[Rocklin, CA] - Jing Jing (Formerly Golden Dragon)
I have been eating at Golden Dragon for a few years (since 2009 ish?) and like its authentic Szechuanese fare. I like hearing the employees speak Szechuanese to each other because it takes me back to when my mom, her siblings, and her parents would all speak Szechuanese to each other. It only happened when they were all together. Around others, they would immediately switch to Mandarin. To this day, I can still hear and smell it all. Garlic, veggies, meat, shallots, being sauteed, the sound of the wok, the big chopper hacking away on the big wooden cutting board, and the sound of her and her immediate family, happily catching up after our time abroad. Those are the happy sounds of my childhood in Taiwan. So, Golden Dragon holds a place in my heart. It is also why I was shocked to see that it changed ownership. The question came up - do we still eat here? I really wanted some Szechuanese food. Honestly though, couldn't hurt to check, right? It sounds really stupid, but we look...