The cult favorite
Sichuan restaurant, Legend Bar & Restaurant in Chelsea now has a new sister
restaurant on the Upper West Side. Legend Upper West, located at 109 Street and Broadway,
opened its doors in early December.
The word has definitely spread—on a recent Monday night at 6pm, the
Upper West Side outpost was packed.
The menu is
organized by sections: Chef’s Special Entrees, like Braised Fish in Red Soup; New
Style Sichuan, featuring Chengu Braised Duck; Traditional Sichuan, such as the
popular Sichuan Spicy Ma Po Tofu; and then of course the Americanized section. (Think
Lo Mein and General Tso’s Chicken.)
One of my
favorite dishes was the Dan Dan Noodles Cheng Du Style, which was a bowl of spicy
noodles with little bits of crispy ground pork. Typically I order Spicy Sichuan
Noodles, but our waiter insisted that this noodle dish is more traditional. I
loved the saltiness of the pork with the noodles and the subtle spice that hits
your throat at the end of each bite. The Shrimp Wontons in Red Sesame Oil was
also delicious. These wontons were simple with a subtle sweet flavor of shrimp
and a light touch of spice in the sesame oil.
The Sichuan Spicy
Ma Po Tofu entrée was an ace and apparently one of the most popular dishes. We
were warned about the heat, but didn’t find the spice level out of the
ordinary. This dish was filled with silken tofu cubes ensconced in a spicy red chili
sauce. Each bite subtly burst in your mouth and left a hint of spice on the
lips.
Another win was
the Sliced Pork Sautéed with Garlic Stems. Although the garlic stems seemed
more like leeks, this dish was surprising. The pork reminded me of a less-crunchy,
smoky bacon—a little chewy and fatty, but it went along excellently with the al
dente leeks/garlic stems.
Legend Upper
West does not yet have their liquor license but do not let that stop you from
venturing up north. This place is a gem and very affordable. Appetizers are
$5-$10 and Entrees range from $11-$27. The service was quick and helpful, our
waiter was always willing to explain dishes and make recommendations (good ones
to boot). One warning to the faint of heart: most dishes are salty and spicy. But
the flavors and preparations are top notch.
After
experiencing the brilliance of Legend, I was anxious to find other Sichuan
restaurants in the neighborhood. I stumbled upon an outpost of Grand
Sichuan on Amsterdam and
74th Street. Grand Sichuan has a few establishments throughout the
city, including Chelsea, Murray Hill, and even Jersey City. I decided to give
my local neighborhood branch a chance. On a recent Thursday night, there was a
steady stream of customers, but nothing compared to the jam-packed Legend on a
Monday night.
The menu at
Grand Sichuan was not sectioned off by cuisine styles, rather all dishes were organized
by Appetizers, Seafood, Meat, Vegetable, and Tofu, with a back page dedicated
to Chef Special-New Dishes and a wine and beer list. The menu also boasted a three-page photo spread of popular dishes.
This cheat sheet came in handy, but didn’t help sell the restaurant as an “authentic”
Sichuan restaurant. A small standing menu sat on each table and listed the Top
10 Appetizers and Top 15 Main Courses (again, helpful, but didn’t quite create
that authentic experience).
I started off
with their well-known Pork Soup Dumplings and Dan Dan Noodles. The Pork Soup
Dumplings were little, and juicy, balls of heaven. Once the dumpling was safely
on my spoon, I dug my chopstick into the dough to create a small hole to slurp
up the pork-essence broth. Eventually, the dumpling was deflated enough to take
small bites of the meat and a harmony of broth and salted garlicky pork filled
my mouth with joy.
As the Dan Dan
noodles arrived, my waiter asked if he could stir the noodles properly,
insisting that many people did not tackle Dan Dan noodles properly. He
gracefully spooned the vegetables and minced pork from the bottom of the dish until
the noodles were evenly coated. The noodles reminded me more of a Cold Sesame
Noodle dish. The noodles weren’t as white and delicate as Legend’s and I found
the sauce to be too soupy and salty. Legend’s Dan Dan Noodles were more
restrained with a less-is-more sort of attitude.
For entrees I
had the Crispy Shrimp with Sichuan Sauce and the Braised Beef with Chili Sauce.
The Crispy Shrimp was plated with water chestnuts, a spongy mushroom, and
blanched broccoli. The shrimp was deep fried and tossed with a ginger style
sauce.
The shrimp were good, but the thick fried coating took away from the
experience. The sauce reminded me of General Tso’s so I was a bit disappointed.
The Braised Beef was almost like a soup. The beef was thinly sliced and served
in a bowl filled with the signature red chili sauce, cabbage, and bok choy. I
was warned about the spice level of this dish, which was appreciated. The beef
was a bit chewy and the sauce a tad spicy for my liking. The words “mouth
numbing” come to mind. But I was warned so I can’t complain.
In conclusion, I
found the service to be more friendly in Grand Sichuan. The waiters were very
eager to talk you through the dishes, assist with any questions, and warn
eaters about the spice level. Despite the friendly service, bigger portions,
and Pork Soup Dumpling wisdom, I must say I preferred the newcomer to the
neighborhood. The flavors I experienced in Legend were more refined, delicate,
and sophisticated. I am eagerly looking forward to my next trip to Legend.