Lan Sheng Restaurant is located on a busy avenue in Manhattan known more for its crowds, bars, multicultural clubs, friendly bakeries than for authentic Chinese cuisine. Opening in 2009, Lan Sheng is a stylish establishment with cozy banquettes and white tablecloths. The lighting is more subdued than similar Chinese restaurants, which goes well with the soothing background music.

In midtown, where there are a number of popular Chinese restaurants; right across from the well-known Szechuan Gourmet, Lan Sheng has already found its niche in the competitive market. Featuring a large selection of Chinese food with an emphasis on authentic Szechuan cuisine, the restaurant offers customers bountiful and tasty choices, including Sweet and Sour White Meat Chicken, Wok Roasted Filet Mignon with Asparagus in Fresh Garlic, and Baby Eggplant with Spicy Garlic Sauce. All the dishes are authentic and cooked Szechuan style, using tongue numbing pepper and special homemade sauce.    

Double Cooked Streaky Pork with Spicy Capsicum is one of the signature dishes, which is accompanied by hot and sweet peppers. It is an excellent dish - the flavors of the peppers play off the richness of the pork belly. It is hot enough to be spicy without overwhelming the other ingredients.

Another crowd pleaser is the Braised Fish in Hot Chili Oil. This traditional Szechuan style entrée has a loyal cadre of fans, especially those who have special cravings for spiciness. The tender fish fillet doused in the hot chili oil tastes pungent yet delicious, which provides an exciting adventure for most Americans.

Lan Sheng is open until 9:30pm, if you have courage to challenge yourself, just go to Lan Sheng, and the tangy dishes will impress you. You may become a fan even if you aren’t usually a fan of spicy food.