Kitchen Chick

Spain & Morocco!

The view from the plane over Spain

Joe and I have flown for parts far away. We've taken a 2 week vacation to Madrid and  Salamanca in Spain and Fez in Morocco. We had hoped to do daily updates while on the road, but time and daily access hasn't always been available. We can't wait to share all our photos of the great places, people, and of course, the food (tapas, paella, couscous, bisteeya...) we've enjoyed. Our vacation is nearly done, so we,ll being seeing you all -- either in real life or electronically -- very soon!

Bon appetit!

Asian Legend: Taiwanese Snacks Invade Ann Arbor

Rice Cake with Garlicky Mushroom Sauce and Preserved Egg (daily special) at Asian Legend

When Joe and I first read that Asian Legend on William St. was offering Taiwanese snacks, we rushed down there the next day to give them a try. We both love dim sum and Asian street foods, and we were eager to see what new tastes Asian Legend had brought to Ann Arbor.

We weren't disappointed.

Let's just say that we've been there three times in the past month, and we haven't even ordered from the regular lunch/dinner menu yet.  (For the record, it has all the standard dishes you'd expect to find in a Chinese restaurant around here, plus some you won't see elsewhere.  The chef is also trained in traditional Sichuan cooking, but for that you have to order in advance and tell them what you want, since they don't have a Sichuan menu.  Watch for this in a future post; we're planning an expedition...)

The snack menu is separate from the main dinner menu. They're still experimenting with what's popular, so this menu is subject to change. At present, it lists just over 45 different snack dishes ranging from dim sum-sized items like onion pancakes (vegetarian version of the below pancakes) for $2.25 to Wuxi Ribs for $11.95 (which I've been told is a large plate of delicious ribs). In addition to the regular menu items, they add around five or so rotating daily specials -- written only in Chinese. Make sure to ask for translations, or you'll miss out on some very tasty items such as the above rice cake and the below noodles with sesame sauce.

Shrimp Omelet - egg, sweet potato starch, and vegetables with a sweet sauce (regular snack menu)

Big enough to share with two to six people, this "omelet" consists of eggs, plus sweet potato starch (like gelatinous rice paste) cooked with shrimp or oysters and vegetable (bok choi or napa?) topped with a tomatoey sweet sauce that, nevertheless, isn't anywhere near as sweet as its garish color suggests.  Strange, and good.

"Onion Pancake Beef Wrapped" (regular snack menu)

One of those onion pancakes, wrapped around sliced, mildly-spiced, beef.  Joe's favorite.  We first saw this item as a dim sum item at another restaurant in Toronto also called Asian Legend, and we enjoyed it there, so we thought it fitting to order it at this Asian Legend, too.

Seaweed & Dried Tofu (regular snack menu)

I'm a big fan of dried tofu "salads". This dish comes with a garlicky dressing that really enhances both the tofu and the seaweed.

More snacks in the "continued" post...

Lots of Life means Little Blogging

My apologies to my readers. It's been a crazy month. Our dear 18 year old cat Louis Wu died in early April. He is survived by his humans and his brother and litter-mate Abbey.

Work has been especially hectic with several projects in critical phases, leaving me little inclination or energy to spend more time on the computer after work. On top of the workload, our department just moved to new quarters, and I'm in the process of being hired "permanent", which is university-speak for "salaried with benefits" (Yeah! Benefits!) as opposed to an hourly temporary appointment without benefits.

Food-wise, last month's Ann Arbor Observer reviewed Asian Legend on William St. (not related to the Asian Legend chain in Toronto as far as we know) and mentioned that they have a separate Taiwanese snack menu. Joe and I gave those a try and I'll be posting a photo review of the different snacks we enjoyed Very Soon. Thanks for your patience!