Most people have heard of Sichuan cuisine, a spicy fare named for its place of origin in China, but fewer are familiar with Tianjin. It's a large port in China, and you can get to know it a little bit better at San Jose's Golden Garlic. The eatery opened two months ago about one mile away from Fountain Park, the second branch of a local success story, and it's been introducing eaters to Tianjin specialties ever since.

Try the stir-fried pawns with peas, the shredded pork in plum sauce, or the clam with black bean sauce. They all epitomize the creativity and complex flavors that distinguishes Tianjin fare from other regional Chinese styles of fare. Though fresh and flavorful, these dishes aren't quite as popular as the house's signature dish: dim sum. The dan dan noodles and green bean crepe are favorites from the dim sum menu (you can get the crepe Tianjin-style, too). If you're a fan of heat, check out the Sichuan-style portion of the menu for some spicy options.

Golden Garlic
3082 Landess Avenue
San Jose, CA 95132
(408) 945-1380
www.goldengarlics.com
www.yelp.com/biz/golden-garlic-san-jose

CC-BY-SA-2.0/Flickr stu_spivack