Which dishes at which places?
szechuan impression
Pork Kidney with Chili and Pepper
“Finger-lickingly Juicy” Sauteed Spicy Crab
Boiled Fish Fillets in Chili Sauce
Fried Rice Cake With Black Sugar
im a big fan of chengdu taste
Which dishes?
I think this shows the depth of the SI menu–all of my favorites are different.
My favorite dishes are the fish in the green pepper broth, the wantons and bamboo in chili oil, and the potatoes. Pictures below.
My first thought, where is TonyC when you need him?
Consensus generally is either Szechuan Impression or Chengdu Taste for “(b)est” with some others not distantly behind.
Dishes depend on what exactly your favorite proteins are and what you’re in the mood for (chicken?, beef?, pork? fish?).
In no particular order, and in addition to (and in some cases replicating), those mentioned above mentioned…
Szechuan Impression: Tea Smoked Pork Ribs or Steamed Pork with Rice Flour; Street Corner Potato Strips,;Bo-bo Chicken of Leshan; Qiao-Jao Beef Combination Soup of Leshan; Farm Chicken in Chili Oil (I don’t know what they call it now. I’m not sure if it is still on the menu)… Also, make room for some vegetables. The Ginger Frog or Ginger Rabbit are also worth consideration.
Chengdu Taste: Toothpick Lamb with Cumin; Diced Rabbit with Younger Sister’s Secret Recipe; Mung Bean Jelly Noodle with Chili Sauce; Boiled Fish with Green Pepper Sauce. I’ve also enjoyed an intestine dish and beef with crispy rice.
Won tons in Chili oil at either place.
But, really, there are so many dishes to try at both places. Too many to mention on menus truly worth exploring. Check out the reviews from JGold, LA Weekly and others on line for more details on these (and other) dishes.
This has some nice food-porn shots.
My go to is the sautéed eggplant, Kung pao chicken, and toothpick lamb cumin.
The eggplant is sooooooo good