Quick restaurant note: Chilli Garden, Medford, MA

[randomness]

I'd wanted to try Chilli Garden for quite a while. I pass it every time I go to Ebisuya for Japanese groceries, which quite often. Yesterday we finally went in.

Chilli Garden
45 Riverside Avenue (in Medford Square)
Medford, MA 02155
Tel: +1.781.396.8488
Fax: +1.781.396.8489

MBTA buses 94, 95, 96, 101, 134, 326: 37 Riverside Ave @ Medford Sq. (Stop ID: 63241)

Su-Th: 12 noon-9:30 PM
Fr, Sa: 12 noon-10:30 PM

Chilli Garden's ma po tofu (麻婆豆腐) is sufficiently spicy that I brought the leftovers home and seasoned another entire box of silken tofu with the remaining sauce. No shortage of sichuan peppercorns here.

We had the Ma Po Tofu with Minced Beef ($9.50), the Dan Dan Noodle with Minced Pork (擔擔麵, 5.95), and an order of Wonton with Chili Sauce (红油炒手, 5.95 for ten wontons). All three are mainstays of Sichuan cooking.

I was less impressed by the dan dan noodles than the other dishes, mainly because of the noodles, which were somewhat generic thin white noodles, somewhat limp. The sauce in all three dishes was quite similar. All were equally spicy and full of sichuan peppercorns, leaving that characteristic tingle in the mouth. They all had the same kind of character and lots of it.

I think I need to go back and try the Double Cooked Pork Belly (四川回鍋肉, 10.25; 6.95 as a lunch special with soup and rice). That's another typical Sichuan dish.

Chilli Gardens menu has their Sichuan specialties on one side of the menu and its American-Chinese selections on the other side, along with some lunch specials. Tellingly, the Sichuan specialties and the lunch specials are the only ones translated into Chinese. We did not order any untranslated English language dishes and do not recommend that you do so, either.

Comments

[jicama]

How would you say they compare to Sichuan Garden II in Woburn?

[r-ness.livejournal.com]

Chilli Garden has a bit less atmosphere than Sichuan Garden II, but the food is spicier. Sichuan Garden looks like it's just a hair more expensive overall.

I suspect that since Sichuan Garden has more of a non-Chinese clientele out in Woburn, they make more of a concession to a non-Chinese palate. By contrast, most of the tables at Chilli Garden were taken by guests who appeared to be Chinese, mine included.

[r-ness.livejournal.com]

We keep passing them, just like Chilli Garden, and not getting to them.

Actually Medford Square has a surprising number of decent places for food, not least of all Modern Pastry. Even the roast beef place is worthwhile.

[spinrabbit.livejournal.com]

I have ordered a couple things from the Americanized side of their menu, and confirm that the Sichuan side is the correct side. (I like Americanized Chinese food but chilli garden isn't the place to get it.)

[r-ness.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'm guessing it's there because many Americans expect American-Chinese and order it, but I can't see how their heart's in making it.

[browngirl.livejournal.com]

I eat at Chill Garden often. *takes notes*