Chelsea Chinese Restaurant (aka Grand Sichuan International)

229 Ninth Avenue

(at the corner of 24th Street)

On a bitterly cold day with threats of a Nor’easter, I am craving soup dumplings. The restaurant, formerly known as Grand Sichuan, has been touted as having the best soup dumplings outside of Chinatown.

Ordered the pork soup dumplings, and it arrived in a steamer almost 20 minutes later. The fact that it took awhile for the dumplings to cook reassured me that these were not some frozen dumplings that were nuked.

It was deliciously satisfying with the soup literally pouring out of the dumpling. So much so that when I bit into one the soup squirted out onto the table (as mortifying and embarrassing as it sounds!) Only criticism would be the need for a larger soup spoon.

While waiting for the soup dumplings, ordered a small bowl of vegetarian hot and sour soup. Very tasty and I would rate it as one of the best hot and sour soups that I’ve ever tasted.

Also, ordered the dan dan noodles with chili sauce.

Helpful Hint #1: The restaurant will make to order. We asked if they could make it mild spicy and they were more than willing to accommodate.

Helpful Hint #2: Remember to mix the dan dan noodles, the ground pork, and vegetables as the sauce is on the bottom of the bowl. Super tasty and the noodles tasted as if they were freshly made.

Helpful Hint #3: Order a small bowl of white rice to sop up the juices and sauces from both the dan dan noodles and soup dumplings.

The restaurant has an extensive menu, which includes American Chinese food and fare from various provinces—Sichuan, Shanghai, and Canton. They also offer a special lunch menu.

Helpful Hint #4: Service is what you would expect from an authentic Old World Chinese restaurant - rude, inattentive, and gruff.