Considered one of the best Szechuan restaurants in the U.S., if not the best, the sleek eatery made a splash with rave reviews from Jonathan Gold. Soon, lines formed out the door. Crowd favorites include cold noodles, the toothpick lamb and the boiled fish in spicy green pepper sauce. Cubes of lamb dusted with cumin and other spices are served on toothpicks for easy eating, while the sweet, delicate fish tempers a broth of numbing, fiery peppercorn and chilies. Customers also brave up to two-hour waits for the secret menu item (no longer a secret since its mention in the "Los Angeles Times"), lionfish. Chengdu Taste is also featured on our "XtremeFoodies’s Best Chinese Restaurants in the World" list.