From The New Orleans Menu Daily By Tom Fitzmorris Revised July, 2009 Golden Dragon Chinese Metairie: 4417 Veterans Blvd. 504-887-6081. Map. Lunch and dinner Continuously seven days. Casual. AE DC DS MC V Website   WHY IT'S NOTEWORTHY   Although the Golden Dragon isn't physically impressive, its food has always been well above average, with more excitement in the cooking than most local Chinese cafes dare to offer. As time has gone on, the Golden Dragon has gone more ethnic, not less. They even have been known to offer a Chinese breakfast menu.   WHY IT'S GOOD   The dishes from the glory days of this restaurant remain well-made and unalloyed. When it comes to the spicy Szechuan dishes, they don't skimp on the garlic or pepper. Unlike most Chinese places (who seem to be obsessed with deep-frying), they still stir-fry dishes where appropriate. And although the surroundings may not inspire confidence in the kitchen, even fancy dishes like moo-shu pork and Peking duck are well-prepared.   BACKSTORY   The Golden Dragon is the last surviving link to a revolution in the local Chinese restaurant community. In the mid-1970s, Andy Tsai opened a little restaurant called the Dragon's Garden on Airline Highway. In it he left behind the tired, Americanized Cantonese food served universally in New Orleans Chinese restaurants. It its place was hot and sour soup, shrimp toast, fried dumplings, the entire array of Szechuan dishes, moo shu pork, and Peking duck. Now commonplace, all of those dishes were unheard of then. It was such a hit with diners that Tsai moved to what is now the Golden Dragon. He later moved to another Metairie location (where he quit the business a few years later), but his menu remained at the renamed Golden Dragon. It remains to this day, under the ownership of Jung Lu Tan, who has run a number of good restaurants around town over the years.   DINING ROOM   On the second floor of a building whose first floor hosts a twenty-four hour bar and pool hall, the dining room is a bit worn out. Oddities like a Coca-Cola vending box appear. The windows offer a great view of the Clearview Mall.   ESSENTIAL DISHES   Shrimp toast. Fried dumplings. Hot and sour soup. Szechuan pork, shrimp or chicken. Pork with spicy cabbage (like hot kimchee). River Shang pork (spicy red sauce with vegetables). Moo-shu pork. Ma-po tofu. Szechuan eggplant or green beans. Peking duck.   FOR BEST RESULTS   Make certain that the server knows that you do not want watered-down versions of the food, but that you like it in the real Chinese style.   OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT   This restaurant and its building are much in need of renovation. Service is as indifferent as in a New York Chinese walk-up.   FACTORS OTHER THAN FOOD   Up to three points, positive or negative, for these characteristics. Absence of points denotes average performance in the matter. Dining Environment -2 Consistency +1 Service -1 Value +1 Attitude -1 Wine and Bar Hipness Local Color -1   SPECIAL ATTRIBUTES    Open Sunday Open Monday Open most holidays Open all afternoon Historic Vegetarian dishes Quick, good meal Unusually large servings Easy, nearby parking Reservations accepted Reservations honored promptly Click here for an index to current reviews of the 200 Essential Restaurants, and others. Click here for an index of all restaurant reviews. © 2009 Tom Fitzmorris. All rights reserved. news@nomenu.com.