First Look: Lao Sze Chuan, Opening at Pinecrest This Summer

The new Lao Sze Chuan restaurant at Pinecrest literally was “made in China.” In March, six shipping containers landed in Orange Village following their journey from overseas. Inside them contained every piece, part, segment and section needed to construct the 8,400-square-foot restaurant. Also included was every table, chair, light fixture, decoration, plate, wok, serving utensil, chopstick and faux bamboo plant. After months of construction, the elegant restaurant is approaching the finish line, which it is slated to do in early August.

In 1998, chef Tony Hu opened the original Lao Sze Chuan in Chicago’s Chinatown neighborhood, where it has been a staple ever since and drawn acclaim — Travel and Leisure magazine named it the number one Chinese restaurant in America. After expanding throughout Greater Chicago, then Illinois, the restaurant group added locations in Connecticut, Minnesota, Maryland and Texas.

The Cleveland location – the first in Ohio – is owned and operated by Sheng Long Yu, the force behind a nearly dozen Asian eateries in the region.

“I think this will be an exciting experience for a lot of people who have ideas about what authentic Chinese cuisine means,” Yu explains. “From the food presentation, the plating, the flavor… it’s 100-percent different from anything we’ve ever done in our organization.”

Yu describes Lao Sze Chuan as an upscale Chinese restaurant, and the Pinecrest location will serve as a model for future expansion with respect to the layout, design, color scheme, menu and presentation, he says.

“In Chicago, New York and L.A. they all are very small in scale,” he states. “In Cleveland we have more space. We’re lucky here in Pinecrest because the restaurant space and the lifestyle mall fit perfectly for what we’re trying to do.”

Formerly City Works, the roomy property sits beneath Silverspot Cinema. It can accommodate 200 diners inside and nearly 100 outdoors on two separate patios. Indoors, there are multiple private dining rooms for groups large and small, including one with its own patio.

Lao Sze Chuan means “old Sichuan,” and the menu features many tongue-tingling delicacies from that region. But Yu has also rolled in some more familiar Cantonese dishes to appeal to a wider audience. His chef hails from China, where he has been cooking for more than 20 years.

Lao Sze Chuan is lauded for it Peking duck, a meticulous, labor-intensive process that results in shatteringly crisp skin and melt-in-your mouth meat. For an additional charge, diners can enjoy the full tableside carving experience. Or, to save a little money, the duck can be carved in the kitchen. Either way, the crispy skin and carved meat are presented with housemade pancakes, scallion, cucumber and hoisin sauce.

The presentation of the duck is just one of the many elaborate touches that diners will observe here. Cold appetizers like crispy cucumber salad, sea cucumber, and pork with garlic sauce are served in a covered dish with dry ice. Family-style soups like the crab with fish belly arrive at the table in a deep tureen. Whole Sichuan-style boiled fish comes on a platter heated from below. The presentations are not lacking: The chopsticks are tipped with gold, there is an elaborate tea service, and bottles of sake arrive on a platter with a decanter and small glasses.

“I think there is a void in the market for high-end Chinese restaurant,” explains Yu. “When people think of a Chinese restaurant, they think mom-and-pop restaurant, to-go food. We’re trying to bring in a more authentic Chinese taste. In today’s world, with social media and the internet, everybody has more awareness of different types of cuisine.”

When the restaurant opens in early August it will serve dinner and weekend dim sum, a first in the area. Check out more photos of what to expect below.
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