A Generous Lunch at Szechwan

At Szechwan, lunch can be as simple as a plate of fried rice, pepper steak and orange chicken from the buffet, followed by fruit or a square of cake. The format is modest and straightforward rather than sprawling: a selection of hot dishes, a few sweet finishes, and an easy way to put together a meal without much deliberation.

The useful detail is that the food is replenished regularly. That makes a buffet lunch feel less like a long-held steam-table commitment and more like a quick chance to sample several familiar dishes while they are still coming through the kitchen.

The restaurant has the relaxed manner of a neighborhood Chinese dining room: simple, unpretentious and often pleasantly quiet. It works for a casual family meal, a low-key dinner for two, or the practical business of picking up enough food to cover tonight's supper and tomorrow's lunch.

Selections can change, but buffet spreads have included General Tso's chicken, orange chicken, kung pao chicken, pepper steak, shrimp and fried rice. It is a sensible way to settle the familiar lunch-table question of whether you want something sweet, savory, spicy or a little of each.

The dessert side stays uncomplicated. Fruit, cake and gelatin desserts have all appeared, giving the meal a small sweet landing without turning lunch into a production. Thai tea has also made a good companion to the buffet for diners who want something cooler and creamier alongside the savory dishes.

A buffet meal does not limit the kitchen to buffet food. A spicy breaded chicken has been prepared separately on request in the past, a reminder that the made-to-order menu remains an option when the steam-table choices are not quite the craving.

For diners who would rather choose one entree, the lunch specials offer a more composed route through the menu. A special can come with soup, fried rice, an egg roll and dipping sauces, making it easy to get a full lunch without selecting each component separately.

Hot-and-sour soup has the sort of varied bowl many people hope for: mushroom, tofu, wood ear and onion, with crispy noodles on the side. The noodles are worth adding just before eating, when they can still bring their crackly texture to the soup.

Condiments give the table a chance to fine-tune the meal. Sriracha, hot mustard and a mildly sweet dipping sauce have been available, and the mustard is notably forceful against a crisp egg roll—one of those little wake-up calls that can clear the sinuses in a hurry.

The broader menu moves comfortably through American-Chinese standards, from chicken, beef and seafood to vegetables, soups and noodles. Orange chicken, pepper steak, Mongolian beef, mu-shu pork, chicken with cashews, sweet-and-sour chicken and lo mein all give a group plenty of different directions to take.

Chicken with cashews brings tender marinated chicken, textured vegetables and a generous scattering of cashews. It is a good order for someone who wants a savory entree with some crunch but does not need a blast of chile heat.

Sweet-and-sour chicken has been served with a crisp coating that holds up beneath the sauce. The flavor lands lightly sweet, with a little spice in the background, rather than turning the dish into a sugary afterthought.

Kung pao chicken offers a more measured heat level. It has been a strong choice for diners who want spice to register without drowning out the chicken and the rest of the dish.

Walnut honey shrimp remains one of the seafood orders that comes up again and again. For a table sharing several entrees, it provides a sweeter, richer counterpoint to pepper steak, kung pao chicken or a vegetable dish.

The lo mein section deserves more than a glance. Beef lo mein has drawn attention for noodles that stand apart from the standard version served at many Chinese restaurants, while subgum lo mein offers another option for noodle-minded diners looking beyond rice-based plates.

Crab Rangoon arrives with a crisp exterior and a notably generous filling. It is the sort of appetizer that disappears quickly when placed in the middle of the table, especially with a dipping sauce nearby.

Almond cookies can be added for dessert and come in a small group suitable for splitting or carrying home. At dine-in meals, fortune cookies provide the familiar final ritual: break one open, read the slip, and see who gets the most oddly specific prediction.

The restaurant's portions are generous enough that an entree can often become leftovers. That is particularly handy with a full made-to-order dinner, where rice and an egg roll commonly round out the plate and make a single order feel substantial.

Takeout is a practical strength here. Combination meals and full entrees are prepared quickly and travel well, so the food works as readily for a meal at home as it does for sitting down in the dining room.

Vegetarian dishes are clearly labeled on the menu, which helps when a mixed group is deciding among chicken, beef, seafood and vegetable orders. The range makes it easy to put together a shareable spread without asking everyone to settle on the same thing.

Service is prompt and friendly without much ceremony, matching the restaurant's easygoing pace. The setting can accommodate family groups and diners with children, while quieter lunches and small dinners do not get lost in a crowded-room atmosphere.

A free parking lot provides plenty of parking, removing one common annoyance from a quick lunch or takeout stop. Reservations have not generally been necessary for dinner visits.

The buffet's individual dishes, desserts and pricing can vary, so it is best viewed as a refreshed daily selection rather than a fixed list. The dependable idea is simple: choose the buffet when you want a little of several things, or open the menu and let the noodles, soups and full entrees take over.