We carried out from LSC Skokie last night, and while it's still better than most suburban Chinese, it seems to have fallen pretty far.
Here's what SueF, Things 1 & 2 and I demolished (the daughters-in-law both out last night). My 8-month-old granddaughter helped a little, well, very little: just about a tablespoon of rice.
204. House Special Hot and Sour SoupLarge(X1 $6.95)
This seems a big drop in quality from previous versions. The flavor is almost straight chili oil, no deep broth flavors, not much sour.
155. Lamb Skewer with Cumin(X1 $6.95)
A new item for us. Pretty good, but the lamb was a bit dry. Four skewers on lettuce, similar profile to Lamb with Pure Cumin but not as hot. Thing2 said it reminded him of things he got on the street in Beijing (in a good way).
S01. Chef's Special Dry Chili Chicken(X1 $13.95)
Really weak: the chicken resembled battered chicken nuggets more than the lightly floured fried crispy I have come to expect. Soggy, no ma la. I can't attribute the sogginess to carry out -- it was only a few minutes away. The problem is the breading is far too heavy.
S16. Crispy Shrimp with Lemon Sauce(X1 $17.95)
Same as it ever was, a favorite, even if they won't call it mayonnaise shrimp any more.
S04. Twice Cooed (sic) Pork Szechuan Style(X1 $12.95)
Another new-to-us dish from LSC. Very tasty, not at all spicy. Good chewy pork belly, lots of leek, good brown oily sauce. A hit, although I expected a lot more chili when ordered "medium spicy"
854. Stir-Fried Beef Flat Rice Noodle(X1 $11.95)
Another new-to-us dish from LSC. Very tasty, lots of chewy/crispy bits on the noodles. Similar soy/scallion flavor profile to the Twice Cooed Pork, which wasn't expected, but still very good.
704. String Bean Szechuan (X1 $11.95)
Outstanding. Curiously, the online menu does not mark the Szechuan version (vs Garlic or Dry Chili) as vegetarian. Hoping it's a misprint, as it's one of my Kosher-keeping daughter-in-law's favorites.
In summary: while the food is still pretty darn good, the Sichuan/Szechuan dishes seem to be falling off in quality.
What is patriotism, but the love of good things we ate in our childhood?
-- Lin Yutang