Review: Asia Kitchen

Today I had the pleasure of dining at Asia Kitchen in Owings Mills, Maryland. It squarely meets most expectations and exceeds the rest.

Thanks to the photographic evidence above, I'm sure the rest of the planet will soon follow in my decree of their having the Best Fried Eggplant on Earth (with Bengal Cafe in Camridge, MA a not too distant second, having stolen that title from the now defunct Peking Garden of Cleveland). A.K.'s comes in a serious, candy coated batter complete with citrus peel and disks of scallion. Somewhere in there is actual eggplant, but you don't care.

Their kimchee is also fantastic, and they once told me they make it right there, though twice they have told me that they do not. But their most impressive accomplishment is a deft hand with fake meat. Being a fake meat skeptic, I am also exposed to a lot of it from regularly traveling with a vegan and a vegetarian. (My skepticism is well informed by experience.) But Asia Kitchen's is dense, flavorful, and umamilicious, especially in the form of "Chicken" Cashew Nut. Go there.