Golden Szechaun

Once there was a Knight & Day located on #3 Road.  Then there wasn't a Knight & Day on #3 Road.  I guess with all of the tasty options in Richmond and in particularly, on #3 Road, there was really no reason for Knight & Day to exist.  Currently, in its place, we find Golden Szechuan, which happens to be one of the nicer (and more expensive) Szechuan restaurants in town.  I had originally visited it awhile ago to try their pricey (but worth it) water-boiled fish.  Naturally, I couldn't do a post about one dish, so I returned again with Dee, Amy and Diana for more variety.

However, let's get to one of the best versions of Szechuan Water-Boiled Fish in the GVRD.  This was in fact, the Szechuan Water-Boiled Live Barramundi which was pretty darn expensive at $80.00.  What it lacked in value, it made it up in quality as the slices of fish were buttery and soft.  There was a natural sweetness that came through despite the spicy ingredients, we could taste the fish.  Only mildly, there was a tongue-numbing experience to go with the rest of the ample seasoning.  Plated like laundry, the Spicy Pork Belly hanging on bamboo was actually quite good.  The thin and meaty slices were gelatinous and tender.  Dunked into the chili oil soy underneath, we got saltiness, sweetness and of course a lingering kick.

On another visit, we went for some dumplings in the Boiled Pork and Cabbage Dumplings as well as the Spicy Wontons.  I found the boiled dumplings to be pretty good with a moist well-balanced filling.  The meat was soft with a bit of chew and the cooked crunch of cabbage.  A bit doughy, the dumpling skin was cooked just enough.  We all agreed that the Spicy Wontons were tastier due to the good amount of minced garlic on top.  Combined with the green onions and mildly spicy, tangy and salty dressing, there were many impactful flavours to be found.  The wonton itself featured a buttery wrapper encasing a tender and slightly bouncy pork filling.

Fairly large in size, the Mouth-Watering Chicken was more mild than it appeared.  Despite that, it was pleasant with enough savoury elements to go with the chili oil.  The chicken itself was free-range and hence, was lean and appealingly chewy.  The skin was nicely gelatinzed while the meat was properly seasoned.  Giving the impression that it was astronomically hot, the Boiling Beef was actually not.  With that being said, there was a noticeable spiciness that didn't linger much.  Most of the heat was centered around the bean sprouts rather than the tender slices of beef.

We also got 2 noodles in the Dan Dan Noodles and the Braised Beef Noodles.  We opted for the dry version of the dan dan noodles since we didn't want anything goopy or too saucy.  This was decent with starchy noodles that were a bit soft, yet sauced with a tasty concoction of ground pork, bean paste and chili oil.  It was by no means super flavourful, but again, pleasant nonetheless.  As for the braised beef, the noodles were more al dente while the soup was sweet and somewhat savoury.  The sliced beef was thin and practically melted-in-my-mouth.  

Unlike the last time, the Twice-Cooked Pork was very good.  The slices were thinner and had an appetizing chewiness.  It wasn't dry though, which made it even more appealing.  There was plenty of wok heat to go around creating a smoky caramelization to go with the chili oil.  The garlic scapes were crunchy, vibrant and a touch spicy.  Now "a touch spicy" was not exactly what we were looking for.  That would be the theme of the meal as the food was well-prepared, but the spice level was rather tame considering the authentic Szechuan cuisine served here.  With that being said, the meal was still pleasant, albeit pricey.

*Partially paid for by Tourism Richmond by gift card*

The Good:
- Nice spacious dining space with high ceilings
- Generally attentive service
- Food is carefully prepared

The Bad:
- Dishes were not as spicy and impactful as we would've liked
- Pricey