Old Sichuan

Great restaurant that can get busy. We came on a Friday night and it was pretty empty (given it was Jan 1). They did not have Jasmine tea which was disappointing. Service was good but not amazing or poor.
1. Peking duck — Expensive but worth it! Meat was very tender and juicy. The skin was oily as expected and the fat was there but not crazy. It was enough for 4 people. Came with tortilla, duck sauce, green onion, and cucumber.
2. Pea leaves with garlic — Fresh, hot, juicy. One of my favorite dishes if I’m craving fresh asian veggies.
Overall, I’d come back for siao long pao, duck, or fresh veggies when I’m craving food from Chiantown.

Cash only kills me.
Friendly staff.
Good food.
Will come back again.

I usually don’t write bad reviews unless it’s extremely bad. Food was so so but service was AWFUL.
What’s worse, despite the fact that they only accept CASH, they still charge you tax and even tips AUTOMATICALLY, which is unacceptable. Apparently they are trying to fully rip off customers.

Food was ok
Service slow
Quit a bit of drama among staff.
Last time we were here it was better. Lapd recommended it six years ago or so.

I have just finished eating some dumplings from Joe’s Shanghai and was walking around a bit to check out Chinatown when I stumbled upon this place. I had a hankering for some Dan Dan noodles but just a small portion. I saw that a police officer was entering the place for lunch and that is a good sign cause they know where to eat so I went in. Ordered the Dan Dan noodles and they were just perfectly spicy with chili and a hint of peppercorns. It is a whole in a wall but these would good Dan Dan noodles.

Food was good so good job Chef.
But service was bad.
Finished eating. Paid the bill. Ready to go. But I am sitting at the table waiting for the person in the restroom to come out because I wanted to go before leaving. This old lady with curls and make up on came over and asked us in English, «Finished?» We said yes so she can clear the table. And then she asked again with thick Mandarin Chinese accent, «Full?» I nodded my head and thought why the hell do you even care. That’s one odd question to ask.
Here is what pisses me off. The next thing she says in Mandarin, «Aiyo I speak English you guys don’t understand. I speak Chinese you guys also don’t understand. You guys didn’t even respond.» So it is okay for you to be nosy and offensive? First off, we responded with a yes. Secondly, your English is so good that we couldn’t understand it. Thirdly, an advice, you should have kept those words to yourself.
Them waiters need serious training.

Anytime you put a plate of something edible and free on my table, that’s already one star. I can be easily swayed, I guess. In this case, it was a healthy heap of seaweed salad with a bit hot chili oil. Thank you.
We tried their Pork Soup Dumplings (xiao long bao), Shumai with Sticky Rice, and Sichuan Wontons in Red Oil. All items were good, not spectacular, but good. Soup dumplings were soupy. The sticky rice in the shumai was seasoned well, nice and gooey, and portions were somewhat large. The wonton skins were delicate and thin, and the meat was flavorful. The prices are great, making this small meal an absolute bargain!

Okay, I used to like coming here to eat once in awhile but after today I don’t think I will be okay. The food is still okay to me but after seeing what they did to the oranges they give to customers after they are done eating I don’t think I can come back knowing what they do. It makes me feel sick to my stomach that they re-​use the oranges to give to customers. i understand its good not to waste food but that is disgusting. so overall in i wont be back…

Been here a few times and picked up once people are friendly and service has been great. There are 2 things I never miss when go, soup dumplings and saluted pea shoots. Both out of this world the pea shoots are last meal worthy and the dumplings are a close second. We brought home both dishes when we picked up and surprisingly they both travel well and tasted great almost a hour later. The rest of the dishes we have had were all pretty good but not anything up on the same yummy scale as the pea shoots or dumplings.

Old Sichuan is by far the best Chinese food in Chinatown! We always get takeout/​delivery, and the food is consistently good and always tastes freshly made. The soup dumplings are our favorite — they’re phenomenal. I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for delicious, spicy Chinese — you won’t be disappointed!

Went to old Sichuan last Wed. for an early dinner. I was looking forward to some spicy Chinese. I don’t go to Chinese restaurants for their ambiance but this was the pits. Ordered two small plates & soup, Hot & Sour, steamed pork dumplings & Ox Tongue & Tripe w. Spicy Peppery Sauce.
Soup arrived shortly — tepid, flavorless — nothing to write home about. Dumplings, definitely home made, thick dough & the filling was mushy, basically a paste & again flavorless. The Ox Tongue was OK. It did have some spice to it but thats about all.
All in all nothing to write home about. Will probably give it another chance but for the time being two stars is the most I can muster to give.

Very traditional Sichuan Chinese food b
The fish is so spicy and I can’t forget the taste.
Also the beef and the chicken are really delicious.
I would come back again!

Very professional Sichuan dishes.
Spicy and good tastes.
The fish and the beef also the chicken are really good.
Good spicy restaurant in Chinatown in Manhattan.

I’ve come here one other time and this time was worse then the first. I just got done running a race and decided to come to Chinatown and get some food. I walked in and there was nobody inside which should’ve been a sign but I didn’t think much of it at the time. I ordered general Tso’s chicken and an appetizer, I asked for extra spicy as well. The meal I believe was around $ 13.00.
The meal came out and it didn’t even come with rice just the chicken. The chicken tasted old as if it was sitting around for awhile, the sauce was average at most. The waiter didn’t even check on me and he gave me a glass of water when I initially sat down but that was it. I was the only customer in there so not sure why he couldn’t re fill it.
The ending is the best. I paid for my food and left a $ 2.00 tip. I was walking out and he told me I should give him more of a tip and that’s how he makes his money. I told him I would but not only did the food taste bad but the service was even worse. He argued with me and I couldn’t believe it. He lied and said that this NYC law to tip 15% at first and I argued with him and told him no way.
I’ve been to so many restaurants and also worked in the food industry and never heard of such a thing. He really irritated me and had the nerve to ask for more money towards the tip. He didn’t give up on his quest to get a few more dollars from me, at the end I was the better person and gave him a $ 5.00 bill and took my $ 2.00 back.
I will never come back here again, there are a lot more places to eat in the area. I feel as if they need to get better quality food and work on their service for sure. Best of luck.

Great service. Great food. Great prices. They’re steamed pork and leek dumplings are my favorite so far. 100% recommend.

I usually order Szechaun from flushing, so I had high expectations from this chinatown place.
To be fair, I just ordered a take out. It was Ox Tripe and Ox tongue ($ 6.95) mixed with chili sauce. In chinese, it is called «couple’s mix». I was a bit disappointed. The order was tiny. It came in a tiny 4 by 6 inch box. I would not come back here to have Szechuan food. I’ll stick to going to Queens for a more authentic food.

The beef with scallion is really terrible. I didn’t eat it at all. It’s a waste of money. Yike #1.

I like this place. Been here a few times. The first couple of times I felt a little intimidated /​put off because the waiters and hosts weren’t that warm and welcoming. Not that they were rude mind you… just, on the cooler end of hospitable. But then the third time I came one of the waiters remembered me and greeted me warmly… it had been a few weeks, too.
The food is tasty. I like Sichuan food but I’m not that sophisticated/​knowledgeable/​picky. But I have enjoyed most of the dishes I’ve ordered here, including the hot&sour soup, the spicy wontons in red chili oil, the Dan Dan noodles (have had better — at Legend — but these were p good)…decent mapo tofu I thought (nice and red and oily, spicy, not gloppy), relish spicy braised beef.
Won’t change your life forever, but hey, it’s good. Give it a try!

I am big on my Sichuan food, so very picky. I have been to some very good ones around the city and I’ve even been to the region in China itself. Can you blame me for being picky?
This place is decent, but of course I have had better.
We got the
Fu Qi Fei Pian-​Husband Wife appetizer with ox tongue and tripe
This was overly salty more than anything
Double Cooked Pork– Pork not crispy enough and again, overly salty
Shui Zhu Niu– Water Steamed Beef but the name is pretty much opposite the dish itself which is covered in spicy peppers and oil.
WIth the place getting a low health rating (either b or c) and the lack of good food, look for more viable options around chinatown.
Anyway, save your money and go to Ollie’s or La vie en sichuan. If you come to chinatown, don’t expect to find good spicy food.

New Yeah used to me one of my favorite restaurants but when they changed hands and name, the woman who took over was too aggressively recruiting business from the front door and the prices went up, I was in no rush to give them a try.
Today, however, I was a chaperon on a school trip. It was a middle/​high school Mandarin class and their teacher needed a second adult on the trip. so for me it was like wining the daily number! ~ getting paid to be in Chinatown for the day!
For lunch the teacher ordered a banquet for 11 people complete with egg drop soup, spring rolls, fried wontons, soup dumplings, fried rice, kung pao chicken, a tasty lamb dish, string beans, tofu in spicy sauce, and Peking Duck. Well, the service was good, the food was excellent and the teacher leading the trip told me that the restaurant only charged her $ 15 per person including tax, tip, soda and tea.
The restauarnt is still very nice inside and they can set up a big round able that can accomodate a dozen people.
So my first visit back turned out to be a pleasant surprise!