If you read my articles regularly, you know I am partial to one Chinese restaurant in town. I am not saying that others are not good or that I do not enjoy their food, but I am saying that I like the way this one restaurant does business, I like the product they serve and I like their consistency. I am talking about Szechuan Chinese Restaurant in the Meadowlark Shopping Center at 6th and Garrison in Lakewood.

This place is not fancy, but it is not a dive either. Tucked away in the southeast corner of a small, insignificant shopping center, many people do not know it exists and others might avoid it simply because of its location. Still others, on the other hand, have discovered this little gem and they keep coming back time and again.

Although we enjoy other menu items, we do have our favorites and we frequently like to begin a meal with the Vegetables with Bean Curd soup for two. For less than four dollars, this tasty, vegetarian soup will easily keep four people happy until the rest of the meal comes. It is light, fresh, flavorful and a good way to begin any meal.

One of the beauties of this restaurant is that it is very “vegetarian friendly”. Not only do they offer a variety of vegetarian options, they will also substitute tofu for the meat in any dish on the menu. Our favorite is the Hunan Tofu. It is a Szechuan dish and meant to be spicy, but it is only overpowering if you want it to be. This restaurant is one of the few remaining that still uses the whole peppers instead of the pepper flakes.

The peppers are there for seasoning. They are not meant to be eaten, but that does not stop us purists. I like to put mine to the side and take bites as needed throughout my meal to keep it spiced just the way I like. If I happen to have any left over, (that rarely happens), I wrap them in a napkin and take them home for use in omelets, pasta or whatever. For most people, however, I recommend picking the peppers out and avoiding eating any at all. With the peppers to the side, even someone with as low a tolerance for spicy food as my girlfriend has can enjoy this dish with little worry. Nonetheless, keep your eyes open for peppers you may have missed, or be ready for a shock.

Another good aspect of the way this restaurant serves its food is the way they prepare the tofu. It is cut in triangles and cooked “al dente” with sauce giving it not only an excellent texture, but also allowing it to absorb the spices of the sauce and the taste of the peppers. If you do not like tofu, chances are the only tofu you tried was soft tofu that was cooked crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside. Many people must like it that way since I see it all over town, but it really has little flavor, no texture at all, and is not a good representation of how good tofu can be. Before you give up on tofu, go to Szechuan Chinese and try it the way they do it. You might just be surprised.

Finally, on top of a comfortable restaurant with friendly, courteous service, they have great prices. Our entire meal of tea, soup for two and one order of Hunan Tofu was less than $15 and no one left hungry at all. That is half of what one person might pay for a steak alone at some other restaurant. Seriously, take a look at the pictures, go in and give this place a try and I will be surprised if they do not change your perception of both tofu and American Chinese food forever.