Inside Legend!

Bwog’s wallet may be small, but its appetite for not John Jay good food is huge!  With the opening of Chinese restaurant Legend in Morningside Heights, Sichuan supporter Roberta Barnett took one for the team and checked it out.

The old site of Rack n Soul on 109th between Broadway and Amsterdam, now the location of Chinese restaurant Legend, is in an area that’s usually pretty quiet, but don’t let that turn you off.  Legend, a second location of the popular Chelsea restaurant, opened its doors on November 30th.  It will soon be open in its full capacity, offering its entire menu as well as take-out.

When I stopped in for dinner last Sunday evening, the place was almost deserted, but after inquiring with the staff, they did say that it was “unofficially open.”  Hungry and tired from the grueling seven-block walk, I wasn’t about to walk any further.  I sat down in the bright, modern-looking space, still faintly smelling from its renovations, and opened the menu.

The menu was not very extensive, but for those acquainted with Sichuan food, there were plenty of familiar favorites, which were, by virtue of the cuisine, mostly spicy.  As a vegetarian, there were limited choices, but that shouldn’t deter anyone from trying out the food.  I ordered the MaPo Tofu, a dish spiced with peppers and other strong seasonings.  The ingredients were really fresh and seemed generally free of MSG.  Not only was the quality high, but the dishes themselves are quite authentic, sure to please even more experienced eaters.

The menu prices are pretty decent, around the same cost as an Ollie’s dinner.  Legend is definitely worth making the trip to 109th, and hopefully someday soon, its food will just be a phone call away.