Empire Szechuan Garden

Operating from a small counter-service setup on 46th Street, this no-frills spot divides local opinion. Fans praise the General Tso’s chicken for being crispy and lightly breaded rather than overly sweet, though spice levels run mild. Elsewhere, the kitchen gets mixed marks: critics flag chewy, seemingly frozen dumplings and dry rice. And note the combo plate quirk: it comes with a soda instead of an egg roll.