Since the last time we had Szechuan food at the Golden Szechuan Restaurant, I was was intrigued with the cuisine from the south western province of China. For many of you Szechuan (or now being spelt as Sichuan), was where the devastating earthquake in May 2008 that killed about 70,000 people.
Here is a little bit of what I learned about Chinese cuisine and where Szechuan cuisine stands. Chinese cuisine are officially categorized into 10 regional cuisines. These cuisines are as follows:
- Cantonese
- Shanghai
- Beijing
- Sichuan
- Anhui
- Fujian
- Hunan
- Jiangsu
- Shangdon
- Zhejiang
Of the above I can only recognize Cantonese, Shanghai and Sichuan. As you can see, there’s a lot to discover for me concerning Chinese cuisine.
Suanne and I went to this little known place called the Golden Spring Szechuan Restaurant. Frankly, the reason why we went there was the word Szechuan. We had absolutely no idea how good or bad they were.
The Golden Spring Szechuan Restaurant is located on 4200 No 3 Road in Richmond. It is on the east side of No 3.
The restaurant seem quite clean … not too upscale because they don’t use white table cloth. We noticed that everyone speaks Mandarin here which is good because we see it as a sign that “real” Mainland Chinese eat here.
Since its just the two of us, we ordered two dishes. The first one was the Chongqing Style Spicy and Dry Chicken. This one costs $12.95 and has more than enough for two people.
The chicken is cut into small piece with bones intact and is deep fried. It is so crunchy that the bones are soft and edible (if you want to).
The chili and Sichuan peppercorn used here is very, very spicy. It is so spicy that it’s tongue and lips numbing and I can feel the heat radiating on my tongue for quite sometime. if you like the spicy challenge, this is a good one to try.
The other dish is simply named Spicy Pork with Brown Sauce. This one costs $12.95.
All the meat has a thick layer of delicious tender fat and the thick sauce (someone called this “jup”, juice!) is simply marvelous with steamed rice.
I am not sure why this is called spicy (maybe an error on the English translation on the menu) as it was not spicy at all.
This is served in a bowl and underneath the mound of tender pork cubes were greens. A nice touch I must say.
The total bill was not too bad. It’s just $28.25. We had some of them to go and that says that there is more than enough even for three people.
I recommend this place. One more place for you all to check out!
Spicy Pork with Brown Sauce – this one looks really yummy, we call it adobo here. my dad cooks this once a week and he puts some chilli in it so it becomes spicy… it’s great with veggies and plain rice 😉
This is the first time I visited of this restaurant. My first impression why so few people inside except for my family and me. 4/5 of the space is empty.
The foods taste is okay but the quantity of the foods was so little and meager that after even two hours having left from restaurant, we were hungry again.
Besides, the restaurant only accepts the Visa card but the bill must be over $50 dollars; otherwise, the customers must pay the cash. Before we went to this restaurant, we browsed its website, which had no indication to this format of paying the bills. As a result, the casher keeps my MasterCard in order to redeem it when I bring my Visa Card on the next day in order to get my MasterCard back.
Thank, no thanks. Never in my life will I ever drop in to this restaurant; so long!
PS: On my way home, I accidentally saw a long queue outside of the Anytime #9 restaurant whereas the above restaurant was almost empty. Sure, my family and I will try the Anytime #9 in the very near future.
I am indeed disappointed about the Golden Spring Szechuan Restaurant.
The previous comment appears to be bogus. First of all, Golden Spring doesn’t have a website. Secondly there is no Anytime #9 restaurant in that area. Where the heck is that? Is this some sort of bogus comment just to discredit Golden Spring?
Maybe she meant #9 Restaurant at Lansdowne Mall, which is open 24-hrs ?
But yeah, I couldn’t find their website neither.
I thought about #9 restaurant but again a couple of things. The restaurant is not that busy that there will be a line up. Secondly, she said she she saw a long queue. Unless you are actually walking in front of the restaurant you will not see a queue if there is even a queue. The restaurant is set so far back from No. 3 road that you wont be able to see it. Please see the picture from #3 road below.
http://www.vancouversun.com/news/3048985.bin?size=620×400
In respond to Crispy Lechon false accused me of the bogus; here, is my today this afternoon, June 21, 2010 dropped into the store to redeem my President Choice and paid the cash to the staff, Anna, on behalf of me to thank yesterday my table server, Yesmine, who has got into the store for her today evening shift. My bill is 0003.
No sooner had I redeemed my MasterCard and paid the cash; again, my family and I couldn’t wait for to try #9 Restaurant and had savored a delectable beef tendon noodle and today because Monday, June 21, 2010, not like yesterday in mall, not like in mall, around yesterday 12:25 pm, there was a long line of people waiting for being called their holding number to be seated in for Dim Sun or lunch.
In fact, as I paid the cash to the former restaurant, I didn’t have the cash to pay #9 Restaurant. Guess what, I offered the owner my credit cards as safeguard so that I can pay him the cash tomorrow because I couldn’t remember the damn of both my CIBC bank and Visa Card pin number as well as the President Choice Card Pin #. The owner waived my offer and extent a good gesture to trust me to pay him back the cash tomorrow. The bill invoice # is 2814585
In addition, the direct URL of Golden Spring Szechuan Restaurant in Richmond has no iota of indication of stating not to accept the MasterCard but only Visa Card, which the bill must amount above $50 dollars; check it out the link below before finger point someone else:
http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/14/762772/restaurant/Vancouver/Richmond-Central/Golden-Spring-Szechuan-Restaurant-Richmond
To make a presumption and false accusation someone bogus without gleaming the facts is regrettable disgraceful!
Again, kudos to the #9 Restaurant!
I apologize for calling your comment a bogus comment. Anyway, just to set things straight with you, the Urbanspoon website you indicated is not owned or maintained by Golden Spring. It is created by customers like you and me. So some detailed information may not be present in it.
The no.9 restaurant is like a fast food joint with quality about the same. It never appeal to me for their food quality. Mind you everyone taste bud is different but I like the traditional HK style taste; like the Mckim noodle etc.
For this Golden spring restaurant I would give it a try. feed back later.
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