LAO SZE CHUAN

Sichuan, at heart

20 Paseo Drive
North Bethesda, Maryland

A table. A story.
A taste of home.

Meet Chef Liu

01 / MEET OUR CHEF · DONG LIU

FROM CHENGDU.
A LIFETIME AT THE WOK.

Chef Dong Liu

IVEA EXECUTIVE CHEF · LAO SZE CHUAN BALTIMORE

Learning beside a master

Dong Liu began his apprenticeship at Chengdu’s Rongleyuan in 1988, training under Sichuan cuisine master Yang Xiaocheng. By 1990, he was cooking at Chen Mapo Tofu, a restaurant inseparable from the story of Sichuan’s famous tofu dish.

Leading kitchens and opening restaurants

Leadership roles followed at Chengdu’s Jingchuan Hotel, Pengji and Beijing’s California Sunshine Catering Group. From 2004, he helped the South Congee North Noodle chain open over 20 restaurants across southwest China. In 2012, he founded his own Chengdu restaurants.

From Sichuan to Baltimore

A 2003 competition first prize and national cooking gold in 2008 marked his work. After cooking in New York and Dallas, he joined IVEA. He is now its Executive Chef for Chinese Cuisine and Executive Chef at Lao Sze Chuan Baltimore.

Read Chef Liu’s full story ↗

1988: Chengdu apprenticeship
1990: Chen Mapo Tofu
2003: Competition first prize
2008: National cooking gold
2012: His own Chengdu restaurants
Today: Lao Sze Chuan Baltimore

02 / FROM OUR KITCHEN一菜一格 · 百菜百味

Peking Duck

北京烤鸭Crisp skin. Tender duck.

Peking Duck

Dry chili chicken with red chilies at Lao Sze Chuan

Sichuan Soul

重庆辣子鸡Dry chili chicken. A little fire.

Sichuan Soul

Lao Sze Chuan lamb chops served with chilies and herbs

From Our Kitchen

老四川Prepared here. Shared at your table.

From Our Kitchen

03 / OUR HISTORY

A CHICAGO BEGINNING.
A SICHUAN SOUL.

Since 1998

One restaurant in Chinatown

In 1998, Sichuan-born chef Tony Hu opened the first Lao Sze Chuan in Chicago’s Chinatown. The idea was rooted in the cooking of his home province: traditional Sichuan dishes made with carefully chosen ingredients.

A reputation built at the table

A year later, the Chicago Tribune recognized the restaurant with a three-fork rating. That early attention became part of a much longer story, as Lao Sze Chuan grew from a single Chinatown address into a restaurant family across the United States.

Our table in North Bethesda

Here at 20 Paseo Drive, the name is an invitation to share a meal. Begin with Peking duck, add something from the Sichuan kitchen, and leave room for a dish you have not tried before. Bring friends, pass the plates, and make the table your own.

Explore Lao Sze Chuan’s origins ↗

1998

The first Lao Sze Chuan opens in Chicago’s Chinatown.

1999

The Chicago Tribune awards a three-fork rating.

Today

A Sichuan table in North Bethesda.