I am writing this to dissuade all future diners from Golden Temple. Unless you are used to paying $20.00 for Taco Bell quality food and service, eat elsewhere. I have avoided this restaurant for some time, as I've been told by my Chinese American friends that when you see a Chinese restaurant frequented by mostly non-Chinese clientele, it probably does not serve good Chinese food. But I was lured here one night, just to check it out for myself. Boy, did I regret it.
First, the valet was very rude, a bunch of immature fraternity-want-to-be high boys greeted my car. Needless to say I opted to park it myself just down the block to first avoid paying the outrageous valet fee ($6.00 for Newbury Street, ok, but for Brookline, why not just rob me outright). Second, I knew I was in trouble when the menu was all English, no Chinese characters anywhere. I can understand this in a fusion-Chinese restaurants like Blue Ginger or P.F. Chang’s, but Golden Temple serves your regular Chinese food that have Chinese names.
Service was okay, and the waiter was honest. When I asked why the shrimp chips taste like Styrofoam boards, he honestly told me that they normally do not make them fresh and that the chips are usually 3 to 4 days old. Now, for those of you that have only had Chinese food from Golden Temple might not know this, but shrimps chips are very easy to make, takes 5 seconds, and if they can’t make this right, what can you expect from the rest of the menu. Well, not much. The Chilean Sea Bass tasted spoiled, the cashew nuts were stale and soggy, even the tea reeked of poor quality.
On the whole, a meal begging to be forgotten, but not before I warn of others. In the Brookline and Boston area there are many great Chinese restaurants, ethnic Chinese or fusion style. Please do not make the mistake of going to Golden Temple. If you want bad Chinese food, why pay the price to eat it at Golden Temple, unless what you worship is comical and not divine.
