The third location of Szechuan Mountain House is possibly its most useful one. Among the pasta and steak frites specialists on 46th Street, the chain's sizzling, numbing food makes it a particularly exciting option before seeing a play. Or, for visitors who want to experience Times Square and get a taste of a top city restaurant, both within a six-minute walk. Spread over a couple of floors in a narrow building, this location is slightly less impressive than its more sprawling siblings in Flushing and the East Village. But you can still book for a group of up to nine people online, and the shingled-roof, faux-village theme still falls on the charming side of gimmicky. Get a table upstairs if you can. There’s a hum of conversation, but the tables are far enough apart that you’ll still be able to hear what your friends are saying. And just as at the other locations, the staff are trained to respond to the sound of a dropped chopstick within 15 seconds. The menu is the same too, and although the dishes are maybe just a notch less precise than at St. Marks, this is still some of the best Sichuan food you can find in the city.