Charred Asparagus from Chego!

Charred Asparagus from Chego!, originally uploaded by ~db~.

The grilled asparagus at Chego! has been their veggie of choice, I think, since they opened their new place in Chinatown. That's going to change soon, so I thought it best to get some while I could. The asparagus is topped with Roy Choi's excellent blueberry habanero salsa, lots of garlic, along with chilies, Parmesan, and some lemon.

For me this has unfortunately been the biggest miss so far in my visits to Chego! Mainly because the asparagus was overdone. It was impossible to bite through anything but the tips without having to gnaw through the blackened, stringy spears. The flavors were all there, and the dish itself would be a winner, except for the above-mentioned issue with the asparagus itself. The hot/sweet salsa, the abundance of roasted garlic slices, all the crunchy peppers and fried bits were all good. So, far from a failure, it would have been so much better had the asparagus not been overdone. Charred asparagus, about $6.