Grand Sichuan NY   

227 Lexington Ave
New York, NY 10016
212-679-9770

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In a section of Murray Hill where large office buildings butt up against and dwarf small townhouses, this local mini-chain has set up kitchen with its latest branch. The atmosphere is nothing to e-mail home about -- it's simple and no-frills with white walls, standard restaurant-issued tables and chairs, the obligatory red-topped soy sauce table decorations, and the usual harried and language-impaired service that is mystically surprising when the food comes as you ordered. Bottom line, it is exactly what you've come to expect from Chinese eateries. But unlike many other Chinese establishments, Grand Sichuan serves up some seriously authentic dishes from its namesake provence including wontons in red oil, spicy eggplant, potatoes with vinegar sauce, dan dan noodles in spicy sauce, spicy double-cooked pork, beef with spicy green pepper, and Sichuan pickled cabbage with red oil (Get the hint? These are s-p-i-c-y). But for the faint of heart, there is also a full section of standard Chinese-American dishes, including sesame beef, sweet and sour prawns and General Tso's chicken -- but if you order these, the point seems somehow lost. -- Amanda Dorato