Indulgent Szechuan dishes & retro Shanghai vibes.
This midtown Chinese restaurant offers a fantastic Szechuan dining experience, often compared favorably to other popular spots. With a retro Shanghai vibe and a menu featuring indulgent, flavorful dishes, it's a go-to for those craving authentic spice. Standout dishes include the mapo tofu, dan dan noodles, and a unique truffle beef tenderloin.
This restaurant is highly recommended for its authentic Szechuan Chinese cuisine, with many users praising specific dishes like Mapo Tofu, Chongqing chicken, and spicy/sour wontons. The food is often described as flavorful and indulgent, with some noting it can be on the greasier side. A few users have mentioned specific dishes that did not meet expectations, such as rubbery three pepper chicken and dry vermicelli.
"Highly recommended dishes include the Mapo Tofu, Dan Dan Noodles, Chongqing chicken, spicy and sour wontons, cucumber salad, and tea smoked duck fried rice."
Customers generally have a very positive view of the restaurant, frequently recommending it for its authentic Szechuan cuisine, enjoyable atmosphere, and well-crafted cocktails. While most feedback is positive, one review noted inconsistency and a rubbery texture in specific dishes.
Important Note
One reviewer noted that the restaurant can be inconsistent, with specific dishes like the three pepper chicken being described as rubbery and the vermicelli too dry.
"The user recommended Chili on 36th and 5th for Szechuan food."
Positive"The user loves Chili on 36th and 5th, specifically mentioning the mapo tofu, cucumber salad, and tea smoked duck fried rice as go-to items."
Positive"The user recommended Chili on east 37th street."
Positive"Chili, located at 37th and Madison, is described as a fantastic, semi-casual, and inexpensive Sichuan Chinese restaurant. The commenter heard its chef once had a Michelin star and found it to be an under-the-radar gem."
Positive"A user confirmed that Chilis in midtown has spicy and sour wontons on their menu, mentioning that they had recently visited the restaurant for lunch."
Neutral"A user prefers Chili, even though they acknowledge Mountain House might be more authentic."
Positive"A user expresses strong positive sentiment for Chili, stating it's great and they love it, although they haven't tried the other restaurants on the list."
Positive"This user recommends CHILI as a suitable choice for the group dinner."
Positive"Chili Manhattan, located near Ktown in Manhattan, is recommended for its version of the Chongqing/La zi Chicken dish, which the user likes."
Positive"User ThatYellowDog55 highly recommended Chili, a Szechuan Chinese restaurant in Midtown, describing it as 'fantastic'. They clarified that it is not a buffet and is different from the Chili's chain restaurant."
Positive"Recommended as a good spot, mentioning its location at 37th and Madison."
Positive"Had better mapo tofu from Chili compared to Szechuan Mountain House, although notes places aren't always consistent."
Positive"Or Chili in Midtown East, it has a retro 1930 s Shanghai vibe."
Positive"Not as good as I remembered, three pepper chicken was wet/rubbery, vermicelli was too dry, wasn't consistent"
Negative"Chili has a more indulgent style, bigger portions, better for takeout"
Positive"the food quality is greasier in a more indulgent way"
Neutral"Chili ended up being better than Cafe China."
Positive
