Lao Sze Chuan delivers a fiery Szechuan feast

• A new Strongsville location opened last month.

Confession: I have become such a Han Kabob truther that I rarely am stirred to try new Chinese joints, especially outside Asiatown. Only because I had an errand at Pinecrest — new jeans! — did my wife convince me to stay for dinner.

What we ordered: A smattering of appetizers to share, from a menu our server winkingly likened to the Cheesecake Factory's.

• The star of the show were the noodles ($10.50), bursting with floral Szechuan flavors and laced with just enough peanuts for texture.
• The presentation and plating were meticulous across the board. The soup dumplings ($14.95), for example, arrived steaming hot and perfectly arranged in a bamboo box.

🌶️ Sensitive palates and tummies take heed! We split the dry chili chicken entree ($23.50), and critic Doug Trattner was correct when he reviewed Lao Sze Chuan in 2024.

• This dish contained "enough Szechuan peppercorns to numb a pre-op dental patient."

Plus: Feeling adventurous, I ordered a bottle of Korean Soju ($16), a fruity and deceptively alcoholic beverage that I consumed throughout the meal in a special little soju bowl.

Between the lines: I don't traverse I-271 much if I can help it, so I was frankly shocked to see Pinecrest bustling on a weekend night.

• We arrived near the tail end of the dinner hour, but the restaurant was still slammed. We opted to sit at the bar instead of waiting for a table.

👍 Verdict: Worth a trip to the burbs.