Eating Chinese in the Year of the Lamb
Nominated for Five Doodys!
As intellectually active and
probing as this campus is, certain
questions linger just below the
surface of everyday conversation.
Questions that have plagued local
thinkers for generations. Questions
such as:
Why is the sky always gray?
Why must students pack their
notebooks with two minutes left in
class?
Why don't professors yell at
these people?
Why is that concrete divider/
"thing" on the comer of South
Forest and Hill?
Why ask why?
Why doesn't somebody,
anybody, make a xerox copy of the
closed course list in Angell Hall
and put it on the opposite wall?
Why does it take such a long
climb to reach the second floor of
the MLB?
Why can't Ann Arbor's Chinese
restaurants serve hard noodles and
a good duck sauce with their meal!
To tell the truth, we have a lot
of questions about local Chinese
restaurants. Soup broths are
universally tepid (not to mention
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bland, vapid and insipid), egg rolls
are most often served sans shrimp,
and fortune cookies aren't always a
given.
But, we're lunchers, and as such
will limit our concerns to meals
served at the noon hour. We'll take
a look at China Gate, Asia Garden,
and the Great Wall. All three serve
traditional Americanized Chinese
food. They're decent restaurants
that because of their locations are
logical places for lunch - at least
some of them are. All three serve
moderately priced lunch specials
which usually consist of an egg roll,
fried rice, choice of soup, and an
entr6e.
China Gate
When we first arrived on
campus years ago, we were told
China Gate -located on the
corner of South University and
Church - was the place to go for
Chinese food. After all, what other
establishment can boast of the
critically acclaimed Chef Jan?
Excuse us, the "award winning"
Chef Jan, that is. The phrase
"award winning" must be attached
to Chef Jan as often as "aspiring
law student" is to a political science
major.
Not only did China Gate's
billboard tell us it was good, so did
friends and acquaintances.
But then the roof fell in -
literally and figuratively.
On that fateful night of April 3,
1989 jubilant Michigan faithful
reveling in the Wolverines' NCAA
basketball championship victory
unwittingly collapsed China Gate's
awning.
The damage was not limited to
China Gate's structure: the food
quality has been suspect ever since.
Those who have accompanied us
on our dining excursions have also
commented on the decline of
China Gate.
Yet in 1990, Ann Arbor News
readers voted China Gate the
town's best Chinese restaurant
while readers of the Daily tabbed it
the top Oriental restaurant.
Perhaps these readers were voting
based on reputation. While its food
.. . .. . .* .*. : i.* . .... ....*
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NOAH F I N K E L
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OUT TO
LUNH
FOOD'CONNOISSEURS
A T" L A R G E
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Be back in
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doesn't serve the whole "special."
It serves the egg roll and fried rice,
but spares you the soup - which
can be purchased for an extra 75
cents or a dollar. And its entr6e
portions are slightly smaller than its
competitors'.
As for the entr6es, Asia Garden
offers a variety of 17, including
almond chicken, beef with broccoli
and barbecue sauce, and many
spicy shrimp dishes. Palate pleasers
include chicken with vegetables,
shrimp with ginger and garlic
sauce, and chicken with hot
peppers and peanuts.
Great Wall
From a distance, Great Wall
seems to be your typical Chinese
restaurant -red and black decor,
Chinese zodiac place mats, and
plenty of water refills. Upon a
closer look, Great Wall is still your
typical Chinese restaurant. But a
good one at that.
For the luncher, Great Wall
offers the most Moo Goo Gai Pan
for your buck. The lunch specials
are cheap, varied, and served until
4 p.m.
The strength of Great Wall lies
in its vegetables. They're garden
fresh, generously cut and
extremely flavorful. These
vegetables accompany some of the
most tasty and spicy Chinese
dishes offered on campus.
For lunch special selection
there are 22 dishes, compared to
the ten served at China Gate and
the 17 at Asia Garden. All range in
price from $4.25 to $6.25 and come
with fried rice, egg roll and choice
of won ton or egg drop soup.
The Szechuan Spicy Chicken
we sampled - white meat chicken
with a full spectrum of Chinese
vegetables - came in a brown
sauce that seems topopup on
many of the Szechuan entrees. It's
not necessarily good or bad. It's just
omnipresent. The Moo Shu
Chicken served with plum sauce
was another palate pleaser.
The fried rice was fried rice but
not as greasy as its competitors'.
Editor's Note: Remember, it's the
Year of the Lamb. Try not to keep
writing Year ofthe Dog on your checks.
Activism at Michigan is
probably at its highest point in
years. In fact, campus activism
has received so much news
coverage lately that the city has
recently reserved parking on
State Street exclusively for Bill
Bonds' news van. So it seems
appropriate that at the height of
the Grammy and Academy
awards season that these proud
members of the University
CH AC community also receive awards,
named after the founder and idol
of Michigan activism. So, without any further ado, I offer
the nominations for the James J. Duderstadt Awards for
Activism Excellence, more commonly known as the
Doody Awards.
Best Protest Slogan
Q "No Guns, No Cops, No Code," MSA Students'
Rights Commission -This slogan caught on so strongly
that the Dude himself sent letters to all our mommies and
daddies dissecting the slogan and attacking it.
Q "No Blood for Oil," SAUSI - One of the more
popular slogans of these times referring, of course, to the
covert sale of crude oil to the University chapter of Alpha
Phi Omega in a pint-for-pint exchange with blood donated
during the UM-OSU Blood Battle this fall, resulting in our
embarrassing defeat to the Buckeyes. Needless to say, this
slogan did not encompass all of the anti-war feeling,
resulting in the alternate slogan, which was...
Q "Defend Iraq," Revolutionary Workers League
Q "Support Our Soldiers," a group of the same name.
The remarkable thing about this slogan is that both
stances on the war claim to agree with this slogan. Yet they
both argue that their opponents don't support our soldiers.
In fact, this slogan has the same double meaning as our
final nominee:
Q "No More Vietnams"
Most Hated Administrator
Q Regent Deane Baker - This man seems to get into
more hot water every time he opens his mouth. He has
made so many derogatory comments towards homosexuals
that he has probably violated the University's own interim
anti-discriminatory harassment policy. Many activists have
already asked for his resignation, but he's scheduled to
stick around for another five years.
Q Nancy McGlothlin - Despite working for The
Michigan Daily for the last two months, I have never met
this woman. Yet she is the woman who has single-
handedly undermined the Daily's "100 years of Editorial
Freedom." I can't wait to meet her, but I don't know
whether or not to expect fangs.
Q Mary Ann Swain - The Interim VP for Student
Services has been the "fall gal" for most of the unpopular
administrative decisions, including deputization, Union
events policies, and cancelling "Twin Peaks." She is now
rumored to be running for MSA president.
IJ James Duderstadt - How could we forget this
crowd favorite? The Dude has been blamed for everything
from the war to harassment of women to bad haircuts.
During the deputization protests, Camp Duderstadt
became a favorite hangout spot for activists.
Q George Bush - Teach-in organizers still haven't
found a conclusive link between George and this
University, but needless to say, they are still looking. To
most of the activist community, the mention of George
Bush's name gets a similar reaction to that of Adolf Hitler
and Haman.
Favorite Blanket Organization
Q Inter-Fraternity Council (IFC) - Responsible for
coordinating approximately 40 different fraternities on
campus.
U University Activities Council (UAC) - Responsible
for organizing approximately 20 different entertainment
events on campus.
Q Revolutionary Workers League (RWL) -
Responsibl~or infiltrating a p
liberal groups on campus.
Most Hated MS
Q Jennifer Van Valey, Cui
war. Anti-deputization. Anti-a
male. Hasn't been pro-anythii
Administration.
Q Aaron Williams, ex-MS
Conservative Coalition - His
oppression" are a fashion hit i
Banned for running in the fall
technicality that he was not a
Q Michelle Putnam --Tl
election was a year and a half
director still seems to be a poj
woes.
Q Corey Dolgon - This 1
movement on campus has be<
call waiting, and many conser
annoying. But put a guitar in ]
animal.
Q Jamie Green and Angie
These presidential candidate,
now, but you can be sure that
improve in three weeks.
In the spirit of activism an(
choose the winners and will al
awards in two weeks. In the n
can be used for promotional s(
Revolutionary Workers Leagu
Doodys)."
To vote for the Doodys, sr
selections checked off or writ(
turn them into Weekend in th
Building on Maynard by Wed
recognize me by my cheesy p
directly to me. If you are one
away their time on MTS, you
the THE MICHIGAN DAILY.
Of course, if you don't beli
if you have better things to dc
important awards, I'll put the
balloons and see which ones t
first. Good luck to all nomine(
is pretty good, its service quick,
and its portions large, there are
better places to go for a Chinese
lunch.
First, China Gate's lunch
specials are expensive. The
"special" runs $6.45 for soup, egg
roll, fried rice, and a choice of
entr6e. But it's special, mind you.
Second, the lunch menu is
limited because only ten choices
are offered. Among them are sweet
and sour chicken or pork, almond
boneless chicken, pepper steak,
chow mein, mushroom chicken,
Kung-Pao shrimp, Yu-Shan pork,
triple delight, and shrimp with
vegetables. Only the Kung-Pao
shrimp and Yu-Shan pork are
served spicy.
While served in decent-sized
portions, the food, especially the
entrees, lacked zest. Even the
nominally spicy ones, such as
Triple Delight - chicken, pork
and shrimp served with brown
sauce - had muted flavoring.
Another dish, chicken with
cashews, could easily be served
with flavor, but it too was lacking.
The sweet and sour chicken was
well flavored, but its pieces were so
small that some consisted of
breading only.
Asia Garden
Located on Packard near State
Street next to Blue Front, Asia
Garden may be a bit too much of a
hike for some. But for those who
don't have an appetite hearty
enough for the large (and
consequently sometimes
expensive) lunches at other local
Chinese restaurants, Asia Garden
may be ideal.
Asia Garden is, in a word, cheap.
The specials range from $4.50 to
$5.95. But almost all save shrimp
dishes can be bought with less than
a five-spot.
The catch is that Asia Garden
Eln sh Class Adopts Some Soldiers
PLAY IT AGAIN
RECORDS, TAPES, CDs
"The most New Wavest store around"
Continued from page 4
The usual pangs felt while
missing loved ones were replaced
with a tense worry bordering on
despair.
"We didn't know where he was
for a while. Then we found out he
was in the Northern Gulf,"
Anderson explained. "Families
aren't ready, and there aren't
projection days for when they're
coming back. That's a much
greater stress on the family -
especially the kids."
It's not only kids who suffer
from heartache, however - a
common refrain proclaims, 'Navy
wife. It's the toughest job in the
611 S. Forest
Ann Arbor
747-6026
- p
S i
world.' This time the job is even
more arduous than usual.
"My mom's always in a bad
mood. The house is doing fine, but
we need my father there to make
sure everything is secure,"
commented Roxanne Basilio, 16,
whose father left Aug. 18 aboard
the USS Nassau.
"My mom is all nervous. She
sort of takes it out on us while he's
gone," remarked Chivaz Zaporteza,
17, whose father left Jan. 21 to join
the USS Nimitz. He understands
the cause of his mother's behavior,
"That's why I don't give her any
talk back."
Anna Vigilante, whose father is
also in the Gulf, said her mother
attempts to dismiss the situation.
"When you bring it up, this look
comes on her face, like 'What's
going to happen?' but she tries to
act like it doesn't phase her," she
said.
Families are glued to the news
in order to capture the latest
information. Anderson commented
that his family is constantly
listening to CNN "every hour on
the hour."
To handle the emotional strain,
support groups have flourished in
the area. Besides the seven special
Mid-East Deployment Support
Please see page 10
As students packed for Spring
Break, the United States prepared
for what Saddam Hussein termed
"The mother of all battles." As
George Bush set a noon Saturday
deadline for Operation Desert
S.Storm's ground war to begin, the
..nation braced for a long, bloody,
s deadly fight.
Instead, students returned to
Ann Arbor tanned, fresh, and
xxliving in a world of peace.
While America celebrated
Stormin' Norman and his troops'
stunningly decisive and swift victory, one University class,
Professor Karis Crawford's English 329, fidgeted with some
worry. Not only did they have to worry about peeling skin
(yes, a problem to some), but also what they would do for the
remainder of the semester.
You see, the class had centered the semester around
helping the troops in Saudi Arabia. Each semester, members
of the class decide upon a corporate project which will aid
society. You may remember reading about last semester's
class creating the newspaper titled The Homefront, which was
sent to troops before Shield turned to Storm.
This semester, Crawford's class created a spin-off of the
idea, entitled Operation Desert Morale. It adopted the
1461 st Transportation Company, stationed in nearby
Jackson. Crawford's self-run class began a letter-writing
campaign, including soliciting letters from school children,
creating care packages, and videotaping TV shows and
sports. The class plans to create a videotape of the troops'
families and friends for shipment to the desert.
The process is quite complicated, with the class divided
into four large groups, consisting of public relations,
fundraising, research, and video. Much out of class work
takes place. The students prepared fliers, for example, to
help solicit money from corporations and local businesses.
Then came the Mother of All Battles, the ground war,
which quickly became a cooked mother goose for Saddam
and his beleaguered fighters.
For a while, it looked like the only lesson the class could
take from this experience was, "Things change." Plans
appeared to go right out the window. After all, these people
would soon be home and there would be no need for the
work of English 329.
Sadly, that's not true. Being a transportation company, the
adopted group from Jackson will not be leaving the Saudi
sand. Instead, they will sit and endure, working menial tasks,
completing the odd tasks and missions left undone. They'll
probably miss some parades, questioning their purpose with
the war now over.
Sit and Wait. Sit and Wait.
And the temperature will rise as summer approaches.
They will sleep in the desert with their mission already
accomplished. Home and loved ones are still miles - and
seas - away. There still is a need for support.
There will be soldiers still stationed in Saudi Arabia long
after most of the yellow ribbon,
There will still be troops statio
brought out only for special occ
the Fourth of July.
To quote the already overu
quote, this group is preparing I
mother of complete boredom.'
English 329 has not died an
forging ahead, to use a Bush ph
effectively, leaving no stone un
Ann Arbor establishments a
patriotic support cannot die wi
They are asked to give more si
the window that many current
The class will travel on Sati
mall to videotape families and
their messages and love overse
There will be blowpop cand
On Tuesday and Wednesda
students will be accosted for ft.
campus fundraiser - a bucket
skip class And don't reroute yo
Remember, these people h
with a culture and lifestyle fore
consists of putting on fatigues v
soaking rays. They have put th
They have lived without th
issue. They have lived without
And yes, they've even gone wi
cherishes - beer.
The fighting might be over
to forget them.
Y AII l ii l I I I IIIYi
March 8, 1991
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