To celebrate the Year of the Ox, my friends Phu and Aaron sent me this glowing Observer review and suggested we try out Gourmet San.
I’ve now been to Gourmet San twice, and while about half the dishes I tried were eh, the other half were very good, and all were very cheap – most mains were £7 and showy ones like the chili fried crab topped out at £11. It’s a bit of a schlepp to reach Gourmet San (it’s so far east on Bethnal Green Road that it’s no longer Trendy Dodgy – like Green & Red – and is more Truly Dodgy), but it’s a fun place to go with friends, and everyone will surely leave with full stomachs and full wallets.
Both times I visited Gourmet San, the chili fried crab (pictured above) and the grilled lamb skewers (£1 per skewer) were outstanding. The former, while somewhat tricky and messy to eat, were lightly battered and fried and then covered in numbing Szechuan peppers, garlic and scallions. The lamb skewers were smoky, juicy and spicy from a chili-and-cumin rub.
Speaking of the grilled lamb skewers, Gourmet San has a rep for being Szechuan, but when you see the lengthy menu, it’s obvious that the resto serves dishes from all over China. The skewers, for example, are a classic example of Xinjiang cuisine, in northwest Chna. But so what if they’re not Szechuan? They’re delish. Don’t even bother with the other skewers (e.g., prawn). They pale in comparison to the lamb.
“Sizzling beef,” recommended by our server, was very good. Soft, tender beef (probably tenderized with a dip in corn starch before some light frying) served with sweet red peppers and onions.
And both the fish and chicken stir fried with chillies were tasty, though the chicken (like the fried crab) was a bit annoying to eat. There were lots of bones to spit out, so if you decide to order it, make sure you’re eating with good friends. Gourmet San is not the place to go if you want to appear a demure and tidy eater.
Ironically, the classic Szechuan dishes I tried were disappointing. For example, thinking I’d mix it up a bit, I passed up the mapo tofu in favor of a spicy seafood tofu, but basically it was a giant portion of tofu in a slightly-spicy-but-flavorless sauce.
The “ants climbing up a tree” (aka rice vermicelli with minced pork) was sadly pedestrian. The dish could’ve used more spice and minced pork. Instead, it was just a large portion of noodles and soy sauce.
And I love dry-fried string beans so much that I tried this dish twice at Gourmet San, despite being disappointed the first time around. Both times, the string beans were limp and lacking in bite. They were just oily overcooked beans. Sad.
The food seems to be hit-or-miss at Gourmet San, but the prices are low enough, and the good dishes are good enough that I’ll keep visiting until I’m able to order only the tasty dishes.
Despite over-ordering both times I visited, my tab was never more than £15 a person, which covered multiple starters, mains and beers.
Gourmet San, 261 Bethnal Green Road, E2 6AH; 020 7729 8388; closest tube station: Liverpool Street (and then it’s a 5-minute bus ride down Bethnal Green Road on the 8 or 388).
I personally would never trust Jay on a Chinese restaurant. As many others have already pointed out, he incorrectly labelled Gourmet San as a Sichuan restaurant when, in fact, they focus on northern cuisine (Dongbei)… which probably explains why your Sichuan dishes left a lot to be desired! Case in point, the very antless ants climbing a tree D’: *wipes tear.
Oh my gosh, that picture of the chili fried crab alone makes me want to go there. I’m sure it’ll be worth the trek to Bethnal Green. Thanks for positing!!
The green beans looks delish!
Oooh the food looks good, thanks for posting! And happy new year Gung hei fat choi!
Chillieats
Charmaine – well, now that I’ve seen what Jay Rayner’s idea of a fab Chinese place is, I will keep in mind your comment. And in light of how excellent the Xinjiang skewers were both times I visited, I see your point about the northern specialties being best.
Shari – the crab is tasty, but I should probably emphasize again that it’s *messy*, so bring some handiwipes!
ten a shoes – the green beans may look OK in the photo, but they didn’t hold a candle to those served at Leong’s Legend or at Angeles.
Chillieats – glad you visited, and here’s to a year of Ox-driven prosperity.
my favourite were the skewers, the other dishes were ok but not outstanding. but would definitley return for the lamb. yum!
Just wanted to let you know that my flatmate and I went here for dinner. The crab was very tasty as well as the lamb skewers. Thanks for the recommendation!
I’ve heard alot about Gourmet San and have wanted to try it. Interesting that Jay got the cuisine so wrong! I’ll definitely go for the chilli and the lamb. Thanks!
Jane – That’s true . . . the lamb skewers do make revisiting worthwhile in hopes of finding other outstanding dishes in Gourmet San’s diner-like (i.e., lengthy) menu.
Shari – I’m so happy to hear you visited after reading this blog post *and* that you had a good meal there. Thanks for letting me know!
Niamh – Jay Rayner’s labeling Gourmet San as Szechuan does make you think twice about trusting his next Chinese restaurant review. To be fair, Gourmet San does serve Szechuan dishes, but the ones I tried were highly “eh.” It’s just that the menu had enough non-Szechuan dishes to make you wonder if a regional label really applied.
Actually there seems to be a branch at Middlesex street (near Liverpool St station) which I’ve been to, which will save you the trek to Bethnal Green – I noticed the chinese name for Gourmet San actually translates to “My Old Place”, which is the exact same name of the Northern Chinese restaurant that I visited (and where skewers and other northern chinese dishes were served!). Food was good value, and the skewers were excellent.
a l – Thanks for the tip about Middlesex Street. I just googled the address and saw that it’s at 89-90 Middlesex.
http://suziedepingu.wordpress.com/2008/12/03/gourmet-san-my-old-place/
[…] in January, I first visited the divey-but-certain-dishes-are-delicious Gourmet San, and so I was thrilled to learn that Gourmet San has a sister restaurant near Spitalfields Market […]
[…] their vegetables. In his slapdash review on Saturday, 16th January of My Old Place (not the original of this London Szechuan restaurant – aka Gourmet San – on Bethnal Green Road but its spinoff […]
[…] Grilled lamb skewers Sichuan style at £1.50 per skewer were a little too salty and over-marinated, so I’ll stick with the cumin-dusted, smoky ones served at My Old Place and Gourmet San. […]