Profile

Opened in early 2011, Grand Sichuan 74 is one of a small collection of beloved Chinese restaurants, but it misses the mark where its siblings excel. The chainlet is run by a partnership of owners who install a different head chef at each location, and while menus are mostly the same across the board (the red-cooked pork and the cucumber salad both survived the move), this location added a braised whole fish with hot bean sauce, among other dishes. Unfortunately, many transplants are worse for the journey. The famed soup dumplings prove anemic, yielding a few measly drips of broth and a too-chewy wonton that offers no consolation. Some dishes veer overly oily, like a moo shu chicken that emits a slick of grease from its pancake wrap. The tea-smoked duck, a favorite at the other outlets and a bright spot at this one, bears a sophisticated and complex flavor that’s enticing enough to forgive its thick pockets of fat. And though neighbors seem to be enjoying something—phone lines are jammed with delivery orders during dinnertime—the plain-Jane, bi-level dining room hardly demands an in-person dining experience. — Edna Ishayik

Smoke tea duck, $16.95