Chin’s Szechwan
Point Loma
3373 Rosecrans St.
San Diego, CA 92110
www.govisitchin.com
By LK Bruce
Healthy, tasty, affordable and close by. These are the criteria against which all dining or take-out decisions were made in our busy family of four. Even long after the birds left the nest, these figure prominently in meals not made at home.
We got around to Chin’s Szechwan a little later than hoped after their opening in Point Loma but they hit on all cylinders of the old fam criteria. And oh my, do we need good Chinese on the Peninsula.
To start, they’re very popular. If you show up without a reservation, prepare to wait a while on the sidewalk. If you make a reservation, prepare to guarantee it with a credit card for $10/per person in your reservation. Of course, many restaurants do this but you don’t expect it from a Chinese place in a strip mall. That tells you something. And, if you’re like many in and around the ‘hood, you’ll grab some take-out, a booming side of the business.
The dining room is classy and inviting, with a more upscale vibe than you’d expect. There are five full booths, and about six tables with banquette seating on one side depending on how they’re configured and a table for six at the window.
The menu is extensive with lot of appetizers and soups, house special entrees and old standards categorized by the protein involved. What is especially welcome and interesting is their full menu page on “Key Sauces and Ingredients” which enlighten in clear terms what to expect with the various dishes. Menu items are marked with symbols defining “minimally spicy,” “contains nuts,” and “gluten free” which in this day and age of rampant food issues, is both helpful and important.
Alas, it’s hard to try one of the six soups because they don’t offer them by the cup, only the bowl and that makes for a lot of food if you’re ordering an entrée. With fall here, I’m eager to go back for an all-soup night – okay maybe with an eggroll – and enjoy a full bowl.
The eggrolls are excellent; better than I’ve had in a long time. My husband ordered cashew chicken, his go-to. I found the Hoisin Sauce unusual and not to my liking but he thought it good, though he admitted the cashews were too few. I ordered the Imperial Double Happiness with shrimp, scallops, broccoli, snow peas, mushrooms and carrots in a garlic white sauce. It was tasty and healthy.
I had a well-made iced tea with a lemon wedge carefully peeled to hang artfully off the glass (the care taken in making iced tea is a real “tell” about a restaurant’s attention to detail/care/quality, IMHO). My husband had one of their three kinds of Sapporo beer.
They do not offer dessert beyond the fortune and almond cookies that come with the check.
Nevertheless, the “tasty” criterion was met. What blew us away was the quantity – which is what caused Chin’s to hit the “affordable” criteria with such flying colors. Each of our entrees – with the accompanying white and brown rice – was enough for two meals. That’s $75 plus tip for FOUR meals. In these expensive times, that is a godsend.
The second time we visited was with friends. One ordered the Spicy Honey and Sesame Chicken, which I would liken to puff balls of fried dough covered in honey. The chicken was undetectable but sure, everyone liked it. Another two ordered Ma La Three Flavor under House Specialties: shrimp, beef and chicken wok-tossed with mushrooms, snow peas, straw mushrooms, baby corn and carrots in a “mild numbing ma la sauce.” I thought “mild” or ”numbing” might be a typo but it’s repeated elsewhere so I figure they meant it.
A quick trip to the internet revealed that Ma La is a spice blend which literally means “numbing”; (ma) and “spicy”; (la) in Chinese. The numbing sensation comes from Szechwan peppercorns and the spiciness comes from Szechwan peppers.
The Ma La entrees were a hit. I ordered the “Chop Suey House” which was beef, shrimp and chicken wok-tossed with a nice variety of vegetables (there’s the “healthy” criterion!) in a “Chef’s special white wine sauce.” Oddly, in my meal and in the Ma La entrees, the proteins were hot but the mushrooms though cooked were truly cold. We didn’t bother to send it back.
None of us ordered alcohol and the tab for four was $134 plus tip. Again, my husband and I got two meals out of ours. Service was prompt and efficient with all servers
ensuring good service for all, regardless of your particular order-taker.
Chin’s Szechwan – Point Loma is one in a six-restaurant chain headquartered in San Diego. It is located in the Loma Square Shopping Center at Midway and Rosecrans across from TJ Maxx and the former Carl’s Junior.
I highly recommend giving it a try. It’s healthy, tasty, affordable and close by.
