Jan. 4, 2009    World Journal 世界日报

「川香園」位於全是福鎮The Shoppes at Summer Street Crossing 購物中心內，美華超級市場近鄰。 「川香園」的裝潢經過風水師的指導，鏤空的雕欄自天花板垂下，將長型的用餐\間略分為二，紅色系的吊燈，照亮每個餐\檯，予人明亮、諧和又溫暖的感覺。

川菜是歷史悠久、地方風味極為濃厚的菜系。它品種豐富、味道多變、適應性強，享有「一菜一格，百菜百味」之美譽，羅爾鎮的「太陽報」(Sun, The)即在專文中推崇表示，「這就是為什麼到過川香園的客人，對該餐館的口味念念不忘」。「太陽報」同時認為，「川香園豐富的菜單裏，除了維持中國傳統的風味菜式，也加入了一些適合美國口味的菜式，他們在傳統與現代的烹調中，完全掌握住平衡」。川香園負責人之一的韓英女士則強調，「客人在那裏都可以吃得到美式中餐，但他們在我們這裏，卻可以嚐到真正的風味」，「這就是較高的品質，也是我們與眾不同之處」。

進入川香園餐館，有一面白板，用中文書寫的是本週特別菜式，坐定座位，企檯也會送上一份專門適合華人享用的菜單，「香辣龍蝦」用紅辣椒和肥大龍蝦爆炒而成，每客僅十二元九角五分，最是划算；「豆瓣全魚」香辣適中，將魚鮮味帶出的恰到好處，每條僅十五元九角五分；真的不怕辣的，可以試試「香辣肥腸」，用大量的紅辣椒與肥腸爆炒，上得桌來，辛味十足，每客十三元九角五分，嗜辣的人也會記憶深刻；大廚精心烹製的「四川口袋豆腐」，則是完全無辣的清新菜式，嫩滑攪碎調味加料過的豆腐塊，與蘆筍、鮮蝦、大白菜等素料一起燴煮，煞是清口，每客十二元九角五分。「紅油抄手」則是道地的四川小點，小小的餛飩浸在紅辣油中，一見就讓人口胃全開，每客僅五元九角五分，物超所值。

川菜烹調講究品種豐富、味多味美的川菜，所以受到人們的喜愛和推崇，是與其講究烹飪技術、製作工藝精細、操作要求嚴格分不開的。「太陽報」也推荐了一些菜式，包括：十五元九角五分的「豆瓣龍俐」、十元九角五分的「椒鹽里肌」、十三元九角五分的「孜然羊肉」、十五元九角五分的「薑爆鴨」、八元九角五分的「蒜蓉菜心」，都很適合華人口味。

「川香園」地址在： 7 Summer Street, Unit 17-18, Chelmsford, MA 01824 (位於The Shoppes at Summer Street Crossing 購物中心)，訂位電話：(978)256-8545、(978)256-8641，可瀏覽網址：www.sichuanpalace.net

Dec. 28, 2008      Boston Globe

Need to escape the winter chill? Head out to Sichuan Palace in Chelmsford, where an eclectic blend of contemporary Asian fusion creations and traditional Chinese-American dishes will delight the senses and warm the soul - and at prices that won't break the budget.

Open since July, this cozy spot offers a range of Asian dishes in a dining room designed by a feng shui master to complement the theme of peace and harmony. The room, awash in earth-tone hues, offers patrons respite from the hustle and bustle of passing traffic on busy Summer Street.

Sichuan Palace's menu is extensive, including soups, seafood dishes, beef, pork, and poultry options, as well as a plethora of vegetable dishes. Many of the entrees are traditionally Sichuan, featuring flavors both hot and spicy, while others cater to the American palate.

My husband and I decided to be adventurous and try a bit of both. For starters, we ordered vegetarian spring rolls ($4). They were crisp and flavorful, featuring bean sprouts, bamboo shoots, and shredded cabbage and carrots.

Diners looking to try something a bit more exotic should sample the kidney with garlic ($7), a pork kidney sliced and served cold with a spicy garlic sauce.

Many of the dishes here feature traditional Asian spices, such as cumin, lemongrass, and chili pepper. All are created with homemade sauces by chef Rongfu Shao. Shao, who was trained in China, worked in restaurants in Los Angeles and Miami before settling in New England.

"A lot of Chinese restaurants use premade sauces, but we prefer to create our own," said Ying Han, who with her husband, Hui Wang, runs the restaurant. Wang owns Sichuan Palace with two partners: Shao and Bo Yu.

The business partners take pride in using only the freshest ingredients in their dishes, which are large, making it possible for diners to share.

Of the entrees we tried, our favorite was chicken with broccoli ($11.50). It stood out for its tender chicken and perfectly cooked broccoli. The secret: The chicken was boiled whole, leaving the meat so tender it literally slipped off the bone at the slightest touch.

My husband also raved about his sesame beef ($13), which featured deep-fried beef cooked to order. The chef prepares each dish individually, making it possible to accommodate diners' requests. My husband asked for a spicy entr??e, and was not disappointed. He was, however, a bit surprised that the beef was crispy, with a texture that reminded him of General Tso's chicken.

Those looking for a unique Sichuan dish can try offerings such as jellyfish, frog legs, and oxtail. There are also a number of house specials - from whole flounder in spicy bean sauce ($16) to braised pork hock in a brown sauce ($13) - that will appeal to more adventurous diners, as well as those seeking traditional Sichuan fare.

"All of our house specials are traditional Sichuan dishes that you can't find anywhere else in the suburbs," said Han. "The skill of our chef makes it possible for us to offer these dishes, which are really only found in Boston's Chinatown."

As at many Asian restaurants, the dessert options are limited. We passed up the opportunity to try poached egg in fermented rice soup ($5) or sweet potato cakes ($5) in favor of an old standard: vanilla ice cream ($4). It was creamy and smooth, the perfect ending to a memorable meal.

Aug. 8, 2008       The Lowell Sun

Section: Stepping Out; Restaurants; Lifestyle

Tiffanie Roper, Sun Correspondent

CHELMSFORD -- "One dish, one shape, hundreds of dishes, hundreds of tastes," is a popular slogan used to describe Sichuan cuisine. That saying can describe what every diner's experience will be when they visit the Sichuan Palace in Chelmsford. Their extensive menu, packed with exotic ethnic fare alongside a number of Chinese-American favorites, strikes a balance between traditional and contemporary cuisine. "You can find Chinese-American food everywhere, but people come here for the flavor," explains Manager, Ying Han. "It's better quality. That's how we differentiate ourselves."

Sichuan Palace opened three weeks ago at the former location of Tai Shiang Garden. The eatery started off doing only take-out as they finished remodeling the adjacent dining area. Han said the take-out business picked up immediately.

"As soon as we plugged in the phone line, it was ringing, ringing, ringing," she said with a laugh.

Han had frequently ordered take-out from the previous occupant and always thought it would be a great location to open a business some day. Sichuan Palace's chef, Rongfu Shao, approached Han and her husband, Hui Wang, with the idea to open a Chinese eatery unlike any other in the area. Han began searching for retail space when she stumbled across an ad for her dream location.

Now in the finished dining area, heaping portions of state-side classics like Kung Pao chicken ($6.95) and vegetable lo mein ($7.50) are prepared for each customer's specific tastes. A number of lunch specials are served on weekdays that include a hot and sour soup, a choice of steamed or fried rice, chicken wings and a variety of dishes like sesame beef ($7.95), tangerine flavored chicken ($6.95) or vegetarian delight ($6.95).

Translation may be needed for the more traditional Chinese plates Sichuan Palace offers. The fried whole flounder in a spicy bean sauce ($15.95) and sautéed lamb with cumin ($13.95) will attract more adventurous diners as well as true Sichuan seekers.

Other dishes customers should sink their fork into are the fried pork tenderloin with spicy salt ($10.95), stir-fried duck with ginger ($15.95) and sautéed Shanghai greens with chopped garlic ($8.95).

Han hopes that by adding an upscale lounge area with a dozen or so seats and a tastefully decorated dining room, Sichuan Palace will attract more than just take-out customer. Bartenders can sling up fruity spiked cocktails like the mai tai and blue Hawaiian at a moment’s notice for those who need an after work pick-me-up.

"When we found this place...we just knew," explains Han said.

SICHUAN PALACE

7 Summer St., Chelmsford, (978) 256-8545, www.sichuanpalace.net. Open Monday-Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.; Sunday 12 to 9 p.m.

(c) 2008 The Sun (Lowell, MA). All rights reserved. Reproduced with the permission of Media NewsGroup, Inc. by NewsBank, Inc

Sept. 30, 2008     The Independent

Jan. 16, 2009  The Independence

Chelmsford - After hours working in the wet environment, fishermen on China’s Yangtze River needed to warm up with a hot meal that could be prepared easily on the boat.

They decided to heat a broth over a low flame then toss in raw vegetables, fruits and meat. Their creation — not quite a soup but not quite a stew — quickly spread throughout the city of Chongqing in the Sichuan Province.

Now, just in time for next week’s Chinese New Year, Sichuan Palace introduces the fishermen’s do-it-yourself meal, known as the hotpot, to its menu.

“It’s a fun meal,” said co-owner Ying Han. “It’s great to do when you’re not busy and can take your time.”

The hotpot at Sichuan Palace includes soup offered either with a plain beef or chicken broth base or the spicy version loaded with chilies. Diners can also elect to get both served side-by-side in a bowl divided into two compartments.

Next, diners choose either the seafood or non-seafood combination. Seafood choices include jumbo shrimp, scallops, squid, fish balls or filet of sole.

Meat options include beef, chicken, pork and lamb. There are also more exotic choices such as beef intestine, pork kidney and tripe.

Either combination comes with a variety of vegetable choices including cabbage, potato, radish, black mushrooms or seaweed.

Once a hotpot is ordered, a server brings a small camp-style stove to the table. Then the large bowl with the soup base is placed on the stove to simmer.

The spicy broth has a deep-red hue from the abundance of chilies in the mix. A plain soup isn’t really plain with plenty of tomatoes, scallions and dried fruit tossed into the broth.

A huge platter of the meat, seafood and vegetables diners ordered is served alongside the soup. Each portion comes to the table raw.

Using chopsticks, diners grab a slice of raw meat or fish and gently plop it into the simmering broth. Add the fish and meat first then the vegetables because they don’t take as long to prepare.

Once things float to the top, it’s time to grab the cooked items.

And in a nod to the hotpot’s beginning, diners use a small metal wire scoop, which looks like a fishing net, to skim the food from the pot before dipping it into one of the accompanying sauces.

Sichuan Palace is located at 7 Summer St. For more information, call 978-256-8545, or go to www.sichuanpalace.net.

Kevin Zimmerman can be reached at chelmsford@cnc.com.