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Among metro Atlanta's 100-plus Chinese restaurants are two that would belong in any listing of the top 20: The Golden Buddha and China Gate.

We quit eating at the decade-old Golden Buddha, with it's big buddha guarding the door, three years ago because the food and service had gone from being some of the best in Atlanta to ranking among the worst. We recently went back and found great improvements.

The service, provided by smiling young waiters, is cheery and friendly now. But the major change has been in the quality and visual appeal of the food. Dishes that were previously marred by the flabby, over-cooked vegetables and chewy, flavorless meats are subtly seasoned works of art today. The crisp vegetables are a palate of colors on the plate. The meats and seafood are fresh.

While the Golden Buddha is best known for it's mandarin style of cooking, spicier Szechuan dishes are also available. One of the best of the restaurant's incendiary dishes is Sa-Cha shrimp, a lip-puckering blend of shrimp, mixed vegetables and red pepper. The hot braised fish, a whole red snapper topped with onion, ground pork and hot peppers, is another sure-to-please dish, but on that will make you grab for your water glass after the first bite or two.

For milder, and a good complement to the Szechuan dishes, are Chow Fen Sz, strands of bean thread noodles, mixed with pork and vegetables, or the soft Lo Mein noodles served with pork or chicken.

The restaurant's two large dining rooms, lined with booths and tables are inviting and comfortable and generally crowded with a mix of Chinese an American families and Emory students and employees from the nearby Centers of Disease Control.