Grand Sichuan Intl Inc   

The SceneJust an occasional carving or wall-hanging spruces up the plain, large, but nicely proportioned dining room; a TV showing Chinese films presides from a central perch. Quick, no-frills service matches the modest atmosphere. Expect a wait at peak times.The FoodAlthough the menu covers popular bases with "American Chinese food" and stabs at Shanghainese favorites like soup dumplings, the core competency here is the pungent, hot Sichuan cooking. A marinated salad of raw garlic, savory melon and piquant green peppers starts the meal with a bang. Continue with perfect garlicky eggplant or top-notch dry-sauteed string beans, both excellently fresh and handsomely presented. Farm-raised chicken, fresh-killed, is a specialty here, and its fuller flavor makes a marked difference in everything from chili-heaped "Chong Qing" chicken to familiar kung pao. For those who shirk spice, options abound, including gingery, full-flavored pork or tofu and fine, crisp scallion pancakes.