"Chengdu Taste specializes in Szechuan cuisine, which generally involves ample chiles and peppercorns that will make your face go numb and stay numb. But this family-run Chinese restaurant isn’t in the business of searing off your tastebuds. They’re in the business of cooking insanely flavorful dishes. The key is knowing how to balance the spicy dishes with the non-spicy dishes. The toothpick lamb with cumin, the couple’s sliced beef, and the best dan dan noodles in the world all fall in the non-spicy category and should be the cornerstones of your meal. From there, add the spice: the mapo tofu, the boiled fish with green pepper sauce, and the mung bean jelly noodles." - cathy park, sylvio martins, brant cox, andrew ryce