Owner Lisa Shao welcomes customers to the dining room of Szechuan House in Hamilton.
Lisa Shao made the transition from customer to owner of Szechuan House in Hamilton easily.
She had grown up in the same city in China’s Szechuan province as previous owner Sonya Ma. They had become friends over dishes of the authentic Szechuan specialties that Ma offered from the time the restaurant opened more than five years ago.
“I loved the food,” says Shao, who bought the restaurant a year and a half ago. Like other Szechuan transplants, she had found her way to Szechuan House because she wanted the authentic dishes of her home province.
Shao had been working in the corporate world when Ma asked her if she was interested in buying the restaurant.
Since taking over, she has continued the concept of serving a dual menu of traditional Szechuan specialties as well as more Americanized Chinese foods that many locals are familiar with. “I kept all the traditional dishes,” she says, and added new, contemporary dishes with authentic Szechuan flavors.
She has seen her business grow as she draws Chinese as well as American customers who want authentic food. “More people are doing business with China, eating the food there and wanting authentic Szechuan dishes when they come back to America,” Shao says. She has seen growth in her catering business as well, including corporate parties during the holidays, and draws customers from as far as Princeton and Philadelphia.
Native Chinese living in the area seek her out, including a woman waiting to pay her check the day we visited. She volunteered that Szechuan House is the only Chinese restaurant she patronizes. “There are dishes I don’t know how to make,” she said. “I come here for that.”
We started our meal by sampling the restaurant’s egg drop, wonton and hot and sour soups, $1.75 per cup, and dumplings, $5.95. All of the soups were excellent. The broths for the wonton and egg drop were rich with chicken flavor, while the hot and sour soup had a fiery finish.
The dumplings were moist and supple with a flavorful pork filling and soy-based dipping sauce. They appeared to have been made by hand and tasted very fresh.
From among the entrees the Triple Delight, $18.95, makes a beautiful presentation with chunks of chicken, shrimp and scallops cooked in a light brown sauce with a mixture of traditional Chinese vegetables, then served in a crisp, edible noodle basket.
Almost as visibly impressive was a platter of steamed flounder filets, $18.95, served with a light and fragrant ginger and soy sauce. The fish was lightly steamed, moist and flavorful, and a large enough portion to share.
Jumbo shrimp with walnuts, $18.95, was just that —fat, fresh batter-dipped shrimp arranged on a platter of cellophane noodles with lightly sweetened walnut halves scattered around.
From among the more Americanized dishes we tried the flavorful chicken with cashews, $10.95, a mix of chicken chunks and fresh vegetables stir-fried in a light brown sauce.
Plenty of rice accompanied the main dishes, and pots of hot black tea were provided as part of the meal.
Desserts at Szechuan House straddle the international concept. There are Szechuan favorites as well as American ice cream.
While the trend at many Asian restaurants in the area is to offer cross-cultural menus including Chinese, Thai and Japanese dishes, Szechuan House remains true to its initial concept of a blended menu of Szechuan traditions and Americanized Chinese dishes. Whatever you choose, the food is high quality made by chefs who know what they are doing. If you are looking for the real thing, this is the place to go.
Szechuan House
2022 Nottingham Way, Hamilton
(609) 890-7600
HOURS: Mon.-Thurs. 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m., Sun. noon-10 p.m.
CREDIT CARDS: Most major.
FOOD: The restaurant offers excellent food, serving traditional Szechuan favorites as well as more Americanized Chinese dishes.
SERVICE: Attentive and knowledgeable.
AMBIENCE: Traditional Chinese décor dresses up this casual restaurant where seating is at tables and in booths.
COST: Appetizers and soups $1.50-$12.95, entrees $3.95-$32.95.
BYOB
