Palms and Tony Hu Decide on Lao Sze Chuan

There is no mention on the curtains hiding construction, or elsewhere on property and not on the Palms resort web site, but Chicago's Chinatown restaurant legend Tony Hu is bringing his Sichuan restaurant Lao Sze Chuan to Las Vegas.

As Eater Vegas has revealed, original paperwork called for Chef Hu's lounge style dining experience Lao You Ju to arrive from Chicago to replace the former Little Buddha space. But an informed tipster hinted the concept had changed to follow the style and menu of Hu's growing flagship brand, Lao Sze Chuan. Confirmation can now be found in a June 4 sales event planning guide created by the resort.

Palms Property Map [Map: Property Map/Palms Sales Guide]

The current Palms property map shows the Little Buddha space empty and includes reference to local's favorite Fortunes, the Chinese restaurant located at the rear of the popular 24 Seven Café. However, their updated sales map reveals Hu's new Chinese restaurant to prospective event planners and has deliberately and ominously removed mention of Fortunes from their map. Recent job descriptions for chef candidates for Lao Sze Chuan require "previous experience in preparing Mandarin/Cantonese specialty dishes."

In Chicago, Lao Sze Chuan received a Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand award in 2012 and 2013 for their spicy focused menu and for the plentiful and authentic menu choices, including the famed "Tony's 3 chili chicken," that has been described as "chicken crack" for its addictive properties.

The 4,372-square-foot makeover features an estimated construction budget of $400,000, with little work needed on the kitchen. A rumor of a late June debut at the Palms seems unlikely based on a visual appraisal of progress on site.
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