Szechuan Empire

Szechuan Empire is always my go to when I want good Chinese food. I never have a bad meal here and service is very quick.

Someone once told me never to get Thai food from a chinese restaurant and to never get Chinese from a Thai restaurant. I should have listened to that advice before I decided to order Pad Thai from here. This is my first ever Unilocal review, so that goes to show how disappointing this meal was.
It was the worst «Pad thai» i’ve ever had. There was barely any sauce and it was more of a sweet and sour type than the usual Pad thai sauce I am used to. The chicken had zero flavor and had a slimey texture. I was really looking forward to this dish because the previous reviewer said her kids loved the Pad Thai.
Unfortunately, it did not meet my expectations. Matter of fact, I couldn’t even get past a few bites. This will be my first and last time trying Thai food from Chinese. I should have known better.
My cousin got the general tsos and shes said it was nothing to write home about either, especially for the high prices we paid for our dinners.

Its been some time since I’ve been in Szechuan Empire, when it was still at the end of strip mall, where the Penara now sits. It use to be the best Chinese place around, but its not anymore. Maybe my tastes have changed and I prefer a more spicey Thai cuisine, but the food was bland.
We went for the combo dinners, that included soup and an egg roll. The Hot n Sour soup was OK — nothing special, and the main meal was the same. But we didn’t even take a left overs home.
Service was fine, but there was only customers at 3 – 4 tables, in a restaurant that has 20+ tables. They seem to be doing a fair amount of take out food.

Best Hunan Chicken ever! I am very picky when it comes to excellent Asian cuisine. This restaurant is the best I have found in southeast Michigan. My daughters love the pad Thai. I was impressed the waitress knew to ask me if my children were allergic to peanuts! The service was top notch, very fast as well. Can’t wait to go back for more!

Some of the best Chinese food in the area! Love it! Highly recommend! Their egg drop soup is by far the best I have ever had! Everyone there is always super friendly and helpful! Can’t speak to authenticity, but if you like Americanized Chinese food, this is a great choice!

It is no Szechuan, it is no empire! It is really bad, generic joint making «Chinese» food for Americans who don’t know Chinese food. Disappointed! More to my disappointment is that the entire staff is Chinese people! How can they make such Chinese food.
Advice to all Chinese restaurant owners: make real Chinese food! That’s the only way you can be successful!

The food was horrible. Two stars is being generous. It was overpriced and a complete let down. The spring roll was okay, the brown rice was edible, but the actual entrees were gross. I will never go back.

I don’t think I’ve walked out after a meal before and just said… Meh.
I hit up the empire because I’m working around the corner from it, and I’m looking for a good Chinese place to eat at. So I Unilocaled it, and away I went.
I came in for lunch, was immediately seated, and then… I waited. Maybe 5 minutes or so, but a while before I was even acknowledged sitting at a table.
The waitress asked if I needed to see a menu, and I replied yes. She promptly got me one, and returned with my drink order. I was looking at the lunch menu, and could not find my normal go to dish, Gai Kow. (Chicken with veggies)
I didn’t get a chance to look at the menu to the point to see if it was there, but as she was standing there waiting to take my order, I saw General Tso’s Chicken. That is always a backup dish for me, so I went for it.
She returned with my won-​ton soup and a spring roll. I love won-​ton soup, so I went in for it. First spoonful? I was questioning if it was chicken grease water. I was tasting no flavor at all… There was no onions or greens accompanying the dumpling, and needless to say I was disappointed. I always hope for a great tasting won-​ton soup to start off. Biting into the dumpling? Ugh. I almost stopped there. It was almost a doughy mess, with a overcooked texture as it pretty much turned into mush.
The spring roll? Eh. I like egg rolls better… But at that point you can use soy sauce to make it taste better.
The General Tso’s came out and was sitting on my table… And I will say I was quite impressed on the taste of it. It wasn’t breaded chicken with a ton of sauce on it, it was grilled chicken pieces with just the right amount of sauce on it.
The entrée saved the whole meal sucking in my opinion… And maybe I just experienced the lunch time mass production line… But I was hoping for a little bit more.
Not to mention my ‘fortune cookie’ said,“Enjoy nature.“
Eh, first I want to enjoy a good Chinese restaurant.

Got chicken with mixed vegetables and fried rice, and crab Rangoon. It was delish.

The BEST vegetarian «meat» food I’ve had outside California. Their General Tso’s «chicken» is soooo good. Just make sure before you leave (take-​out) that they have you enough. On multiple occasions they skimped and I had to complain. I give 4 stars because it’s so delicious. The Livonia location is just as good.

Food good. The service was horrible! Years ago this was one of my favorite places. Today was the second time in a row we had bad service. I had to practically beg to have our order taken. My friend who met us there was passed up for a table twice for people who walked in behind him. I’m so very disappointed. Also, they didn’t tell us until we were ready to pay our bill that the credit card machine was down! What happened to this place? I may try carry out but how many more chances can I give them?

Had food here once. Was pretty great. Service was nice, and not that costly. Should definitely try it out once.

Yuck
Got a horrible wait staff. Mean is the only word, big chip on shoulder. Hot and sour soup was ok. Great tea but no coffee or deserts. Wife got the almond chicken that was over breaded. I got the siricha chicken special that had too Much vinegar and chicken was so gamey that it was not edible.

This is my favorite Chinese food in the area by far, the sesame beef is amazing, so is the general tso’s chicken. The hosts are always really nice and well informed about the menu.

I recently moved to the area and after work, I was too tired to cook and decided to order Chinese takeout. I thought I hit the jackpot because Szechuan Empire is not only really close to my house, it had pretty decent reviews.
Wow, I was disappointed. I called for takeout, the phone rang until I almost was going to hang up and then I got through. I ordered the crab rangoons and the Homestyle Beef. It was ready in 15 minutes which was reasonable. It cost me $ 19 for just those two things which is a bit steep. But I’m willing to pay if the food is good.
I ate the crab rangoons first. The thing that struck me immediately was how small they were. They were kind of pitiful and barely had any filling. I’d say some of the worst rangoons I’ve ever eaten.
On to the Homestyle Beef. They come in those cheap little paper cartons and the size of the entrée is pretty small for the price I paid. One serving was about half of the carton so I could definitely eat the whole thing in one sitting, which is disappointing as most times, Chinese places give you tons of food. There was a decent amount of beef mixed in with the veggies but it was so tasteless. Literally the most tasteless Chinese food ever. It was supposed to be spicy and I didn’t taste a damn thing. Not only that, but I didn’t taste any flavor at all. I will not be returning.

The best. Always fast and very good!

Pleasant Chinese restaurant in a strip mall. Good food. Nice ambiance.
I had the Mushu Pork and Won Ton soup. Delish.
The portions were huge. One entrée could easily be shared by two people.
Gordon Ramsey would say «No no! Make those plates smaller. No one should be taking a doggie bag home.» (And he would some how drop an F bomb in there some how).
I recommend this place.

I was so excited to try this place hoping that it would be a solid contender for the best General Tso’s in the area provided it’s big sister, Szechuan Empire South, has taken first place in my search for the best Tso’s around town. Sadly it wasn’t nearly as good as its flagship location in Livonia.
I ordered the Tso’s lunch combo with a spring roll, Hot and Sour soup and veggie fried rice. The soup came up within seconds and shortly thereafter my entrée. Needless to say I felt a little rushed even for a Chinese restaurant.
I will say that it was a much closer attempt than what I found at the previous third place spot held by Hong Hua. The color of the Tso’s was on point and there was no broccoli to be found… off to a good start, but the flavor was overpowered by ginger and the heat wasn’t even close to offering a tear to my eye. I really did want it «as hot as they could make it»! Additionally, they boast a healthier menu here and I think the chicken may have only been sautéed and not deep fried leaving it without that crunch that makes for really great General’s. The spring roll was nice though, with cabbage and a crispy shell served alongside both the plum sauce and a great spicy Chinese mustard. And I also liked the veggie fried rice, but the Hot and Sour soup isn’t on my list to try again. That said I should have stuck to what I love and tried the Wonton soup instead. All in all not a bad spot for a tasty and über quick lunch. The location is in a strip mall and the actual ambiance is pretty plain but service was fast and friendly, and the bill was minimal.
Long story short if you want the third best Tso’s in the area, you’ll find it here but if you’re from this side of town and you want the best Tso’s you’ll need to venture to Szechuan Empire South for a real treat.

When it comes to Chinese food in general, I am not a fan. I am an adventurous palate, and will eat pretty much anything, and have a hard time picking my favorite cuisine. However, I will always say Chinese is my least favorite. I think everything tastes the same and it just usually is a boring meal to me. My husband, however, would eat Chinese everyday if it weren’t for the fear that he would balloon up to 400 lbs and I would become completely disgusted with him. So he typically saves his Chinese binges for during the work day when he can go with his I.T. pals to the buffet. (Stereotypical I know).
Much to his surprise, I was in the mood for Chinese last week! I decided to surprise him by bringing home some take out from Szechuan Empire. (How romantic!) He used to frequent their Livonia location, so I knew this would be a big treat for him.
I opted for the Orange Chicken and Wonton Soup, and a pint of Veggie Fried Rice. I was tempted to get one of their «Vegetarian Chicken» options but was a little weirded out by the thought– what exactly is this vegetarian/​fake chicken they speak of?!
Anyways, the food was great. Service was super fast — ready in about 10 minutes. Everything was really good! The fried rice was super moist and the veggies were chunky and FRESH! The orange chicken could have been spicier, but did not taste too fried like some of the other orange chickens I’ve had. The Wonton soup was also spot on — not too salty and the wonton’s were shrimpless! A big plus in my book since I am allergic to shrimp. The deep fried crisps they served with the soup were totally worth every calorie.
Hubby admitted — it was one of his best culinary days ever — he had stopped at the buffet for lunch that day — and still — enjoyed every last bite of Szechaun that night!

Szechuan Empire is worth the ridiculous drive out to Commerce. What, with Sharaku and Hanzo a short drive away, this is such a great food corridor out here.
The food? It is good, sitdown American Chinese, and Szechuan, food. I had a selection from the fake chicken menu, the Szechuan vegetarian chicken, which was very good (although a bit sweet), and is even better with extra Broccoli. Any selection from the vegetarianized part of the menu comes with brown rice and a spring roll. Another time, I ordered he home style bean curd. I loved the spice and the mushrooms included with the veggies. The tofu was fried to near perfection.
There is a decent wine list, but they were out of the wine I wanted, and they were very surprised that we asked for a wine list. Service is quick.
S.E. is quickly becoming my favorite Chinese restaurant in the Northwest.