Kitchen Chick

Chia Shiang — Photo Essay

NOTE:  If you're printing this post out as a guide to what to order at Chia Shiang, make sure you also get our follow-up post with some additional great dishes we've discovered since we wrote this.  You won't be sorry! 

Pan-fried pork dumplings made from scratch at Chia Shiang

For many years Chia Shiang has been the Chinese restaurant of choice for local vegetarians with their wide range of soy and wheat gluten faux-meat dishes, as well as being one of a couple that serve Malaysian dishes. They have since expanded their restaurant to cover Shanghai and Sichuan dishes, and now seem to be the place to go for the local mainland Chinese community. We discovered this when I asked a co-worker from Beijing where I could find the best Sichuan food in Ann Arbor, unknown to me Joe was reading about Chia Shiang on the Ann Arbor Food email list. (I'm on the list, but I am woefully slow at checking my email.) So in one of those odd moments, we both suggested the place for dinner on the same night. When we got there, a large wedding reception was in full swing, complete with wedding toasts in Mandarin.

I recommend starting at the back of the menu and working forward — many of their most interesting and authentic dishes are in the last half of their extensive menu.  They've got all the standards up front, as well as the meatless and Malaysian items, but we've been enjoying exploring the latter half of the menu.

Get there before noon on Sunday and you may get a chance to try the above fabulous dumplings or "soup" or sticky rice dumplings in the following photos.  (REMEMBER: you can click on any of these images to get a larger and tastier version!)

Xiao Long Bao!  Pork and crab stuffed "Soup" dumplings — a burst of broth in every dumpling, so watch out! We advise letting them cool a bit.  They definitely make these on the premises, because we've gotten to watch...

Shanghai-style vegetable salad with the gluten meat substitute. A bit sweet and a bit spicy. Served cold.

Chicken with chestnuts — Chinese bbq sauce-like flavor with whole roasted chestnuts. (Not water chestnuts, chestnuts as in "Chestnuts roasting on an open fire...")  Remember to order this without bones, unless you're culturally Chinese enough to enjoy disarming small pieces of chicken with tiny bones — in your mouth.

Boiled fish in Sichuan sauce. Mmmm... spicy goodness. Chunks of fish with lettuce in a spicy sauce made with chili bean paste and Sichuan peppercorns.  This is large — that's a full-size serving spoon in there.  This dish is an obsession with us. We had it first in China, then at Chung King in San Gabriel, CA. You can find versions of this dish also on TK Wu's and Middle Kingdom's menus, and similar recipes for cooking it at home in Land of Plenty.

More photos in the extended post...

Chili/Chowder Cookoff

Joe and I often do things on a whim. After our morning walk, my friend Patti and I met up with Joe at everyday lunch for — what else — lunch. That evening everyday lunch would be hosting their Chili and Chowder Cookoff fundraiser for Think Local First. We got swept up in the general enthusiasm — Patti was volunteering, and chefs Chewy and Brendan were cooking up their own entry — and Joe and I both knew where we'd be eating dinner.

There was a catch, of course. We had tickets to the UM Department of Theatre & Drama's performance of Shaw's You Never Can Tell, which meant we'd need to watch the clock so we'd have enough time to get to the theater. And, of course, since we'd be a bit dressed up (I like dressing up for the theater), we'd have to be extra careful to not spill chili on ourselves. So it was that I tottered around in my heels with a heavy camera and flash slung around my shoulders, trying to balance a small paper "bowl", a spoon, a score sheet, a pencil, and a wine glass.

(Really, wouldn't we have all been better off with four arms and hands? Just think! You could play your own piano duets. Or cook twice as much, twice as fast!)

And Joe and I had a grand time, running into old friends and meeting new people. And in spite of my insufficient number of hands, I still managed to stuff myself with chili and chowder. Seven chowder entrants and eight chilis, all of them different. Smoked haddock, applewood smoked clam, basil-flavored, and a nice rich traditional New England chowder, a just corn chowder, etc. On the chili side there were two chicken chilis, an assortment of different beef and bean chilis, including an espresso beer flavored one, ox tail, and even a vegan chili. I managed to try most of them, but sadly I missed a few. Our only regret was that we had to leave before we were ready to go. We're looking forward to next year's Chili & Chowder Cookoff.

NOTE: If any of the entrants reading this actually have recipes for their entries (which I realize is a long shot), please post them. I might try to make one or two later and do a full post on it.

In Second Place:

2nd Place Chili winner Jane, daughter of fellow food blogger Mom's Kitchen, with her Spring Chili. The homemade tomatillo sauce took this chicken chili to the next level.

(2nd Place Chowder went to Laura M. I did not get to sample this one, but I think this was the C.S.I. chowder, which Joe did try and thought was great. If so, it included squid and fish balls, and was orange.)

In First Place:

Chewy (left) serving up his 1st place winning Spanish Bullfighter's chili, and "Most Original" winner Alex (right) with his Wisconsin Chili.

The Spanish Bullfighter's chili was made of ox tail, and was smooth and rich — gourmet chili. Alex's Wisconsin Chili used golden raisins, which contrasted especially well with the cheddar cheese they supplied.

The belles of the evening: Chowder 1st Place Winner Kate, and her sister Courtney who took "Best Overall."

Kate served up her delicious Basilicious Chowder, and Courtney was mobbed by the crowd (Joe, um, had two bowls) for her "Lobster Loves Sweet Potato" Chowder. Their chowders were not only fabulous, but they demonstrated excellent use of garnish that enhanced both the appearance and the flavor.