As close to China as Hot Pot can be

Szechuan Gourmet
21 W 39th St., New York, NY 10018 (map)
(212) 921-0233
(website)



Eddie first told me about this place. He said it was one of the best Chinese restaurants in the city. I had my reservations because this place is in midtown, not Chinatown, not Flushing. He also told me not to tell the "gwai lo". When Wayne (who did the scouting a week prior) brought the TickerHound crew here, the outside window was plastered with reviews from various publications including Zagat and NY Times.
The food here is awesome. Eddie was right, it is indeed one of the best Chinese restaurants in New York. But this time, we're going to talk about the Hot Pot. Hot pot is a meal where you dip thinly sliced meats and vegetables into boiling broth. It is by far the best food to consume when it's cold out. And this place definitely tops the last place I deemed legit.
The spicy soup base is as close to the spicy soup base in China as can be. We had to ask for the Hot Pot menu when we came. They will probably hand it out with the regular food menu as the weather gets colder. It's all you can eat for $25 a head.


Soup Bases: Spicy (red) and Herbal (white) - both have deep flavor in and by itself. I find the Herbal soothing when there's too much spice. The spicy is addicting.


Ample amounts of chili and Szechuan peppercorn to numb my tongue and to make me sweat profusely.


Sauces: not a lot of sauces available. Most Hot Pot places give you a variety of options to mix your own sauce. Here, they only provide seasame sauce and garlic sauce - which you'd mix together.


The meat/seafood platter - The give you a bit of everything, when you want more of anything (being that it's all you can eat), you'd ask and they'll bring. There was fat beef, lean beef, lamb, crabs (not so fresh), shrimps, spam, fatty pork, tripe.


The vegetables platter - potatoes, various mushrooms, bean sprots, tofu slices, napa cabbages, seaweeds

$$
Szechuan Gourmet

Cost: $35 each (food, beers, tax, tips)