Thursday, January 29, 2015

Szechwan Garden - Revisit

I met my friend @wibia for another birthday lunch. We both like Szechwan Garden, and I have been itching to get back there since the last time I went and had the salt and pepper squid. I said then that I really wanted to try the salt and pepper fish (#115 on the menu, $15.95) so this time I did.  We also had the shredded roast duck with pan-fried rice noodles off of the lunch menu (the one on the back of the dim sum menu) ($4.95). I also had a taste of his hot and sour soup.

So, I was pretty right about being excited to try the salt and pepper fried fish. I had enjoyed the very peppery (and salty) seasoning on the squid before, but the squid itself was too chewy for me. The fish was thin and tender and much more appealing (and I like squid when it’s tender). I love the little crumbles of toasty garlic on top of the fish. The pieces with those on top were the best—they gave it an added nutty flavor. The fish was a thin white fish—maybe tilapia? They give you a lot, particularly since there is no veggies or anything with it, so I would recommend sharing it with others and/or with a dish heavier on veggies. They do give you a side of rice to go along with it.

The noodle dish we also shared is one of @wibia’s favorite things at Szechwan Garden I think. I’ve seen him order it a couple of times. It’s a nice dish as well—the super thin rice noodles are sautéed with bits of the roasted duck, egg, scallions and a few pieces of red pepper. It’s a better accompaniment to the fish than rice I think, just because the noodles have more going on, and add a bit of moisture to an otherwise kind of of dry meal. I really liked the bit of egg of course, and the scallions added some flavor and texture to the dish. We did add some soy to it, which brought the flavors out even more.

The quick bite of the hot and sour soup was tasty too—had the right balance of spicy and sour and nice bits of tofu and mushrooms and egg. My favorite thing—the broth isn’t gelatinous like some can be.

The menu here is huge, so I am pretty sure there is something on there for just about everyone. It would be fun for someone to start a blog and eat their way through that menu. Now that would be a feat.

Szechwan Garden
3649 Lafayette Road
Indy 46222
317/328-2888



4 comments:

  1. What was the name of the noodle dish? I also get overwhelmed with the menu there but love eating there!

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    1. It is literally called "shredded roast duck with pan-fried rice noodles" right on the menu. I am pretty sure it is on the back of the dim sum lunch menu.

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  2. There's a brand new Chinese restaurant inside of an Asian grocery that just opened in Muncie. They make delicious homemade dumplings! The menu has pork belly, lot's of seafood options, and hot pot! Would love to see your thoughts on it :)

    Restaurant name: Dumpling House
    Grocery name: Asian Market

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  3. We always end up getting the same few things every time we go to Szechwan Garden even though we say each time that we'll branch out. So when another couple (who had never been there) joined us, we got a little adventurous...for us.

    Dumplings came out first. They were sitting in a flavorful, spicy sauce and were full of pork inside. I think people who like dumplings will like them. We realized that dumplings and pot stickers just aren't our favorite.

    I tried to order the shredded roast duck with pan-fried rice noodles by showing the waitress the photo from this post. She said it's not available at dinner but she offered a suggestion for something in its place: Xiamen chow fun. At least, I think that's what it's called; it's (near) #343 on the menu. It was delicious and we'll definitely get it again. It's those rice noodles fried up with pork, shrimp, veg, egg, and supposedly pickled cabbage (we didn't see any) and it has a wonderful smoky flavor. She said it's one of her favorites and she was tickled that we liked it so much.

    We did succumb to the pan fried green beans, which I almost can't NOT get. Those are salty and porky and fantastic. Even after we're full we can't stop picking at them.

    The Huz loves the salt & pepper tofu but our companions weren't into it so we skipped it. Without warning our friend ordered cashew chicken, which was a pleasant surprise because The Huz has been obsessed with that at our take-out joint. All worked out well for him, I guess. The cashew chicken was tender and filled with fresh veg and plenty of cashews, which The Huz said were spiced. I had only a few bites but it was a big hit at the table.

    We didn't get the hot and sour soup, egg fried rice, or scallion pancake, which are some of our other favorites. Everything is so delicious and the menu is so big that it's a little overwhelming sometimes! I want to go with a group and get hot pot.

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