Description
Having formerly run the kitchens at the Plymouth Tea House and Little Szechuan in St. Paul, Grand Szechuan's chef, Luo Guanghe, started the restaurant with his son, Dan, and several other former Little Szechuan staff. Though Grand Szechuan is tucked into a Bloomington strip mall, the ambiance and service are more refined than the utilitarian real estate might suggest. You like fried chicken, right? Then try the Szechuan staple Chung King, in which nuggets of fried meat are buried in a flurry of glossy red chiles. The chicken is crunchy on the outside, kissed with a slightly sweet soy-garlic sauce, and brushed with the dry, toasty heat of the chiles to leave a soft buzz on the lips. The Dan Dan, or peddler's noodles, are also excellent, doused in a fiery sauce made with scallions, sesame seeds, soy sauce, and chili oil. Not everything is spicy: Milky Crispy Shrimp, fries the briny curls and coats them in a sweet, milky sauce that tastes a little like glazed doughnut--in a good way.
