to simply wander through the long menu picking this or that with the plan to eat family style. Szechuan dishes are noted for their heat, but don’t skip the Chef because spicy makes you nervous. Leson is right that a number of the “spicy” warnings littering the menu are overstated. We ordered several dishes listed as ’3′ on the heat scale that arrived quite mild. Of course there is always the chance that you will run into something with enough kick to make you sweat, but this just adds a bit of adventure to your evening out. Consider it a game… say Szechuan Chef Menu Roulette and expect a good story to tell next time conversation at work moves in the direction of chili peppers.
I counted it a very good sign that I was definitely a minority inside the Chef, and can’t wait to return to wander over more the menu.
