Chengdu 23: Wayne, NJ
So I drive past a strip mall which is as utterly bland as its name (West Belt Plaza), next to the Willowbrook mall in Wayne, and I see a sign that says "Chengdu 23". Having a good feeling that it's not related to the awesome Chengdu 1 in Cedar Grove, and hoping it has nothing to do with the way-too-80's Chengdu 46, I pulled into the lot to have a quick drive-by look-see. It didn't look promising at all. "Asian cuisine", the sign proclaims. Yuck. Bye-bye. I put the place out of my mind. I mean, what are the odds of a random Chinese restaurant opening and serving authentic food of any kind, if the sign says "Asian cuisine".
Until the other day, when I read a bit about the place on northjersey.com. "We make home-style Sichuan ... the type of food you'd get in central China, where they like things spicier," the owner says in the article. "Well fuck me," I thought. So, you know, off I went.
Well definitely fuck me if this place isn't cooking some excellent Sichuan style food! The menu, in fact, reads an awful lot like Chengdu 1's. "Spicy chicken ding," "double cooked pork," "Sichuan pork dumpling," "dan dan noodle," "sliced pork with fresh garlic": they all make an appearance here.
Unlike Chengdu 1, the authentic items here seem to be interspersed with the Chinese-American slop, so you'll have to have some experience with these dishes to order well. You might try:
These dishes sat in their containers for the 30 minute trip home, and then another 20 minutes on the counter, whilst I freshened up and changed into my formal dinner duds...white undershirt, cargo shorts, black knee-high socks, and slippers (settle down ladies, settle down) . They were all as good as anything I've had at Chengdu 1, which really kinda bums me out, because I love Chengdu 1 and want them to succeed (Chengdu 23 will surely steal some of their business).
Methinks chicken dings, boiled beef, and ox tongue won't appeal to everyone though. As I sat patiently waiting for my to-go order, a table of middle-aged women got up and walked out. Apparently they were hoping the place still had a buffet (the old business used to). I thought to myself "that's kinda sad that they don't know how to appreciate food."
And then I thought "well maybe I'm a sad prick since I can't appreciate a buffet." Either way, we have a winner of a Sichuan restaurant. My only issue with the place, aside from the fish tank in the entrance, which I find terribly old-school and pointless, is the location: it's just as far from my house as Chengdu 1 is. Why can't something like this open closer to me? Bergen county somewhere?
Chengdu 23 : 6 Willowbrook Rd (West Belt Plaza, behind Pizzerwhatever Uno) : 973.812.2800 : BYOB
Funny you post about this place. We passed by it yesterday and commented on how it would be 1/2 as good as Chengdu 46. A few days later, the office ordered in. Since I was already planning on ruining my day by going to Rare, I didn't order anything. But, I did sample a wide variety of dishes. The meat and vegetables all seemed of high quality, and the dishes themselves were definitely a cut above the average Chinese Restaurant. Since then, the office has ordered several times, and everyone raves about it. It helps that its right across the street from the office, and within walking distance...
Posted by: adegiulio | April 17, 2008 at 06:27 AM
Now why'd you have to go and do this, Tommy?!? Sigh.
Btw, thanks for the image of you in yer dinner duds! hehe
Posted by: Ev | April 17, 2008 at 10:12 AM
We enjoyed some Chengdu 23 delivery today (after explaining to the guy on the phone that we were right across the street from them). I had some luscious shredded pork with Pekin sauce. Quality pork, tasty sauce. Nothing out of this world, but head and shoulders above our other chinese delivery place.
Posted by: adegiulio | April 23, 2008 at 04:53 PM
hmmm. i can't say that sounds like one of their authentic sichuan offerings - and i will only stand behind the authentic sichuan offerings - but i'm glad it was serviceable.
Posted by: tommy:eats | April 23, 2008 at 05:07 PM
Jim shared with me a story about his recent lunch-time trip to Chengdu 23.
To paraphrase:
"a guy came in to chengdu 23 as I was paying and asked about the buffet. after he was told there was none but there were, in fact, lunch specials, he looked over towards where the buffet would have been, blankly, and then just kind of wandered away."
Posted by: tommy:eats | May 02, 2008 at 06:44 PM
What's the deal with the numbering system of "Chengdu" restaurants? (I'm channeling Jerry Seinfeld here.) I get that Chengdu is the capital of Szechuan province ... but what determines whether it's "1," "23" or "46"? And since the Chinese consider 8 a lucky number, why no "Chengdu 8" or "Chengdu 88"?
Posted by: melissa | May 03, 2008 at 10:57 AM
i reckon chinese restaurants pick the name "chengdu" because
1) it sounds chinese
2) it's easy to pronounce
3) and not because their food is at all related to sichuan cooking (1 and 23 being the exceptions in this area, of course).
23 is presumably named for route 23, on which it sits. same for 46. 1, I would think, is a product of the age-old approach of chinese restaurants referring to themselves as "number 1". "number 1 chinese kitchen", "#1 chinese restaurant", "hunan #1", "aaa exterminators", etc.
Posted by: tommy:eats | May 03, 2008 at 11:52 AM
Just finished an order of Shredded Pork. I've tasted salt licks with less sodium. I did my best to choke down half, but it was just inedible...
Posted by: adegiulio | May 06, 2008 at 12:53 PM
sichuan cuisine is, by nature, salty. that's a big complaint for many, including me. sometimes it's just way too over the top and out-of-balance with the other flavors. good for a hangover though. at least that's what i'm told.
Posted by: tommy:eats | May 07, 2008 at 11:19 AM