The Dragon Tradition

Twin Dragon, a 30-year veteran on the Los Angeles restaurant scene, was one of the first Chinese restaurants here to serve anything beyond old-fashioned Chinatown-style Cantonese cuisine. Its takeout menu ranges from Peking duck to “healthy” dishes (steamed rather than stir-fried, containing no starch, salt or sugar).

Sauteed garlic chicken, a dish of chicken with pea pods and other vegetables that is marked with a star for spiciness, turns out to be mild enough for anyone, and not even strongly garlicky. A nice surprise: It comes with a container of rice and both fortune and almond cookies.

Sauteed garlic chicken with rice and cookies (two servings), $8, Twin Dragon, 8597 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles. (323) 655-9805.