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| - Absurd.
That word accurately describes the quality of the food (it is absurdly good) and the prices (they're absurdly high). Were it not for the prices, Richard Chen would easily be my favorite American-inflected Chinese restaurant in the US. Despite its pretenses and pedigree (Richard Chen runs the Wing Lei restaurant at the Wynn in Las Vegas, and is the only Michelin-starred Chinese restaurant in the US), Richard Chen (the restaurant) does deliver an exceptional fine dining experience with only a few hiccups, all remedied if management chooses to fix them.
The decor is simple and a little spare. Tables are set with chopsticks for initiated and with modern, sleek knives, forks, and spoons for those who may be less confident with their chopsticks skills. Service is unpretentious and friendly. The menu is a touch confusing - it isn't clear if it is a traditional Chinese restaurant where family dining is expected and encouraged or if it is a traditional fine dining restaurant where you order your own apps and entree. An explanation at the beginning of the meal would go a long way toward helping the diner decide how to approach the menu.
The menu is organized into appetizers: dim sum, hot plates and cold plates. Appetizers begin at $8 and go up from there. There are traditional dishes like shimp dumplings (ha-gau), mushrooms rolled in soy sheets, shu mai, hot and sour soup, and more creative dishes involving jellyfish. There are also salads for diners seeking more traditional fine dining menu fare.
Entrees are broken into meat, fish and poultry. The last page of the menu features rice, noodles, and vegetables. Our party decided to share everything, and not a bite was leftover at the end. We ordered the five spice duck, which was tender and delicious, although there was still a touch of fat left under the skin; the szechuan prawns, which were tender, brightly acidic, and not too sweet; the lobster, which at $42 was utterly outrageous but delicious; and the clay pot bass, which was one of my favorite dishes all night.
We also ordered a number of sides, including wok-tossed rice noodles (nothing special but a nice foil to the other dishes), the string beans (simple and good),and one of the fried rice dishes made with brown rice (wonderful). They can make any of the rice dishes with red rice, brown rice, or jasmine rice. All are great options.
Overall, we loved the food, which was brightly seasoned, made with fresh ingredients, and prepared with an expert hand. Our appetizers were less exciting to us, which is a shame, as I always expect appetizers to shine in fine dining establishments, as that's one of the few places where experimentation is tolerated.
Dessert was also good - the pastry chef has a lofty reputation in the US and while we enjoyed her desserts and they may be among the best in Pittsburgh, I was disappointed. Everything tasted great, but nothing was daring or pushing the envelope. Flavor combinations - peach and brown butter, coconut and tropical fruits, strawberries and panna cotta - have been done for many many years. For Pittsburgh the desserts are probably just daring enough. There could be more dialogue between the sweets on the menu and the savory items, which, though described as 'fusion', really live more on the Chinese side of the flavor and preparation spectrum.
Richard Chen is a little too pricey to join a regular restaurant rotation, but for a special occasion, it is a fine place to drop a few dollars. Perhaps one of the finest places in Pittsburgh.
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