Savor the rich and vibrant tastes of China with Lao Sze Chuan’s famous dishes. Located in the heart of Downtown Chicago, our menu is a treasure chest of traditional Chinese specialties crafted with unparalleled authenticity and flair. Whether you’re craving spicy Szechuan delicacies like our renowned Kung Pao Chicken or the delicate sweetness of our Honey Walnut Shrimp, we promise a gourmet journey with every bite. Enjoy the convenience and comfort of our delivery and takeout services. Order online now and let us bring the taste of China to your doorstep!
Eatery serving an expansive menu of both classic & less common Chinese entrees.
Douglas Antonio
The service was a little tired at first. We were put at a too small table by the hostess, even though the restaurant was half open. There seemed to be only one bus boy who was grumpy and did not seem to want to set up our table correctly. The food is not quite as good as other locations but the atmosphere is more Northside. There are better places but not within walking distance.
… moreM Zaibak
Looked Better THAN IT TASTED.
Lao Sze Chuan definitely knows how to make a plate look good everything came out colorful, stacked, & smelling amazing. We ordered the lamb with cumin, fried rice, Singapore noodles, & crab rangoons, duck rice.
the rangoons were the best thing on the table, crispy & creamy just right. but the rest of the dishes just didn’t land for us. The flavors were way lighter than expected, and honestly… nobody at our table finished their food. It wasn’t bad, just not something we’d run back for.
Overall, decent experience, big portions, nice presentation, but the taste didn’t match the visual hype. Probably a 3-star visit for me.
… moreAudrey
I will recommend everyone to try the Peking duck, which is the best one here. The duck is crispy and delicious that is also a unique food in China too! This restaurant has very unique locations in downtown with good views and convenience shopping options. By the way servers here also have good customer service.
… moreKiki Yang
Delicious food and meals,I like spicy 土匪猪肝 and 酸菜鱼 , 韭菜盒子also good, taste good. If you want to have spicy Chinese restaurant I recommend you and your family come to this one.
… moreChen
The Peking duck here is truly authentic! My husband and I both absolutely love this restaurant. Server was chatty and helpful and another server came over to help us organize the table and set up our Peking duck stations. So the bun for Peking duck is not dry .
… moreBelal Z
The food was visually appealing, but it wasn’t as flavorful as I expected. I ordered the crab rangoons, lamb with cumin, and Singapore street noodles. The crab rangoons were great, crispy, creamy, and perfectly balanced. The rest of the dishes looked amazing but could’ve used a bit more flavor to match the presentation. Overall, a decent experience, but not quite the punch I was hoping for.
… moreClaudia C
Lao Sze Chuan on Michigan Avenue is a delightful paradox. Tucked away in the oddly silent, slightly mournful Nordstrom Mall food court, this place is anything but dead. The décor leans into a regular high-end Chinese theme that may have seen better days complete with a cat theme quirky robot server, yet the food is dead serious. The fun-and-games continue with a quirky cocktail menu, but the real star is the kitchen, which offers authentic gems like my favorite chicken feet. Above all, the Half Peking Duck was excellent—genuinely one of the best ducks I’ve had in Chicago. It’s perfect for large groups and sampling. A true culinary gem hiding in plain sight; I’m going back, partly the food and partly the cat theme robot.
… moreLorenz Kimura
I ordered the Chef’s Special Dry Chili Chicken and Szechuan String Beans to go ($49.06) from this place near my hotel. I waited 30 minutes, and I was so disappointed with both dishes. The portions were okay, but the food was bland. Both the chicken and the string beans had no Szechuan heat and no flavor at all. I love spicy food and can tolerate very spicy dishes, but these had no spice whatsoever. Honestly, if I could, I would give this place half a star — just because the white rice was cooked well. I love Szechuan cuisine and know the mouth-numbing spice this should have — this didn’t deliver. I will not be coming back.
The service was fine; the staff was polite despite being busy, and the space is actually cool and spacious. But if you’re here for authentic Szechuan flavor, look elsewhere.
… moreKallie
This is my second time coming here. My table ordered a few dishes to share. The spicy dry chili chicken was great. Not as spicy as it looked, which I appreciated. The red bean buns were so cute I almost didn’t want to eat them. My friends loved the chicken feet (and it was their first time eating them!) and the sticky rice was very flavorful. We also tried their boba, and the ube drink was the best one I’ve ever had. The mochi donut wasn’t like other mochi donuts I’ve had, though. But still really tasty!! There are options for every type of eater, too.
… moreV. C. T.
On the 4th floor of the Nordstrom building. They have a good bar attached with cocktails etc, but I don’t consume so no opinion on that. Plus I is vegetarian and the dim sum and a lot of the menu is meat and seafood focused. Again no opinion on that.
What I had, which is vegetarian, is fabulous. I always end up with Mapo Tofu here, because I like it and they do a fantastic job with it.
This time I stayed away and ordered String Beans appetizer and Hunan Tofu. Both were really tasty. The string beans was redolent with Wok Hei. The Hunan Tofu had a nice brown sauce with a lot of peanuts. Next time I’ll ask for Sichuan 5 spice on the string beans and Fermented Black Beans in the Tofu dish. Otherwise the flavors popped. A little bit expensive as it’s on Michigan Ave, but you have to expect that in this hood.
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