Service and vibe were much better than I expected, having previously read about CTB here on Yelp...
I had the spicy tofu "brain curd" appetizer which was warm, garlicky and super tasty (think dim sum Dou Fu Faa texture but savoury) - a bit on the salty side but a steal at under $3.00.
The cumin beef & green peppers stuffed in bun was well spiced but cold, unfortunately.
Finally, the piece de resistance of spinach, egg & tomato noodles in soup was delicious. I expected more broth in the noodles but this dish was more like pasta - wide, thick and chewy noodles not unlike tagliatelle. Interesting and a new discovery for me in terms of regional Chinese flavours.
I also brought home egg and zucchini dumplings plus vegetarian dry noodles for my boyfriend, who (a) is vegetarian and (b) isn't normally very adventurous with Chinese food, which tends to be further exacerbated by (a), and he was suitably impressed.
Mandarin skills are definitely a plus at this joint. Mine sucks but I wangled my way thru enough dialogue to get my server to smile and give me a couple of recommendations. We'll definitely be going back to CTB to try more!