My wife and I ate recently at this restaurant and were pleased. It seems that a lot of people eat here thinking its the standard Cantonese American restaurant in a kind of tough area Mission and they’re missing out because this place has many of the Sichuan standards on the menu and for the few we had for lunch, they know their stuff. We had Chicken with Explosive Chile Pepper, $14.95 - it was a large portion of Chongqing Chicken, not greasy deep fried chicken, lots of chiles (more show than go), generous use of Hui Jiao, Sichuan Peppercorns, We also had the eggplant with crispy garlic, $9.55, again they know how to use high heat to char the eggplant, they don’t make the sauce too sweet. Their website is www.spicygardensf.com. Big menu.
I’ve eaten at Spicy Garden a couple times for dinner. I also had passed by it a few times and didn’t know it was a Sichuan restaurant at first. Had the mapo tofu once, which was fine, and the spicy fish filet with flaming chili oil, which was quite good. The fish came in a large bowl filled with spicy reddish brown broth with whole Sichuan peppercorns, dried red chilies and a substantial slick of red oil on top. Very tender boneless fish, soaked up the slightly spicy numbing mala flavor from the broth and oil. A few pieces of napa cabbage in there as well. Have only had this dish a few times, but this was one of the better versions I’ve had.
Mapo Tofu
Spicy Fish Filet with Flaming Chili Oil
Cucumber Salad
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I’ve eaten here. It is good. Most of the people who eat there have no idea what sort of a Chinese Restaurant it really is. They don’t even see the Sichuan food items. It’s worth going to during the day, especially if one parks and the 5th and Mission garage or takes public transit. Not expensive.
is that the same as ‘water boiled fish’?
their mapo tofu looks really saucy, literally!
Yes, that’s what it was I believe (water boiled fish).
The mapo tofu was ok, but as you noticed it was maybe a bit too saucy. It also didn’t have any ground beef/pork in it that I remember. It did have a mala numbing taste, but would have liked a little more doubanjiang flavor too.
I ate there a couple of years ago, for the Sichuan items. Unfortunately, I thought it wasn’t good at all.
