home run hit at GRAND SICHUAN INT'L

[mrnyc]

this is kind of a silly but i was rather proud of my appetizer order at the GSI on 9th ave. and 24th street friday night. the place was packed. the crispy quail main was tasty but this story is about the app.

i ordered the ox tongue & tripe w/ hot & pepper sauce from the cold dish section and my wonderfully good natured waitperson immediately gave me the motherly fish eye. i was determined to get it made the right way so i launched into my chowhound-approved pleas of "i have a sichuan stomach, spicy spicy" etc.. so she laughed, rolled her eyes at my spouse in that way women instantly bond, and we finished ordering.

i spotted the lady from the kitchen who brought it out with my laser hawklike vision and cracked a big smile as she moved around our table and others without noticing us at all. our waitperson saw this, stopped her and pointed to our table. she gasped loudly and almost dropped the plate!

so as they both put the dish down in front of me our waitperson said,"she was looking for an older chinese man" i proudly said, "iiii knowww" and we all laughed out loud. they both slapped me on the back and the other woman shook her head as she went back into the kitchen. as i was digging in i saw her watching, got 'the nod' and we all giggled again.

i think the best thing about moments like that are that maybe we give pause to great restaurants before they automatically serve us bland americanized inauthentic food.

[Deb Van D]

Have to say that I can relate to the general experience. Was on a Walkabout a few weeks ago, Chinatown and environs, and went into Funky Broome with the specific intention of ordering Crispy Intestines. I was on a mission. The server asked me, with wrinkled brow, if I had ever eaten this before; it has "a strong taste," she cautioned. I appreciated her concern, but meant to try it. I squared my shoulders (for the most part to reassure her that I was not flaunting her advice) and said that I NEEDED to try this. It would not have occurred to me to try this kind of thing were it not for some remarks of other Chowhounds whose opinions I value. I did hedge my bets, though, and ordered some squid in XO sauce (which was pretty terrific) just to fill in the gaps.

It was a chow event, for me. Sort of a cross between chit'lins and tripe, this was a dish to experience. Not that I have ever had said chitterlings, but My Wild Irish Mother used to fob tripe off on us with little warning and with zero tolerance. Hated it then, but have expanded my horizons and have rather enjoyed it at Pastis, Lupa and at Babbo. I delighted in this meal as well, and thank those whose descriptions led me to it. Nothing about this lunch was patronizing, btw, only cautionary, and I appreciated it all.