Han Dynasty

Over the years, I've received a lot of tempting invitations to fabulous events I couldn't attend. I've simply embraced the "no, thank you" reflex as one of the unfortunate yet requisite drawbacks of being a reclusive critic.

A recent invitation to a Szechuan New Year's banquet, though, organized by local members of the online gastro-club eGullet, got me to hesitate on the "yes" button a little longer than usual. True Szechuan food is such a rarity in this area, I wasn't fazed by the far-flung locale: Han Dynasty resides at the end of a poky drive up to Royersford. I'd heard great things about this authentic Chinese oasis, as well as its original sibling in Exton, from regulars in my Tuesday afternoon chats. So I could almost taste the numbing anise heat and toothsome chew of a good cold fu qi fei pian (fiery tongue and tripe salad) as I mulled the possibility.

Alas, I was away for the scheduled event, so temptation never quite burned as hot as the blue flame flickering beneath a dry pot stew. But after viewing the post-banquet food-porn photos and prose posted by eGulleteer Jeff Towne (a.k.a. "philadining"), I decided it was definitely time for my own food adventure up Route 422.

As we pulled into the unassuming strip mall, just a short way from the steaming twin towers of the Limerick nuclear reactor, I readied myself for a meal with enough of its own heat to power the wagon back to Center City.

I would not be disappointed - for the most part. What we found on my first visit to this pleasantly appointed room, a slate-wrapped contemporary space reminiscent of Wynnewood's Sang Kee, left me with mixed impressions.

There was some sensational Szechuan cooking. We spooned through a bowl of homemade pork-and-ginger dumplings in spicy oil that swirled with the rich sweetness of dark soy tinged with five-spice. I twirled toothsome hand-rolled noodles in a fiery Dan Dan sauce, a Bolognese-like Szechuan gravy that coated the noodles in crumbled pork, and the light creaminess of sesame paste tinted orange with chile oil.