Henry Zhang
Google
Tried Lao Sze Chuan after several recommendations from friends, but unfortunately, the experience was disappointing overall—and even upsetting.
The Never Forget Chicken(口水鸡) was the highlight, with fragrant chili oil and well-seasoned, tender meat. But the Chengdu Dan Dan Noodles(担担面) were unexpectedly sweet with zero spice, and the noodles were soft, not springy. I had to pour the chicken’s sauce over them to make them taste better. The White Bean and Pork Trotter Soup(老妈蹄花汤) was honestly the worst—tasted like it came from an artificial soup packet, not a fresh stew. Worse, there were visible hairs left on the pork trotters, which is unacceptable.
The restaurant is decently decorated and reasonably clean, though I noticed some paper scraps on the floor. It wasn’t busy when I visited, yet the service was inattentive. I waited a long time before anyone came over. When the dishes were served, one had red chili oil stuck under the plate, and during takeout packing, the staff nearly knocked the bag into my food—I had to stop it myself.
What truly ruined the experience, though, was the discriminatory attitude from one of the Mandarin-speaking staff. As a fellow Chinese speaker, I was treated casually, even dismissively. Yet when a white customer came in, that same staff member immediately greeted them warmly, explained dishes with enthusiasm, and even introduced the robot server. That kind of double standard is unacceptable, especially coming from someone in the same community.
I might return just once more to try their main dishes like roast duck, but I won’t come back if the attitude stays the same.