Szechuan Beef has traditionally been one of my favorite dishes because of the vegetables, but recently I have found the sauce to be so salty I really do not care much for it, regardless of how good the vegetables are. The vegetables provide a good Chinese flavor, but I just cannot look forward to the dish because of the sauce.

Szechuan Tofu (substituting tofu for shredded pork) has been one of my favorite dishes in the past, but saying it is one of the better dishes at Golden Buddha does not mean that I really recommend it. The shredded carrots, celery, and bamboo shoots are enjoyable, as well as tofu that is cooked the proper amount so as to not be too soft. I think because of different cooks the restaurant has had over the years, the sauce may have been better in the past. Now, though, it tastes too "Americanized" to me.

Hunan and Szechuan dishes share the same sauce, the difference being the vegetables that are served. Hunan Tofu (not listed on the menu) was one of my favorites in the past.

I have asked for the cooks to prepare Ginger Tofu as a special request, and this was very good. Unfortunately, I think this only works when one of the chefs from China is in the kitchen, and this is not always the case.

I do not normally like white sauce as well as brown sauce, and I have griped in the past when the chefs have changed dishes to white sauce when I have asked for them without MSG. Since the brown sauce has been so consistently salty, though, I am at the point now that I think the white sauce is preferable for most dishes. One example was the Home Style Tofu that was modified to the white sauce, and did not leave me as disappointed as many of the brown sauce dishes have done.

Hot and sour soup

Lunch specials come with soup--either egg drop or hot and sour (neither is outstanding, but I like the hot and sour better). The vegetarian spring roll is one of the best features of the lunch menu, although I always have to ask for hot mustard since they do not automatically bring it to the table.

The Hot Tea is made using an ABC Tea Co. bag, the cheapest commercial-grade brand available. You can ask for extra bags, but it is still not a very good quality tea. For this reason alone, I might be more inclined to visit the Crossroads location, where brewed loose leaf tea is served.