I regret to inform that till this past weekend it had somehow been almost five months since we’d last eaten at Grand Szechuan. I blame our summer travels and the fact that most of the friends we typically go there with were out of town when we got back. On the other hand, I am very happy to inform that is now only three days since our last meal at Grand Szechuan.  We went back for lunch this Sunday with most of our aforementioned crew of Grand Szechuan regulars and did our usual excessive order. We got a mix of all-time favourites and dishes that we had not ordered in a while. Do I need to say that it was an excellent meal? Well, it was.

We got there not too long after they opened (they open half an hour later on weekends, at 11.30) and scored a large table. There were eight of us but they readily gave us a table for 12 as that is usually how many people we order for. And that is what we did. As is our practice, we ordered not all at once but in waves, so as to not get overwhelmed by a parade of quickly arriving dishes.

In the first wave were the following: Chengdu Spicy Wontons; Szechuan Cucumber; Beef Tongue in Chilli Sauce; Dan Dan Noodles; Cumin Pork Ribs; Szechuan Green Beans; and Fish Fillet in Milky White Broth. The wontons, noodles, ribs, beans and fish soup we get either always or often and, as always, they were very good. But so were the cucumbers (warm and dressed in chilli oil) and especially the sliced beef tongue, which we hadn’t ordered in a long while and which some had as their favourite meat dish of the round.

With the initial pleasantries out of the way, it was time for some more substantive fare. Next to arrive were the following: Shredded Pork in Peking Sauce; Eggplant in Sweet Bean Sauce; Diced Fish with Dry, Chopped Pepper; Minced Beef and Peanuts with Tofu in Chilli Sauce. The eggplant is in steady rotation for us with the fish flavour version; the fish is an old favourite that we unaccountably had not ordered in a while—it was another favourite at the table. And the same could be said of the minced beef and tofu dish. This last, by the way, is a good compromise dish if you want to not order mapo tofu yet again but have someone at the table who would be really very happy if you did. The shredded pork played the role of a relief dish but was very good in its own right.

And no, we didn’t fail to order the Triple Flavour Squid/Spicy Squid Roll. That arrived in the final wave along with the Fish and Tofu in Szechuan Chilli Broth. The squid was outstanding, as always—truly one of the great Minnesota restaurant dishes. The fish and tofu is another old favourite that we had not ordered in a while. We asked for it to be made extra spicy and if you look at the photo in the slideshow below, you’ll see they took us seriously.

For a closer look at everything we ate, launch the slideshow. I don’t have any menu pics in this post but you can find them in some of my earlier Grand Szechuan reports. Or you can read my Guide to Ordering at Grand Szechuan.

By the way, while only a part of the restaurant’s large dining room was occupied when we arrived a little before noon, by the time we left, a little before 2, it was hopping. And it’s always nice to see Chef Luo coming out to the dining room to survey the scene and watch a bit of the football game on the large tv screen. Service was also as nice and efficient as it always is—we were, again, taken care of by the older female server who usually takes care of us. Price? With the slight credit card surcharge, tax and tip, the total was just above $270. We all took copious amounts of leftovers home. Which is to say it was excellent value for excellent food. We’ll try not to go five months before our next meal there.

Okay, what’s next on the food front? Before my next Twin Cities report next Wednesday I’ll have one more Delhi report and a couple more Seoul reports. Where will the next Twin Cities report be from? Well, we are scheduled to eat this weekend at a high-end restaurant a number of people have been writing in to tell me to eat at for a while: All Saints. Hopefully our plans will hold. Let’s see how it goes.