Tara K.
Yelp
Well, it has been almost a week since our first visit to Golden Hill--and we've already been back two more times!! I could mic-drop my review right there, as that speaks highly of this establishment in and of itself. But I should probably mention a few details on the fantastic food and service. ;-)
A few days ago we came back for weekend lunch. We ordered a couple vegetarian options to share that were DELICIOUS. First, mixed vegetables in garlic sauce with fried bean curd. This was an entirely fresh and delicious dish with a perfect amount of a little sweet-heat. But the real star of the show at our table on this visit--coconut tofu!! I wasn't sure if I would like this one, I was worried it would be too sweet or maybe artificial tasting. But WOW, was this a YUM treat! The tofu was fried perfectly, crisp outside and an airy middle. The coconut sauce was PERFECT, a creamy pure coconut sauce with no additional sweetness added to let the authentic coconut taste shine through. I've never had this dish before anywhere, and this definitely won't be my last date with coconut tofu!
Last night we stopped in for dinner because we were in the area and feeling lazy after a busy work day and pre-ice-storm-grocery-roundup. I ordered the same mixed vegetables and fried tofu dish for myself, but this time with brown sauce and no white rice, as I usually eat low-carb vegetarian, and the splurge of Valentine's weekend was over, haha. Some Chinese dishes are super-saucy and really require a rice or something to sop it all up. But the brown sauce was more of a creamy gravy. The vegetable and tofu portion itself was plenty for me to enjoy all on its own, no rice necessary.
My husband was feeling soup'y and decided to try the Tom Yum Soup with tofu. He does eat some fish, and this soup does have fish oil, so I passed on this. But he wasn't going to give me any anyway--he RAVED at how delicious this soup was! He downed a large on his own, which was a generous big bowl. He also had the Chinese eggplant for his entree, and had nothing but compliments about that dish, too. It was a big pile of bright purple eggplant slathered in a sticky-sweet-and-savory sauce. I tried a bite, and again, YUM.
On top of the excellent food, the booths in the bright and stylish dining room are very comfortable for eat-in, and the service is entirely friendly and attentive. Dine-in includes complimentary hot tea and wonton chips, as well as complimentary fresh orange slices afterwards. The hubbs and I have found our new favorite dine-in Chinese, and will surely eventually try it as takeout too. Thanks for a wonderful-experience-times-three so far, Golden Hill--we'll be back to make it a quatro-count on our visits soon! :-D