Sichuan Gourmet Burlington

I have many favorites at Sichuan Gourmet in Burlington, and today it was time for one of them to celebrate that they are now fully open for indoor dining. I have been going to Sichuan Gourmet since they only had one location in Billerica. Lao Sichuan (traditional dishes) now has five locations.

There is plenty of parking. Not exactly generous parking spaces. PS. The Blaze Pizza next door is really excellent.

The inside is still set up for takeout, and on this miserable Saturday, the takeout was flying out the door at lunchtime. The inside was busy as well. I didn't recognize any of the current staff.

The celebratory dish is the Fish Filets & Napa Cabbage w. Spicy Chili Sauce ($17.50). I have now had this dish in all its variants, but the fish one is the favorite. Yes, that's a pile of garlic on top of a heap of chili! Mix everything together in the sauce and dig in. Doesn't get any better than this. Look at the amount of fish that you get. It's excellently cooked fish, moist and flaky, and it's a fiercely hot dish, but you can still taste the fish. It states on the menu that they use sole. I really like the napa cabbage that's underneath. There is also celery lurking there. White rice is $1.95, and you get a big bowl. I have really missed the pickled veggies. They are delicious and just about the only way I eat broccoli. 07/03/21

Lunch Sichuan Double Cooked Bacon ($9.95). This is my favorite dish from the lunch menu. Thinly sliced perfectly cooked pork belly (not bacon) that is delicious. The leeks are soft, and the fermented black beans are like nuggets of salty goodness. The peppers were mild today, but that's life. Sometimes it's spicy and other times not. You get a ginormous mound of rice, and I always forget to ask for half a portion since it just goes to waste. The H&S soup that is included is really excellent. The soup is now more orange than black since they are reducing the amount of soy sauce. I don't miss the soy sauce for a minute. 07/27/21

Spare Ribs with Fresh Bamboo Shoots ($14.95). This is an excellent dish with tender ribs and an excellent sauce that packs a little bit of heat. Marked as one pepper on the menu, and that's spot on. There is also bok choy hiding underneath. The bamboo shoots weren't cleaned properly and still had the fibrous ends left on. It's still a delightful dish. 08/07/21

Hot and Sour Wonton Soup (For 2) ($7.50). This used to be on the lunch menu in Billerica but wasn't present in Burlington. When I mentioned it, she showed me that it is in the soup section. I expected this to be the normal H&S soup with wontons thrown in. It was not. A delicious broth that was really hot and sour filled with Wontons and Bok Choy. There was a good amount of wontons, but not as many as on my last visit. The first time I tried this, I was surprised at how good the broth was, not something I expected to like, but the balance was perfect. Don't miss this gem in the soup section. 08/31/21

Chicken & Asparagus w. Cheng Du Special Sauce ($9.95). I have had this dish before, and it was tasty, and I really liked it. However, this time it was pretty much a fail. Where is the sauce? Completely absent. What I got was pretty much stir-fried mushy chicken and asparagus. The asparagus was cleaned and cooked well. The H&S soup is still one of the best around. I have them hold my order until I finish the soup. 09/07/21

Appetizer of Steamed Bacon with Fresh Garlic Sauce (9.95) is a favorite of mine. Look how nice it was presented! It's served warm, and yes, there is a big heap of garlic on top that you mix in with the chili oil.

Sliced Roast Beef & Tendon with Chili Sauce (11.50). I have had this in other places, but this was a super rendition with both the beef and the tendon sliced super thin and served with a seriously spicy chili sauce.

Address 91 Middlesex Turnpike, Burlington, MA 01803 Phone number (781) 221-7288

The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.

-- Confucius