Large paper koi float, suspended from the ceiling, above an actual koi pond. The dining room is almost maze-like, with tables tucked into alcoves and in wooden structures one table can be found under a small pagoda built for larger parties. restaurant is nearly two years in the making and features a transportive, serene aesthetic with fish ponds, trees, Chinese flower art, calligraphy and other touches inspired by Taoism utilizing harmonious layout and incorporating nature. While the focus remains on Sichuan cuisine, along with most of the small chain’s iconic dishes, some recipes and ingredients have been altered for the Los Angeles location to utilize more local ingredients. Sautéed vegetables and especially the dishes from the “traditional cuisine” menu, such as braised pork atop shredded, preserved vegetables, showcase the flavors of the region without chiles. But not all of Zhu’s cooking features its spicy heat and anesthetizing effect. The ma-la dishes feature the hot-and-numbing peppercorn that’s emblematic of the cuisine. “I’ve always enjoyed preparing spicy dishes to share with others since I was a child, which is why I chose to be a chef,” Zhu told The Times in an email. The menu lists dishes as either ma-la, traditional or modernist, along with categories for vegetables, soups, cold items and noodles and rice. La-zi chicken, another Szechuan Mountain House specialty, marinates its diced chicken and deep-fries then stir-fries it with a small mountain of dried peppers, peppercorns and sesame. Some dishes require as many as 20 spices, with a rainbow of peppercorns imported from Sichuan for the job. Chef Zhi Min Zhu, the restaurants’ culinary director from Sichuan, has honed the region’s spicy, nuanced flavors and conceived a number of the restaurants’ most iconic dishes, including the signature Swing Pork Belly, which hangs thin slices of pork belly and cucumber on a wood dowel structure to be dipped in a pool of garlic paste and chile oil below. The restaurant's two large dining rooms, lined with booths and tables are inviting and comfortable and generally crowded with a mix of Chinese an American families and Emory students and employees from the nearby Centers of Disease Control.After establishing an ardent fan base with two locations in New York, Szechuan Mountain House has opened in Rowland Heights. The hot braised fish, a whole red snapper topped with onion, ground pork and hot peppers, is another sure-to-please dish, but on that will make you grab for your water glass after the first bite or two.įor milder, and a good complement to the Szechuan dishes, are Chow Fen Sz, strands of bean thread noodles, mixed with pork and vegetables, or the soft Lo Mein noodles served with pork or chicken. One of the best of the restaurant's incendiary dishes is Sa-Cha shrimp, a lip-puckering blend of shrimp, mixed vegetables and red pepper. While the Golden Buddha is best known for it's mandarin style of cooking, spicier Szechuan dishes are also available. The crisp vegetables are a palate of colors on the plate. Dishes that were previously marred by the flabby, over-cooked vegetables and chewy, flavorless meats are subtly seasoned works of art today. But the major change has been in the quality and visual appeal of the food. The service, provided by smiling young waiters, is cheery and friendly now. We recently went back and found great improvements. We quit eating at the decade-old Golden Buddha, with it's big buddha guarding the door, three years ago because the food and service had gone from being some of the best in Atlanta to ranking among the worst. Among metro Atlanta's 100-plus Chinese restaurants are two that would belong in any listing of the top 20: The Golden Buddha and China Gate.
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