Hello readers,
After 4 years of chaos and neglect, I'm finally back with a VENGEANCE in the 2017 scene. Still local to Ann Arbor and with a series of promotions and lack of free time, my hobby has still been to try all the newest and best restaurants and bars in the Ann Arbor and greater Detroit area. I've had some wonderful experiences, as well as a number of trips and visits to culinary hot spots and places in between. I have stories of cheesesteaks in Philly, pizza in Manhattan, crabs in Delaware, Italian beef in Chicago, Coney dogs in Detroit, and even Chengdu cuisine in a little hole in the wall of Pittsburgh. So after 4 long years of slog, let's get to the food.
BELL'S DINER
2167 W Stadium
Ann Arbor, MI
Where to start on this gem of a place. I had a wicked hangover one night in March, and my friend was in from out of town. The usual breakfast places were extremely busy, so we decided to try this diner, which is next door to a hardware store. Little did we know, while being a traditional eggs and toast, pancakes and waffles diner, this is actually quite a Korean restaurant as well. Nothing is more than 11-15 dollars, and the Korean staples on the menu are all very good. I confess, I'm semi-regular here now because it really blew me away. I had a bulgoki omelette my first time, and it came with rice instead of hash browns and a bottle of amazing house-made hot sauce. I've had the mandoo, cellophane noodles, and bibimbop in repeat visits, and while it's no-frills, this is a no-frills place. You can get a bento box full of stuff or just stick to one thing.
While this place is very plain and the atmosphere is really dive-y, I'd recommend this to anyone who wants to break up their breakfast routine and try some homestyle Korean food.
7.5/10, a real good diner with the surprise of Korean food on the menu.
-C
Thursday, July 13, 2017
Friday, June 7, 2013
A Double Dose of Detroit Italian
So, my Italian friend Gaetano Cilluffo was in town for about a week, and we went downtown a few times while he was here. Whilst there, we ate at Roma Cafe in the Eastern Market and Angelina's in the Grand Circus District. One is the oldest Italian restaurant in Michigan, the other is very new-school.
When you pull up to Roma Cafe, it's in a terrifying neighborhood. They have a free valet, and an Iron fenced in valet lot, or you can park across the street in the demolished vacant lot, after bumping over the curb. All that seems to be open is this little restaurant, and it's a hell of a destination. Around the corner is the Eastern Market, with some awesome farmers' market fare, as well as one of the best pizza places in the area, but this block is desolate.
When you walk in, the staff is all in tuxedos, and it's VERY old school. Everything is plain, but high class, upscale, but not stuffy. The menu is all of mama's favorites, with spaghetti and meatballs, stuffed peppers, grilled Italian sausage, and Veal parmigiana. Gaetano and I, being the Italians kids we are, ask the waiter what's good, and he says "you're Italian? We'll take care of you. You like veal? We'll put some veal in there!" We had antipasto salad, stuffed peppers, spaghetti and marinara sauce, and chicken Marsala.
The salad was overdressed, but only because they were zealous with the massive amount of amazing salami and ham in the mix. The spaghetti was standard, and ok. The veal stuffed peppers were awesome, but plain. And then the chicken was moist, delicious, and really well done. All of it was our mother's and grandmother's food. Nothing to write home about, but definitely delicious and homely. They charged us $13 for each plate, too, which is incredibly cheap for the massive amount of food we had.
Quality 3/5
Value 5/5
I'd definitely go back, and am already craving the stuffed peppers again.
Angelina's is the new school of Mediterranean cooking. They are a small-plates Italian concept, and they are doing cool things with classic Italian recipes and ingredients at this place. It's very trendy, with big opening windows that open to the view of Comerica Park, the Detroit Opera House and the Grand Circus Park, with the People Mover overhead and an old marquee displaying their name proudly. This building was a theater back in the day, and they play up the space, with a large bar and an open kitchen. Again, this is a fancy restaurant that you can just show up in a t-shirt and jeans and not feel underdressed. It's a little pricier than Roma Cafe, but you're paying for the modernist twist.
Gaetano had his "favorite dish anywhere, ever" again, and we went on his recommendation. This time we took along our other friend CZ, a former housemate, and he and I split most of the dishes we sampled. We got an "Angelina sample plate" of their cold meats, fish, and pickled items in the smaller portion offered. It came arranged on a plate with a lemon arugula salad in the middle, and slices of cheese to pair with it. If I wasn't driving, this would have been ideal with a glass of a dry red wine, but instead the intense flavor of my tea I felt did it justice. It was a great starter.
Charles and I also did a plate of meatballs and a "Californian" pizza. The pizza came with prosciutto, pineapple, and jalapeno peppers, and was awesome for an appetizer price. The meatballs were small, coming in a plate of 4, and were disappointingly dry. It's a shame, because they seemed to use too much in the way of cheese and cinnamon, and it killed the flavor of the veal and pork. The cheese and sauce were awesome though, and we finished them because of the sauce.
Now, Gaetano got the Squid Ink pasta with Scallops. I would have been overall disappointed in this restaurant, serving us some cold items and average pizza, if not for this dish. He let us try a bite of pasta and a bit of one of the 2 jumbo scallops. It's expensive, 27 dollars, but it's WELL worth the price. The pasta is purple/black in the squid ink sauce, and was perfectly al dente. The thing is, the scallops are perfect. Gaetano said when he went the first time, the scallops were equally amazing, and as long as they're doing them consistently, this is my favorite scallop I've ever had, anywhere. Seriously awesome plate.
Quality 4/5
Value 3/5
I'll keep this place in mind next time I'm in Tigertown, but I want to try the other places in the neighborhood. Detroit Brewing Company is right there, and another place called "Small Plates" is also down Broadway. It's a good neighborhood, and I'm always glad to see Detroit come back.
-C
When you pull up to Roma Cafe, it's in a terrifying neighborhood. They have a free valet, and an Iron fenced in valet lot, or you can park across the street in the demolished vacant lot, after bumping over the curb. All that seems to be open is this little restaurant, and it's a hell of a destination. Around the corner is the Eastern Market, with some awesome farmers' market fare, as well as one of the best pizza places in the area, but this block is desolate.
When you walk in, the staff is all in tuxedos, and it's VERY old school. Everything is plain, but high class, upscale, but not stuffy. The menu is all of mama's favorites, with spaghetti and meatballs, stuffed peppers, grilled Italian sausage, and Veal parmigiana. Gaetano and I, being the Italians kids we are, ask the waiter what's good, and he says "you're Italian? We'll take care of you. You like veal? We'll put some veal in there!" We had antipasto salad, stuffed peppers, spaghetti and marinara sauce, and chicken Marsala.
The salad was overdressed, but only because they were zealous with the massive amount of amazing salami and ham in the mix. The spaghetti was standard, and ok. The veal stuffed peppers were awesome, but plain. And then the chicken was moist, delicious, and really well done. All of it was our mother's and grandmother's food. Nothing to write home about, but definitely delicious and homely. They charged us $13 for each plate, too, which is incredibly cheap for the massive amount of food we had.
Quality 3/5
Value 5/5
I'd definitely go back, and am already craving the stuffed peppers again.
Angelina's is the new school of Mediterranean cooking. They are a small-plates Italian concept, and they are doing cool things with classic Italian recipes and ingredients at this place. It's very trendy, with big opening windows that open to the view of Comerica Park, the Detroit Opera House and the Grand Circus Park, with the People Mover overhead and an old marquee displaying their name proudly. This building was a theater back in the day, and they play up the space, with a large bar and an open kitchen. Again, this is a fancy restaurant that you can just show up in a t-shirt and jeans and not feel underdressed. It's a little pricier than Roma Cafe, but you're paying for the modernist twist.
Gaetano had his "favorite dish anywhere, ever" again, and we went on his recommendation. This time we took along our other friend CZ, a former housemate, and he and I split most of the dishes we sampled. We got an "Angelina sample plate" of their cold meats, fish, and pickled items in the smaller portion offered. It came arranged on a plate with a lemon arugula salad in the middle, and slices of cheese to pair with it. If I wasn't driving, this would have been ideal with a glass of a dry red wine, but instead the intense flavor of my tea I felt did it justice. It was a great starter.
Charles and I also did a plate of meatballs and a "Californian" pizza. The pizza came with prosciutto, pineapple, and jalapeno peppers, and was awesome for an appetizer price. The meatballs were small, coming in a plate of 4, and were disappointingly dry. It's a shame, because they seemed to use too much in the way of cheese and cinnamon, and it killed the flavor of the veal and pork. The cheese and sauce were awesome though, and we finished them because of the sauce.
Now, Gaetano got the Squid Ink pasta with Scallops. I would have been overall disappointed in this restaurant, serving us some cold items and average pizza, if not for this dish. He let us try a bite of pasta and a bit of one of the 2 jumbo scallops. It's expensive, 27 dollars, but it's WELL worth the price. The pasta is purple/black in the squid ink sauce, and was perfectly al dente. The thing is, the scallops are perfect. Gaetano said when he went the first time, the scallops were equally amazing, and as long as they're doing them consistently, this is my favorite scallop I've ever had, anywhere. Seriously awesome plate.
Quality 4/5
Value 3/5
I'll keep this place in mind next time I'm in Tigertown, but I want to try the other places in the neighborhood. Detroit Brewing Company is right there, and another place called "Small Plates" is also down Broadway. It's a good neighborhood, and I'm always glad to see Detroit come back.
-C
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Seoul Garden: An Under-Appreciated Gem
After a 3-week hiatus, I'm back with a new work schedule, plenty of playoff hockey, a couple of trips to Detroit, and a few wonderful culinary experiences. I want to do reviews of these places, after going back for more research:
Detroit Brewing Company (the beer, the food is nothing to phone home over)
B. Nektar Meadery (also just the alcohol, no food service offered)
Motor City Casino's buffet
American Coney Island (and Lafayette)
Fishbonez (downtown, not the suburban locations)
Isalita (kind of hard to not be biased, I used to work for Mani)
But this one is on Seoul Garden, my personal favorite Korean restaurant in town. I go back over and over again, and every time I go, no matter what I order, it's fantastic.
Some menu highlights:
Bibimbop- Simply the best in town.
Je Yook Kimchi Bokum- A pork, tofu, kimchi dish that is very spicy. It's my favorite stir-fry, and their stir fries are great.
BBQ- In-table iron barbecue, for which you can get a number of different meat and vegetable combinations, ranging in price from decent lunch to extravagant. The "BBQ for 2" special is awesome, and has a little of everything, for about 45 dollars.
Sushi- also pretty good. There are better places in town to get sushi, but their's is excellent and has a good price point. The first time I went, my parents and I got a stir fry, a BBQ, and sushi.
The banchan is awesome, and they refill it freely, and they have awesome and inexpensive dumplings and appetizers. Last time I went, my table got a large soup, and they split it into 3 bowls for no extra charge.
Their beer menu is pretty good, with a few unique Korean and Japanese beers (compared to other restaurants), though it's pretty limited. They also have a decent Soju and Sake selection.
I don't have to say much else about this, except if you want a fun experience, try Seoul Garden. It's the best place to eat in the hotel area (it's on Boardwalk, south of town, near 94 off state street), and I've never been disappointed. It gets overlooked due to its location, but it's worth the drive and the price.
Quality 4.5/5
Value 5/5
-C
Detroit Brewing Company (the beer, the food is nothing to phone home over)
B. Nektar Meadery (also just the alcohol, no food service offered)
Motor City Casino's buffet
American Coney Island (and Lafayette)
Fishbonez (downtown, not the suburban locations)
Isalita (kind of hard to not be biased, I used to work for Mani)
But this one is on Seoul Garden, my personal favorite Korean restaurant in town. I go back over and over again, and every time I go, no matter what I order, it's fantastic.
Some menu highlights:
Bibimbop- Simply the best in town.
Je Yook Kimchi Bokum- A pork, tofu, kimchi dish that is very spicy. It's my favorite stir-fry, and their stir fries are great.
BBQ- In-table iron barbecue, for which you can get a number of different meat and vegetable combinations, ranging in price from decent lunch to extravagant. The "BBQ for 2" special is awesome, and has a little of everything, for about 45 dollars.
Sushi- also pretty good. There are better places in town to get sushi, but their's is excellent and has a good price point. The first time I went, my parents and I got a stir fry, a BBQ, and sushi.
The banchan is awesome, and they refill it freely, and they have awesome and inexpensive dumplings and appetizers. Last time I went, my table got a large soup, and they split it into 3 bowls for no extra charge.
Their beer menu is pretty good, with a few unique Korean and Japanese beers (compared to other restaurants), though it's pretty limited. They also have a decent Soju and Sake selection.
I don't have to say much else about this, except if you want a fun experience, try Seoul Garden. It's the best place to eat in the hotel area (it's on Boardwalk, south of town, near 94 off state street), and I've never been disappointed. It gets overlooked due to its location, but it's worth the drive and the price.
Quality 4.5/5
Value 5/5
-C
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
A U of M Campus Staple: No Thai!
No Thai! is proof that you don't need to have that high paying internship or be deep in government grant money to still enjoy a decent meal in the Ann Arbor area. As their website states, in February 2005 4 friends who craved modern Thai food decided to start a restaurant, and they each brought something different to the table. Chef Noerung "No" Hang was the one to put his face and name on the business, and thus No Thai! was born. There are 4 locations, with 3 in the Ann Arbor area and 1 in East Lansing, and they are very popular among the college crowd.
I remember the first time I had No Thai!, and it was at the (now relocated) South University store, that used to be next to campus sushi staple Sadako. An upperclassman in the Marching Band took the freshmen there, and we were all treated to delicious, under $10 fare. Back then, it was only $8 for any of the noodle or fried rice entrees, and a dollar more for shrimp. They still include tax, and they still have the same menu. There are only 4 noodle dishes, about a dozen stir fry dishes, and 3 fried rice dishes. They also only have 3 appetizers and soft drinks or Thai iced tea. It's simple, you choose a dish, a meat (or tofu), and a spice level. My first time I ordered "Yoga Flame," which is half as hot as their hottest choice "Dim Mak (literally "death's touch," I order it every time I go nowadays, even last night), and the Indian kid we were with said "woah, you ordered spicier food than the Indian! You're crazy!" Thus my reputation as a spice hound was established.
Anyway, while this establishment is doing nothing to revolutionize Thai cuisine, they are solid on the sheer principle of consistency. They have been around 8 years, and in the 5 that I've been frequenting them for quick lunch or simple dinner, their quality has stayed exactly the same. This is for better or worse, though, because if you have their food too often, you will burn out on it. They do quite well, and have a high-rent space in the Landmark apartment building on campus (where rent can run $1000+ per student per month per bedroom in a 4 bedroom unit. I think the government should be required to step in and regulate Ann Arbor's housing, because $4000-$5000 for an apartment in Michigan is insanity on a level that I can't describe.) where they've raised prices to $9 for a noodle dish. They give you a discount if you pay by cash, as does most Asian restaurants aimed at students in this area, and it's still as consistent as ever.
The appetizers are nothing to phone home over, but are decent if you want to make a big meal out of it with your friends, and the service is fast and extremely friendly. If you're looking to be adventurous and you've never had Thai before, try No Thai, as it really is "baby's first non-Chinese Asian restaurant," but if you want authentic, high brow Thai, try someplace else, like Tuptim or Lotus Thai (which, after I go back with a few friends will be a full review on itself).
Quality: 3.5/5
Value: 4/5
Caveat: With consistency this is a 4, but the only reason I give it 3.5 is because of how boring the menu is. Seriously, two of the noodle dishes are Pad Thai, but one has curry in it. If you put your name on a business, be a little more adventurous and put a couple of variants in there!
-C
No Thai!
1300 S University AND
226 N 4th Ave AND
1745 Plymouth Road
Ann Arbor, MI
I remember the first time I had No Thai!, and it was at the (now relocated) South University store, that used to be next to campus sushi staple Sadako. An upperclassman in the Marching Band took the freshmen there, and we were all treated to delicious, under $10 fare. Back then, it was only $8 for any of the noodle or fried rice entrees, and a dollar more for shrimp. They still include tax, and they still have the same menu. There are only 4 noodle dishes, about a dozen stir fry dishes, and 3 fried rice dishes. They also only have 3 appetizers and soft drinks or Thai iced tea. It's simple, you choose a dish, a meat (or tofu), and a spice level. My first time I ordered "Yoga Flame," which is half as hot as their hottest choice "Dim Mak (literally "death's touch," I order it every time I go nowadays, even last night), and the Indian kid we were with said "woah, you ordered spicier food than the Indian! You're crazy!" Thus my reputation as a spice hound was established.
Anyway, while this establishment is doing nothing to revolutionize Thai cuisine, they are solid on the sheer principle of consistency. They have been around 8 years, and in the 5 that I've been frequenting them for quick lunch or simple dinner, their quality has stayed exactly the same. This is for better or worse, though, because if you have their food too often, you will burn out on it. They do quite well, and have a high-rent space in the Landmark apartment building on campus (where rent can run $1000+ per student per month per bedroom in a 4 bedroom unit. I think the government should be required to step in and regulate Ann Arbor's housing, because $4000-$5000 for an apartment in Michigan is insanity on a level that I can't describe.) where they've raised prices to $9 for a noodle dish. They give you a discount if you pay by cash, as does most Asian restaurants aimed at students in this area, and it's still as consistent as ever.
The appetizers are nothing to phone home over, but are decent if you want to make a big meal out of it with your friends, and the service is fast and extremely friendly. If you're looking to be adventurous and you've never had Thai before, try No Thai, as it really is "baby's first non-Chinese Asian restaurant," but if you want authentic, high brow Thai, try someplace else, like Tuptim or Lotus Thai (which, after I go back with a few friends will be a full review on itself).
Quality: 3.5/5
Value: 4/5
Caveat: With consistency this is a 4, but the only reason I give it 3.5 is because of how boring the menu is. Seriously, two of the noodle dishes are Pad Thai, but one has curry in it. If you put your name on a business, be a little more adventurous and put a couple of variants in there!
-C
No Thai!
1300 S University AND
226 N 4th Ave AND
1745 Plymouth Road
Ann Arbor, MI
Sunday, May 5, 2013
Fast Food Masterpieces: The Cheesecake on a Stick
Yes, you read that right.
White Castle has a cheesecake on a stick dessert item for less than $1.50. It's small, more of a sweet snack/afterthought, but what it lacks in size it makes up for in taste. Served frozen (mine was at least, but that might be the 4:30am crew's fault, not in the design), it's like a Popsicle mixed with a rich classic dessert. This abomination of all that is holy is even dipped in chocolate. Seriously, if that doesn't make you want to at least curiously try it, I can't push any harder.
I had to try to find this for months, even though it was being advertised all winter, their WAREHOUSE ran out of them and wouldn't ship them to the Ann Arbor location! Maybe anticipation built this up for me, but it's WELL above the McDonald's apple pie or the BK brownie bits.
A- for lack of size.
-C
White Castle has a cheesecake on a stick dessert item for less than $1.50. It's small, more of a sweet snack/afterthought, but what it lacks in size it makes up for in taste. Served frozen (mine was at least, but that might be the 4:30am crew's fault, not in the design), it's like a Popsicle mixed with a rich classic dessert. This abomination of all that is holy is even dipped in chocolate. Seriously, if that doesn't make you want to at least curiously try it, I can't push any harder.
I had to try to find this for months, even though it was being advertised all winter, their WAREHOUSE ran out of them and wouldn't ship them to the Ann Arbor location! Maybe anticipation built this up for me, but it's WELL above the McDonald's apple pie or the BK brownie bits.
A- for lack of size.
-C
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
A Constant Disappointment: Asia City Buffet
I've noticed that I've only gotten my inspiration so far from places that have blown my mind with high quality and high caliber food in their genre. To redeem myself, I have to write about a place that I'm constantly disappointed with.
I'm not a food snob, I eat things that are recommended to me from all sorts of places, regardless if they're a take-out window in a dirty strip mall or a high-cuisine seated restaurant. Asia City is a kitchy nightmare from a more racist era in dining. When you walk in the front, you walk by a large fountain and a series of fish tanks, all filthy. When the close-minded diner thinks "EW, CHINESE!" they are probably thinking of a place like this. The whole restaurant smells greasy, and there's way too many tables spread across four dining rooms and a gaudy bar. It's split in half, with the buffet in the middle, and an area for "a la carte" dining, though I've never sat over there.
I've been there about half a dozen times, and it's been going downhill. They had decent sushi and about half of their hot line was edible when I went there my first time, but since then I haven't been able to trust the sushi, and I only ever fill up on wonton soup dumplings and fried noodles. Everything tastes like the rest of the stuff they serve, like they never clean their woks or mix all of their proteins, which is scary for a place that serves lots of seafood alongside chicken and tripe. I haven't been sick from them before, but every time I go back (out of habit, because I happen to love cheap chinese buffet, which this place falls short on too), I feel like I'm playing foodborne illness Russian roulette.
Notable dishes here include their Wonton Soup (impossible to mess up), boiled and chilled tripe (edible), and their extensive dessert selection, with everything from the standard cakes and buffet trays of crap to fresh asian fruits. Almost everything else is horrific, especially their sushi. It's $13.99 for dinner, which is insulting considering Hibachi Grill and Supreme Buffet (which closed even though it was extremely busy) was $11.79, and almost everything on their menu was edible and delicious. It's a shame that Asia City is all the east Ann Arbor crowd has for buffet that I know of right now, because even by college student, "I'll eat anything" standards, it's inedible.
Quality 1/5
Value 2/5
Avoid it unless you really want to fill up on soup at lunchtime.
-C
I'm not a food snob, I eat things that are recommended to me from all sorts of places, regardless if they're a take-out window in a dirty strip mall or a high-cuisine seated restaurant. Asia City is a kitchy nightmare from a more racist era in dining. When you walk in the front, you walk by a large fountain and a series of fish tanks, all filthy. When the close-minded diner thinks "EW, CHINESE!" they are probably thinking of a place like this. The whole restaurant smells greasy, and there's way too many tables spread across four dining rooms and a gaudy bar. It's split in half, with the buffet in the middle, and an area for "a la carte" dining, though I've never sat over there.
I've been there about half a dozen times, and it's been going downhill. They had decent sushi and about half of their hot line was edible when I went there my first time, but since then I haven't been able to trust the sushi, and I only ever fill up on wonton soup dumplings and fried noodles. Everything tastes like the rest of the stuff they serve, like they never clean their woks or mix all of their proteins, which is scary for a place that serves lots of seafood alongside chicken and tripe. I haven't been sick from them before, but every time I go back (out of habit, because I happen to love cheap chinese buffet, which this place falls short on too), I feel like I'm playing foodborne illness Russian roulette.
Notable dishes here include their Wonton Soup (impossible to mess up), boiled and chilled tripe (edible), and their extensive dessert selection, with everything from the standard cakes and buffet trays of crap to fresh asian fruits. Almost everything else is horrific, especially their sushi. It's $13.99 for dinner, which is insulting considering Hibachi Grill and Supreme Buffet (which closed even though it was extremely busy) was $11.79, and almost everything on their menu was edible and delicious. It's a shame that Asia City is all the east Ann Arbor crowd has for buffet that I know of right now, because even by college student, "I'll eat anything" standards, it's inedible.
Quality 1/5
Value 2/5
Avoid it unless you really want to fill up on soup at lunchtime.
-C
Monday, April 29, 2013
Curry on at Cardamom
Ok, so I saw the awning change on the old Famous Hamburgers spot in the Courtyard Shopping Center on Plymouth road, and thought "oh great, another restaurant doomed to failure, I can't wait to be constantly disappointed by it or think it's just meh (like Saica and Lucky Kitchen, the latter of which I order often because of price/consistancy)." Then I saw it was called Cardamom: Fresh Indian. Great, another mediocre-to-good Indian restaurant in an area where it's doomed to fail. It hadn't opened yet, and on Sunday, my fellow diner and I decided to check it out.
I was feeling Chinese, but something classier than take-out. He was like "let's get Indian at this new place, come on dude..." I was kicking and screaming against it all the way to the door, and I was the one driving. We get out and walk in the door to happen upon the most fragrant scent I've ever experienced at a restaurant. Gone are the white and red booths and extremely bright diner lights, and in with a new sleek upholstery on the booths and real, honest to Hoyle tables and chairs. The lighting was on a dimmer switch, and this place felt like they kicked up the class. I felt underdressed in my hockey jersey and jeans, but would go back in such attire because of how open the servers made me feel.
We ask for a table for 2, at 8:00 on a Sunday night. We waited 15 minutes for a table, and every single seat in this 20 table restaurant was filled. There were 4-5 parties behind us, pushing out the door. The striking part of our experience was then the menu. For such a small place, they had an extensive classic and original Indian menu. We each got a unique curry, and got it spicy, and witnessed what the tables next to us (almost in our laps... it is a little cramped in there. They have a patio, but it was raining that day pretty hard) had taken to them. I also ordered an unsweetened iced tea.
The tea took a half an hour to get to me, but trust me when I say the wait is worth it. They use Sri Lanken black tea for their iced tea, and it was better than most hot tea I've had in this town. My friend tried it, and we both agreed it was hands-down the best iced tea we've had in Ann Arbor. About a half an hour later and observations of the other tables' food being brought one at a time, and we had our food.
I am harsh about service, and service is one of my main criteria when I'm dining at a restaurant I've never eaten at before. That being said, when I say that the service time was forgiven, I do not say that lightly. I worked through the Mani soft open, and the ONLY leeway I give to a restaurant on service times from the kitchen is when a place is just opening for their first couple weeks. We counted (because the kitchen is open like a burger place/diner) the tickets, and there were 9 ahead of us. Our waiter informed us later in the meal that it was their third day open.
We ordered two curries to share, and the Chicken Momos. They were out of the Momos because they only prepped for 3 restaurant turnovers. We were apparently part of a harsh fourth turn, which is INSANE considering the location and size of this place, as well as the lack of advertising. The curries we ordered were the Lamb Saag and the Karahi Goat. They were served with basmati rice, and bread portions are an extra charge. The Lamb Saag was made with fresh spinich and tomatoes, curry spices, and a touch of yogurt (which added to the flavor but didn't ruin the texture like most yogurt in curry does). The Karahi Goat was described as the "dish that made my father-in-law love goat." It was unique for sure for someone who had never had goat, and it was made with cardamom, curry spices, fresh tomatoes, onions, mint, cloves and ginger.
We waited almost an hour total for our food, and upon seeing other dishes like the Tikka Masala and a rice dish native to Andhra Pradesh called Biryani, as well as tasting our food, we decided that not only was the wait worth it, but it changed our perspective on Indian food. Once before I've had food that has ruined all other food of the same type for me, and that's the Calimari at Mani, and there's even a secret pizza named after me. This curry was so delightfully spicy and perfectly cooked that it blew away everything I've had in Ann Arbor before. The spice was outstanding on how hot it was without making you lurch for the water. The vegetables and meat, goat and lamb, were fresher than anything that I've had almost anywhere in the state of Michigan. I felt insulted by every other Indian restaurant that served me "Indian food" before coming to Cardamom. Every bite was a treat, and we almost licked the serving plates clean.
Then the waiter came by and dropped the check. They don't serve alcohol (yet? maybe ever, knowing how hard it is to get a license in this town), and he struck my iced tea off the bill because of how long it took to get us our food. It was $15/person plus tip, a steal for food of this quality. I can not recommend this restaurant enough. I believe that the quote was "if all the other Indian restaurants in this town were to disappear tomorrow, nothing of value would have been lost." And I like Raja Rani and Shalimar. Then, upon researching the owner, he used to be the chef at Shalimar, named Binod Dhakal.
This is where I say drop everything. Go, go now. It's on north campus and sucks to get to if you don't have a car, but it's worth the trip. I told my friend "I'm glad you twisted my arm into coming here." Support them, because a long non-student season is coming up for the next four months, and they're in their infancy. The menu is extensive, and I'll be back to sample everything on it because my new apartment is walking distance from it. I don't say that lightly, but this place was great.
Quality: 6/5
Value: 6/5
Seriously, it's that good, and it will change you on Indian food, even if you don't care for it as a genre.
-C
Cardamom: Fresh Indian
1739 Plymouth Road
Courtyard Shops
Ann Arbor, MI
I was feeling Chinese, but something classier than take-out. He was like "let's get Indian at this new place, come on dude..." I was kicking and screaming against it all the way to the door, and I was the one driving. We get out and walk in the door to happen upon the most fragrant scent I've ever experienced at a restaurant. Gone are the white and red booths and extremely bright diner lights, and in with a new sleek upholstery on the booths and real, honest to Hoyle tables and chairs. The lighting was on a dimmer switch, and this place felt like they kicked up the class. I felt underdressed in my hockey jersey and jeans, but would go back in such attire because of how open the servers made me feel.
We ask for a table for 2, at 8:00 on a Sunday night. We waited 15 minutes for a table, and every single seat in this 20 table restaurant was filled. There were 4-5 parties behind us, pushing out the door. The striking part of our experience was then the menu. For such a small place, they had an extensive classic and original Indian menu. We each got a unique curry, and got it spicy, and witnessed what the tables next to us (almost in our laps... it is a little cramped in there. They have a patio, but it was raining that day pretty hard) had taken to them. I also ordered an unsweetened iced tea.
The tea took a half an hour to get to me, but trust me when I say the wait is worth it. They use Sri Lanken black tea for their iced tea, and it was better than most hot tea I've had in this town. My friend tried it, and we both agreed it was hands-down the best iced tea we've had in Ann Arbor. About a half an hour later and observations of the other tables' food being brought one at a time, and we had our food.
I am harsh about service, and service is one of my main criteria when I'm dining at a restaurant I've never eaten at before. That being said, when I say that the service time was forgiven, I do not say that lightly. I worked through the Mani soft open, and the ONLY leeway I give to a restaurant on service times from the kitchen is when a place is just opening for their first couple weeks. We counted (because the kitchen is open like a burger place/diner) the tickets, and there were 9 ahead of us. Our waiter informed us later in the meal that it was their third day open.
We ordered two curries to share, and the Chicken Momos. They were out of the Momos because they only prepped for 3 restaurant turnovers. We were apparently part of a harsh fourth turn, which is INSANE considering the location and size of this place, as well as the lack of advertising. The curries we ordered were the Lamb Saag and the Karahi Goat. They were served with basmati rice, and bread portions are an extra charge. The Lamb Saag was made with fresh spinich and tomatoes, curry spices, and a touch of yogurt (which added to the flavor but didn't ruin the texture like most yogurt in curry does). The Karahi Goat was described as the "dish that made my father-in-law love goat." It was unique for sure for someone who had never had goat, and it was made with cardamom, curry spices, fresh tomatoes, onions, mint, cloves and ginger.
We waited almost an hour total for our food, and upon seeing other dishes like the Tikka Masala and a rice dish native to Andhra Pradesh called Biryani, as well as tasting our food, we decided that not only was the wait worth it, but it changed our perspective on Indian food. Once before I've had food that has ruined all other food of the same type for me, and that's the Calimari at Mani, and there's even a secret pizza named after me. This curry was so delightfully spicy and perfectly cooked that it blew away everything I've had in Ann Arbor before. The spice was outstanding on how hot it was without making you lurch for the water. The vegetables and meat, goat and lamb, were fresher than anything that I've had almost anywhere in the state of Michigan. I felt insulted by every other Indian restaurant that served me "Indian food" before coming to Cardamom. Every bite was a treat, and we almost licked the serving plates clean.
Then the waiter came by and dropped the check. They don't serve alcohol (yet? maybe ever, knowing how hard it is to get a license in this town), and he struck my iced tea off the bill because of how long it took to get us our food. It was $15/person plus tip, a steal for food of this quality. I can not recommend this restaurant enough. I believe that the quote was "if all the other Indian restaurants in this town were to disappear tomorrow, nothing of value would have been lost." And I like Raja Rani and Shalimar. Then, upon researching the owner, he used to be the chef at Shalimar, named Binod Dhakal.
This is where I say drop everything. Go, go now. It's on north campus and sucks to get to if you don't have a car, but it's worth the trip. I told my friend "I'm glad you twisted my arm into coming here." Support them, because a long non-student season is coming up for the next four months, and they're in their infancy. The menu is extensive, and I'll be back to sample everything on it because my new apartment is walking distance from it. I don't say that lightly, but this place was great.
Quality: 6/5
Value: 6/5
Seriously, it's that good, and it will change you on Indian food, even if you don't care for it as a genre.
-C
Cardamom: Fresh Indian
1739 Plymouth Road
Courtyard Shops
Ann Arbor, MI
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