arts & life

Dining
around the D

Taste Of China

The 74th Annual Rabbi B. Benedict & Ada S. Glazer Institute on Judaism

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THURSDAY, APRIL 14 at 7:00 PM
TEMPLE BETH EL

7400 TELEGRAPH ROAD, BLOOMFIELD HILLS, MI

FEATURING: AMY-JILL LEVINE

Professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies at
Vanderbilt Divinity School

Professor Levine is an internationally-renowned expert on the Jewish
roots of Jesus and Christianity, and she will speak about her book, the
Jewish Annotated New Testament. In addition, participants will have
an opportunity to engage in a moderated discussion about our own
experiences, frustrations, and hopes. Free and open to the community.

For more information, contact Laura Lucassian at
llucassian@tbeonline.org or 248.851.1100.

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44 April 7 • 2016

wo dining opportunities in one:
Taste of China in Farmington Hills
has wide-ranging appeal for the
classic, homemade “comfort food” items
most American diners know and love
(hello, pepper steak), while an extensive,
second menu in Chinese and English
includes authentic and
some more unusual
dishes.
The restaurant in
a shopping plaza on
Middlebelt, south of
12 Mile Road, has
been home to Chinese
eateries since the for-
Esther Allweiss mer Gourmet Garden
Ingber
started in 2004.
Contributing
Next was an out-
Writer
post of Shangri-La,
still operating in
West Bloomfield and
Detroit, before today’s delightful Taste of
China opened in September 2013. The
owners are Chinese natives Lisa Kuang
and her chef-husband Min Huang (yes,
one letter off). He worked for more than a
decade at Mon Jin Lau, the enduring Asian
restaurant in Troy.
Taste of China’s window-fronted main
dining room features blue-and-white
Chinese vases and other porcelain pieces
in lighted display cases of graduated size.
Carpeting in a cherry-burgundy color pulls
together a series of dining rooms and the
cocktail lounge. Providing more visual
interest are carved wooden screens that
can be moved to unite party rooms for a
larger space. Bamboo poles are another
room divider.
The airy restaurant exudes serenity, one
reason the couple and a former partner
were attracted to this space.
“Our customers are peaceful, nice
people,” said Kuang, who said she enjoys
working the front of the house. She and
Huang have lived in the United States for
20 and 16 years, respectively, and their four
children range in age from 5 to 15.
All the trademark dishes of American-
Chinese cuisine are offered here, under the
headings of Appetizers, Soup, Vegetarian,
Poultry, Beef or Pork, Seafood, Chop Suey
or Subgum Chow Mein, Lo-Mein, Pan-
Fried Noodles and Soft Noodles.
The Vegetarian section offers six choices,
including vegetable pad Thai, Buddha’s
delight, Szechuan eggplant and moo shu
vegetable, served with hoisin sauce and
tortilla-like pancakes for inserting an
assortment of sauteed, shredded veggies.
Combination plates are available at
both lunch and dinner, and the portions
are very generous. I liked the flavor and

Classic Tangerine Beef and Chicken

texture of Mandarin shrimp, prepared with
pea pods, and served with the plate’s usual
accompaniments of eggroll and vegetable-
fried rice.
On a second visit, the almond boneless
chicken was just as crunchy-crusted as one
might like and served with a brown sauce.
Kuang said this entree is one of the cus-
tomer favorites at Taste of China although
the most requested is General Tso’s chick-
en. It’s a sweet and slightly spicy, deep-fried
chicken dish.
“The Szechuan chicken and sweet-and-
sour chicken are also popular,” she added.
“People just love our chicken!”
I must praise Taste of China’s excellent
wonton soup. Plump dumplings are in a
tasty chicken broth enhanced by slivers of
carrots, green onions and bean sprouts.
The other listed soups are egg drop, hot
and sour regular or with seafood, and
sizzling rice for two. Interesting menu
items I haven’t tried include a chili pepper
squid appetizer and entrees called pinenut
shrimp and Mandarin duck, the highest-
priced dish at $15.95.
The Chinese menu, available upon
request, includes “tamer” items, such as
Szechuan-style rabbit, chive flowers cake
and soybean peas stuffed with zucchini. I
really liked the steamed Chinese broccoli
in oyster sauce (garlic sauce is also avail-
able). The tender vegetable has leaves and
thick stems, rather than the large florets of
traditional broccoli.
Specialties on the Chinese menu con-
sidered unusual by American standards
would include those made with organs,
such as stewed beef stomach or tripe. More
adventurous eaters might like that dish, but
I think I’ll pass.

*

Taste of China

27626 Middlebelt Road

Farmington Hills, MI 48334

(248) 474-8183

No website

$$ out of $$$$