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| - I tried asking some other Yelpers one morning if they liked this place more than Tao Garden. I've always liked Tao Garden the most in Chandler area, but the Long John Silvers decore of old was a little too much to handle after a while.
I came to Szechwan Garden with a friend, and I saw the noticeable change in the decor. It was previously iKitchen (korean/ramen). iKitchen didn't do much to change the look from the TOGO that was there before them. Szechwan Garden added touches of red with lanterns. They changed the tables into the classic round table with red cloth we see at most asian restaurants.
Though there were plenty of free tables, we somehow got stuck with the two seater next to the bathroom. I wish we could've sat elsewhere, but I assumed they were expecting a massive lunch crowd and didn't want to have wasted seating.. I could deal with that.
Prices were in three tiers: 4.98, 5.98, and 6.98 for their lunch specials that included the entree, soup, and a mini tub of rice. The distinction between Szechwan Garden and other places is that lunch comes out family style. You have your own place, there are the entrees in the middle, and you pass around a tub of rice. It allows sharing of others dishes which you usually wouldn't do.
I was really happy with this too. I ordered the fillet in black bean sauce with tofu, and my friend ordered the orange chicken. The orange chicken was tangy, crispy, and not overly deepfriend with a nice underlying orange taste from the zest. The fillet was hot, tender, not dry, and hot (i know its sad when "hot" is a criteria). My dish also had a nice spice to it from the black pepper, but it wasn't too bad that my friend couldn't eat it.
Service was fast. Water was refilled often. I liked this, but then I also thought it was too fast. By the time our entree was on the table, she already laid the check next to my arm. They kept repeatedly coming by asking if everything was okay and turning and leaving before I could really answer. I felt like they wanted us to leave as quickly as possible so they could turn the table. I don't get it, since there were still plenty of tables open.
Service aside, I would've given the place 5 stars, but the food is too good. It's definitely my go to spot in Chandler for Chinese from now on.
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