Best Sichuan or other spicy Chinese in Rosemead area?

Americas - USA West Los Angeles
21

So back to the same Chengdu Taste, or the other branch, or Szechuan Impression?

22

Oh man, that pork shoulder look great. Thanks for the tip about the salty broth with the fish.

You probably know Arden lettuce as “A Choy” or “A vegetable” (not always listed on a menu because of availability, but I usually ask for it—it’s one of the more common greens at Cantonese and Sichuan places in the SFBA after spinach. Also,it’s an easy special to pick out on a white board because it uses the English letter “A”). I can’t maximize the flavors at home in a wok, but on a grill, it’s a more flavorful alternative to romaine.

23

It’s up to you robert. What do you want to do? Explore the menu further at either? Or…?

24

My friend I was meeting couldn’t make it, so I stayed downtown.

25

I tried Hunan Mao in Rosemead this weekend and was quite disappointed. I happened to be in the general vicinity, but not only would I never make a trip from the Westside there, but I wouldn’t even go back if I were in the area.

We ordered the spicy fish head casserole with chilies. Too oily; no depth of flavor; definitely not high quality fish. The casserole also had some pieces of tofu on the side, topped with shiso leaf. The tofu was decent, but the casserole sauce was a disappointment.

We also got stir fried lotus root with chilies. Again oily and I could have taken it or left it.

Last dish was some kind of green shoots (bamboo?), which was not spicy and again was too oily and too heavy a hand with sesame oil. Again, could have taken it or left it.

Not sure if we just ordered the wrong things (although I had understood that the fish head casserole was one of their signature dish) or if the place is just not to my taste.

We got there early and the place was almost empty, but later filled up with huge (and I mean huge) hordes of high school students sans parents.

Maybe it’s a high school hang place – i.e., the kind of food adolescents like – but as I said, not only wouldn’t I drive from the Westside, I wouldn’t go back if I were in the neighborhood.

About the only thing I liked was the free tea, which was decent. I was with a Mandarin speaker so all dishes were ordered in Mandarin, so I can’t speak to the English language skills of the staff. Some of the menu items are translated and some not.