Ta Yang, also known as Giew Jeen and Sun Moon, is set in a small two-story shophouse that looks like a photocopy shop with its decrepit glass front. But if it’s pleasant Szechuan cuisine you’re craving, this old establishment hits the spot. The place is always hectic, packed with office workers and families (reservations are recommended) as it doesn’t have a bossy grandpa running the place like other Chinese restaurants. Don’t be too picky ordering off the menu as you’ll have a hard time communicating your special requests to the staff who are not very flash at either Thai or English. Anyway, while the menu is pretty large, everyone seems to order the same few dishes, with good reason. Despite a little too much salt and MSG, which may make you thirsty and a little bloated after your meal, their stir-frying is perfectly executed. Take the stir-fried string beans (B110), for example: the vibrant green beans come out crunchy and sweet, if slightly too salty. The generous use of garlic makes up for that, though, and gives the dish a pleasant aroma. It also works wonders for the mapo doufu (stir-fried tofu in chili and bean curd sauce, B110), whose strong flavors manage to balance spicy, sweet and salty—totally succulent. Another must-try is the eggplant French fries (B110). The dish seems to be a big favorite as we’ve seen it on almost every table on our many visits. On top of its appetizing smell and silky texture, the dish comes with an addictively sweet sauce that makes a great companion. Going off the place’s name, giew jeen or wonton are supposedly the highlight here, but the giew ob (light fried dumplings stuffed with pork, B110) in a flavored broth are not up there with the best we’ve had. In all, Ta Yang might fall a bit short on service, hygiene (on our last visit, the cook was smoking and cooking at the same time) and ambience, but in terms of food it consistently comes up with the goods. No outside alcohol. No credit card.
