Szechwan Palace Restaurant

Not terribly great, but it’s under $ 10 for lunch. Lunch includes entrée of choice, soup, and rice. If my memory serves me correctly they used to offer a salad too. The hot and sour soup was a little watered down. I’m used to a thicker broth. The kung pao shrimp isn’t very spicy but they do have chili paste at the tables to liven it up. Soda comes with 1 refill, so I normally drink water. The sweet and sour fish is also a tasty item.
Parking can be tricky so arrive early and make sure you park in a spot where you can exit the parking lot. The spaces near the building are narrow and people tend to hang out in the driving area.

My family has been coming here for years and I was shocked from what I saw at our last visit on 1÷3÷16. When we first walked in my daughter noticed one of the workers sitting at a table wrapping fresh wontons. However he was coughing and sniffling on his hands as well as the pile of wontons. Very unsanitary. The water had some weird white material floating in one of the glasses and the utensils were also quite dirty with leftover crud. Food has always been good at a decent price but quality has suffered over the years. We hope it will improve or else we won’t be coming back.

We did take out one night and we were shocked at how bad the food was. Normally, Chinese food can serve as 2 – 3 meals even if it’s sub-​par cuisine. This however was new level bad Chinese. Won’t be able to waste money here again. Please watch out for the chicken!

Great food and cheap price :-) Parking it’s a different story. They don’t have lots of spaces. However, they do deliver.

I eaten here four times now and enjoyed each visit. The restaurant and premises are neat and noticeably clean, including the restrooms. Much appreciated. In the costoso part of town, it’s good to get a satisfying meal for a great price. Plenty of lunch and dinner specials. The staff are always polite.
This last time on 12−9−15, we shared had the Mongolian Beef and Sweet & Sour Pork. Also the seafood noodle soup. I didn’t try the soup, but it looked good. The lunch specials, at $ 7.95, were tasty and reasonable portions. You also get a giant bowl of white rice. If you don’t order the noodle soup, you also get the classic egg drop soup or hot & sour soup. I like to add the hot mustard that is available on request. They also have a jar of the hot red sauce on the table, as well as soy sauce and the fine pepper powder.
About a month ago myself and a friend both had the dinner special at $ 10.95, which includes a beer or a generic red wine. We were both well-​satisfied. The booths have large dividers for better privacy, and the dining room is divided with a planter so you don’t see everyone else in the room. Nice touch. I like the Chinese art on the walls.
After eating, you can look out over the wetlands. Maybe one day I should see if there is a walking trail back there.
Note they are closed on Saturdays.

If I known about this spot sooner, I would’ve been a regular by now. Szechwan Palace is located on Culver Blvd, roughly about ¹⁄₈ of a mile away from the beach in Playa Del Rey. It’s a nice and clean restaurant. The décor is very 90’s chic. Pastel colored funiture, modern French black chairs, and formica dividers with pot plants lined on top… Ahhh, I appreciate walking into a restaurant that embraces the old nostalgic look.
In my opinion, the food is very delicious and well made. I came here for lunch for the first time with my mother and older brother. We love Chinese food and don’t have very many options on the Westside for really good Szechwan restaurants. Glad I found this little gem of a place!
We ended up ordering from the lunch special menu. I ordered the Tangerine Chicken. Meaty and crispy bits of white meat chicken tossed with a tangerine sauce and whole smoked chilies. I ended up finishing my whole entire plate (it was that good!) My older brother ordered the shredded pork and my mother ordered Garlic Chicken. I thought the Garlic Chicken was a bit bland and needed more soy sauce or salt. The shredded pork was perfect. Lunch specials run about $ 6.95 to $ 7.95. It comes with hot and sour soup and white steamed rice.
It’s very affordable and you get a lot of food for the price you pay. Now that I know about this place, I will be come here more often.

We like to stop by here for Chinese in the area. Has good shrimp fried rice, eggplant with garlic sauce, and chicken and corn soup. Friendly and clean. Also does delivery.

Szechwan Palace gets kudos for simply being one of the few Chinese restaurants in the area. The restaurant itself is a sweet building with a parking lot behind it and a great view.
I tried out their lunch special, which is a great deal. Two columns of options, either $ 6.75 or $ 7.75 depending on your choice with rice and soup included. They have a pretty large variety from noodles to shrimp to sweet and sour porks and chickens, so you can likely find something you want.
My friend tried a gourmet pan fried noodle dish and asked all the meat to be replaced by veggies, and the request was taken no problem. However, the dish was literally swimming in sauce, causing the «pan fried» effect of the noodles to dissolve into a pretty mushy mess. I tried the sweet and sour pork and was pretty disappointed to find not enough sauce (I ended up asking for an extra side of it) since the pork was so tough/​dry. I also ended up salting my dish since it lacked flavor.
Not the worst food or experience, but not sure if I’d return, even for the cheap lunch special.

I am unclear how anyone could like the food at this place. I ordered wonton soup, vegetable fried rice, and chicken with snow peas, all so bland and tasteless that I was shocked anyone could think the cook is Chinese. This is the worst Chinese food I have ever had. None of it had any enjoyable taste at all, no seasoning, no flavor, nothing worth paying for. If others liked it, maybe it’s a function of which dish you order, but I’m not ordering from them again and taking my chances.

Im so confused. Kept finding random sh*t in the food.
I got takeout for the pork in garlic sauce and beef chow mein (flat noodles).
The lady at the cashier was nice. Food was hot and stayed hot until I got home. Takeout containers were appropriate (hate when it leaks or is flimsy).
Food tasted good, pretty oily but considering there’s not many Chinese restaurants around here, it’s a good option.
But, hey! Please tell your prep cooks to properly wash and take off the stickers on your veggies! First thing I found is a red pepper with the sticker still on it (see pic) I think ok, shit happens. Then I find one green pea… Just ONE green pea in the whole dish… And then ONE mushroom… ?? What kind of treasure hunt is this?
I ordered before they were closing so seems like they combined some leftovers from another meal? Ugh.

Food — 1, service –2. The best part is parking, but why can’t this restaurant deliver better food? It’s like horrible suburban Chinese American food from the 70’s. Just go to the next door for healthier and tastier Asian food.

A Chinese restaurant like this would be a dime a dozen in Monterey Park or Alhambra and I’d rate it a max three stars but you just don’t expect to find it in Playa Del Rey! I’ve been here twice for their lunch specials. There are two pages of dishes to choose from, either $ 6.75 or $ 7.75 AND it comes with your choice of three soups plus streamed rice. I got the beef with black bean sauce and BBQ pork with snow peas. Also tried my friend’s spicy shrimp (not very spicy) and Mongolian beef. Everything is very flavorful and well seasoned. Although the shrimp didn’t really match the description, it had a welcomed sweet and tangy flavor. The portions aren’t necessarily huge and the meats come with a lot of veggies but with the rice, it definitely fills you up. It’s just solid, cheap comfort Chinese food. Don’t expect to be knocked off your feet but indulge in the bang for your buck. Kind of a cozy location too with a view (sorta) of big open field in the back.
We got in and out within 50 minutes and back to work in El Segundo in 15 min. Tab was only $ 17 for two people with tip! Where are you going to find that at a sit down restaurant in Playa del Rey?! I’m definitely coming back.

FRAUD.
I ate there on Sunday, food was average, that would be for ³⁄₅ rating. However, few days after, I figured out that the restaurant charged me for something else a day after. I called the bank and blocked my debit card. Beware…

Great menu variety and everything we had today was excellent. Portion size is enormous for the price. We tried the Sesame Chicken, Beef w/​Broccoli, Chicken w/​Broccoli, and Shredded Peking Pork. Compared to many Chinese Restaurants they serve a great meat to Broccoli ratio. All was flavorful, the service was great, food was hot, and they have ample parking.
Nice, clean bathrooms, too.

Nothing to write home about but the prices. It’s the first restaurant on the Playa del Rey strip. They have their own lot, but it feels up fast. The meal, with soup and rice and your choice of meat, is $ 6.95 or $ 7.95 depending. Great deal for the price.

Never disappointed, I eat here almost weekly. My favorite dish is the steamed fish in brown sauce and shrimp with snow peas. Although they do not serve the salad anymore I still frequent this restaurant, as the staff are always courteous. Thank you «Honey»

One of my favorite westside americanized chinese restaurants. Parking is easy with a free lot in the back of the building. Be careful pulling in and out as cars fly down culver blvd at 50 mph.
Old school atmosphere with booths and tables. Service is efficient. Prices are very reasonable. Most dishes are under $ 10. Seafood runs 11.75 to 13.75. Very generous portions.
Lunch specials 6.35 and 7.25 include soup and rice. Literally 59 choices!
Categories include appetizers, dim sum, soup, fowl, seafood, meat, vegetables, chop suey, rgg foo young, low mein, and fried rice.
I love their version of minced chicken with lettuce. Hot, moist, flavorful, and slightly crunchy. Try ordering extra lettuce as 4 leaves is not enough for the huge plate of minced chicken.
Kung pao chicken is also a favorite.
In the marina del rey, playa del rey, playa vista area, this is my go to chinese restaurant. They do a big local takeout business.
Curiously closed on saturdays!

This place is better than what I had expected. I rolled up today with my Filipino crew from work, party of five. We were seated immediately even though it was a little busy. The service here is the same as any Chinese place you go to.
Their lunch specials are insanely cheap for Playa Del Rey! They have two sections, the cheaper one at $ 6.50 and the ones that are up a level ringing in at $ 7.50. Don’t quote my on those prices, I could be off by about a quarter, but you catch my drift.
I had the Tangerine Chicken and everyone else ordered fish dishes. I don’t eat fish, but I can attest to the fact that they all thought it was decent. So overall, the food isn’t great, but it’s not bad either. We left after paying a tab of $ 45, including the tip! So cheap.

I love me some Chinese food and this is a great place to dine. I usually opt to dine here alone and sit in one of the comfy booths provided. Service is very efficient here and it is ritual upon arrival that I devour their complimentary won ton chip appetizer.
The lunch specials are the best value at $ 5.75 or $ 6.75 depending on the menu column from which you choose and they come with soup, salad and bottomless hot tea. I really like the taste of their hot sour soup and always end up choosing that one for the balance of flavors. Yummy.
My go-​to choice is the Sweet & Pungent Chicken extra spicy with a side of white rice. The crispiness of the chicken and the tang of the sauce along with a spoonful of steamed white rice is the perfect combination to satisfy my appetite.
Overall, the wait staff is friendly and attentive. They are like a well oiled machine that’s efficient and effective. The food has always been tasty and the value really can’t be beat for the area. This place just makes me happy. :)

I have yet to have amazing Chinese food in L.A. which is quite surprising actually.
9pm on Friday night I’m exhausted from the week and don’t at all feel like cooking. Craving my staple dumplings and wonton soup, i’ve driven past Szechwan Palace a zillion times and decided to give it a try. Called up, ordered, 15 minutes later arrive and my food was ready.
The space as large and not packed at all. Carpeted (ew) and old inside, the 3 ½ star rating on Unilocal was starting to come to light and to me, by the looks of things, was definitely more like a 2.
The woman manning the cash register was on the phone and I patiently waited while she diligently ignored me. 5 minutes later, a worker decided to look away from his phone, get up and ask me if I was paying cash. I could so I did.
Hopelessly optimistic, and enticed by the smell emanating from the bag I was anxious to get home. Probably more so because I was ravenous and tired.
Once home, I rip open the bag, dump the dumplings on a plate, grab the «dumpling sauce» and chow down. First of all, soy sauce is NOT dumpling sauce. And they give you soy sauce. WTF? Second, I’m a fan of the wrapper they use but the filling was sub par. Bland and virtually flavorless, you can usually tell the food quality by the restaurants dumplings. I ate them all but overall was dis-​satisfied. Underwhelmed by it all I didn’t even want to try the soup which will be my lunch for today.
Update: The wonton soup was dreadful. Ew.
All in all, this is a pass if you can avoid it. Also, they’re closed on Saturday’s so they must have enough patronage to afford being closed on a Saturday but, this place needs to step up their game or be torn down.
Two starts. Can anyone suggest some stellar dumplings in this town?!