We finally made it to Lan Sheng last summer, Cafe China’s competitor in the midtown Manhattan Michelin-starred battle of Szechuan restaurants.
Given how much I love Cafe China, I had mixed feelings about venturing to Lan Sheng. Yes, on the one hand, it could be better than Cafe China which would be a major boon. On the other, it did feel like both a bit of a betrayal to Cafe China and I had an odd feeling of trepidation about what the food would actually be like.
Ultimately, I have to say that Lan Sheng was very good - and our waiter did not flinch at making a few courses vegetarian for me, which of course was sincerely appreciated by this vegetarian food blogger.
I did not stray from my favorites on this first trip to Lan Sheng - Dan Dan noodles (pictured above), MaPo tofu (below), and some other small plates to share like scallion pancakes.
While everything was very good, I think that Cafe China may still be my preference, especially on the ambiance and cocktail fronts. For the non-vegetarian, Lan Sheng did seem to be more varied and have more “unique” meat options than most other Sichuan restaurants. That being said, I will almost absolutely return to Lan Sheng for more delicious, spicy vegetarian food in the future!
60 W. 39th St.
Midtown, Manhattan
Most easily accessible from the B/D/F/M/7 trains at 42nd Street, but also not a far walk from the 4/5/6/7 trains at Grand Central
Comments