The sauce is ubiquitous at Top Garden and tops three of our favorite cold Sichuan dishes. This section of the menu is a bit misleading, as many of the dishes are actually served warm. First we try roast beef, tongue, and tripe ($7.95), which is indeed cold, and quite delicious. My dining companions are a little timid about this dish until they dip in their chopsticks. By the end, we are all diving into the bowl of tender, thinly sliced beef parts until it is practically licked clean.
Dan dan noodles ($5.95) are round rice noodles topped with ground pork and more of that delicious chili-peanut vinaigrette, this time served warm. On another visit, we try Sichuan pork wontons, delicate little dumplings, each containing a succulent porky meatball and tiny shrimp - and more vinaigrette. This is a remarkable spicy dressing, and though all three dishes are standouts, they are also a vehicle for this delicious sauce, and half the reason we love them.
You can order Americanized Chinese fare too, but we stick to the chef specialties. Alas, there are not many vegetable options on that part of the menu, so we dine on meat-centric meals. Tea-smoked duck ($13.95) is a generous portion of bone-in meat, with delightfully crispy skin and juicy, smoky flesh. You have to eat around the bones, but go ahead and get your hands dirty. Sichuan dry-fried shrimp ($14.95) are crispy and come with a scattering of chopped sauteed peppers and onions. The table is split on whether the coating is too heavy, but in happy agreement over the mildly spicy flavor of the tender shrimp.
