South Legend Szechuan Restaurant

UPDATED January 9, 2010 We went back to South Legend tonight for my birthday dinner and discovered that South Legend is now a Michelin “Recommended” restaurant for 2010! Obviously, someone else agrees with us.

Yesterday evening, I had the distinct pleasure of dining at the South Legend Szechuan Restaurant in Milpitas, CA. Tucked into the back corner of a small strip mall that caters to the large Asian community in Milpitas, South Legend does not present itself as anything special or sophisticated. One wonders, then why this unimposing restaurant is listed annually among the very best restaurants in the San Francisco bay area, a haven for food lovers.

The answer, of course, is the food. It’s certainly not the decor or the surroundings, but the food is out-of-this-world, blow-your-mind fantastic. Specializing in a regional variety of Szechuan (sichuan) cooking, South Legend receives rave reviews from nearly everyone who has ever eaten there.

While I’m not particularly adventurous in my eating (no chicken feet, please), South Legend has enough unusual dishes on its menu to keep me coming back to explore. The photo shows the remainders of “ChongQing fish fillet with Chili,” essentially fish that is friend in hot chili oil. They also have a chicken version as well.

Another favorite dish is the Cumin Lamb (not too spicy), followed closely by the Shredded Pork with Leeks and Smoked Tofu—absolutely wonderful, and not spicy at all, just flavorful.

The second best part of dining at South Legend is the bill: our total (for seven people) was $76.00. I’m definitely coming back.