Sheng Jian Muslim Little Kitchen

Lu da gun, "donkey rolling on the ground" ($1), owes its name to a coating of cooked soybean powder.

This, the story goes, reminded some long-forgotten confectioner of the dust with which donkeys sometimes cover themselves, as protection against biting insects. There the resemblance ends. For the lu da gun, a glutinous rice wrapper and red bean filling offer little defense at snack time.

This bakery, whose previous home was the shuttered J&L Mall, now does business at the back of what might be a former luncheonette (and that now bears the monikers "Oriental Express Food" and "Lucky L & LWC"). Indoors, a series of other vendors have come and gone in stalls closer to the street. I know the name Sheng Jian Muslim Little Kitchen from an old business card, translated for me by a native Mandarin speaker. Since that name appears nowhere in English, however, you'll have to recognize it by its wares.

They include baozi, steamed buns with fillings such as chive, egg, and noodles; griddled pancakes with much the same contents; scallion pancake slices; and something akin to a scone, firm-shelled but replete with dried fruit, nuts, and sesame seeds. The ones shown here cost no more than a couple of bucks each.

Sheng Jian Muslim Little Kitchen
41-40 Main St. (41st Rd.-Sanford Ave., inside Oriental Express Food/Lucky L & LWC), Flushing, Queens

Comments

[surly]

dave, this is the qing zhen muslim bread stall which we saw at oriental express food (41-40 main st), right? the guys from tianjin?

[soopling]

I love the sesame-covered bings from here!

http://saltysavorysweet.blogspot.com/2008/02/feast-delivered-from-flushing.html

[The Faux Gourmet]

I want to eat this NOW. Can you please invent a transport machine that will drop me in Flushing ASAP? :)

[Suzanne]

wow, these dishes look amazing!