Sushi House - 22030 Farmington Rd, Farmington, MI, 48336 · (248) 426-0203 and Tofu House - 22042 Farmington Rd, FarmingtonMI 48336 · (248) 426-6788

Once again, I apologize for being lazy. But here's a Buy One Get One Free post...

General thoughts for Sushi House - Sushi House has been around since around 2001. Back in the day, they used to have a $10 per month membership where you can buy sushi at $1 a piece off their $1 menu. These aren't the leftover pieces or something you should be paying $1 anyway, these are normal size, high quality sushi. They still have the same thing today, it's just $25 instead of $10. Here's the Dollar Menu. Clearly, they're doing something right, because Sushi House had expanded to invade the next space over, doubling its size from what it started with in 2001. They have created a long list of very innovative rolls. Here's the full menu. 

Foods tried -House Special Bento Box (at lunch and dinner) - The dinner box is shown. I've also had a few other things there, but this is basically what I go there for.

Thoughts - 

1. Look at the size of that meal!!! I've had this multiple times, not once could I finish it. Couldn't finish the lunch portion either. For one thing, you can't beat the presentation. The Yakitori (basically pieces on a stick) was tender and not drowned in the sweet sauce, the Gyoza clearly just came off the frying pan, the Tempura is fresh and not overly battered, the Salmon and Tuna sashimi are also of the right texture and color. Fresh tuna is supposed to be dark red, fresh salmon is supposed to be bright orange. Check and Check. There's absolutely nothing bad I can say about the quality of the food, I "almost" kinda wish the portion was a hair smaller so I can actually finish it all at once and don't have to bring any leftovers home. Honestly, what all in this box can reheat well? Anything fried becomes soggy, any meat will become overdone, sushi/sashimi won't be raw. So, I usually finish the box, but not without complaining about how amazingly full I am and I need to be wheeled out of there in a chair or something cause walking becomes tough after their House Special Box.

Final thoughts - I'm really proud of what Sushi House has become. The restaurant is successful enough to expand into 2 spaces, the quality of food didn't suffer in anyway, they even offer sushi making classes. I like that you can also do online order for take out.  Sushi House takes pictures of patrons and put them on their walls (on their website these days). I know my friends and I have made it on the wall before, but who knows if that picture is still around somewhere. I think my ranting and raving about just that 1 dinner item alone indicates that I will certainly be back (when I need to cheat on my diet a little (a lot).) I absolutely recommend it to anyone that enjoys Japanese food.

**********************************************************************************Tofu House - see beginning of post for the front of the restaurant. Here's the inside - 

General Thoughts - Tofu House opened in the summer or fall of 2011, by the same owners of Sushi House, serving Korean food. You can also order food off the Sushi House menu as well since they're right next door. I'm pretty dang sure this was the original Sushi House space, but I'm not 100% positive. The menu isn't extensive, but again, one menu item keeps bringing me back when I need some comfort food.

Foods tried - Soon Du Bu - 

Thoughts - For $9.95, in true Sushi (Tofu) House style, you get an obscene amount of food. You can get it mild, medium, and spicy. You have 4 options for what goes with the tofu - beef, kimchee pork, seafood, or mixed. I myself always get the Mixed Spicy.

This whole thing is an experience. First of, you sit down to a hot cup of wheat/barley tea and they leave the pitcher. Then they bring out 2 pieces of silken tofu in soy sauce (center left, hiding behind the entree stone pot) as an appetizer, and 4 side dishes - broccoli, tofu skin (both non-spicy), kimchee, pickled radish (both spicy). After about 15 minutes, they roll out this cart with the rest of the meal - a fried fish, a stone bowl of rice, and the boiling hot stone bowl of the Mixed Spicy dish. The Mixed Spicy consists of squash, lettuce, scallions, clam, squid, oyster, beef, and pork in my choice of the super spicy broth. The yellow thing in the entree is a raw egg. I love egg and it's part of the experience, so why not? They scoop out the rice for you in the small bowl, and they leave the original stone bowl the rice came in at your table for later (see the white spoon in a metal bowl at the upper right corner). I'm not kidding when I say the entree is boiling hot like a witch's cauldron. After about 15 minutes, the server comes back over, takes the pitcher of tea already at your table and pours it into the stone bowl of leftover rice. It sizzles for awhile, and then the rice that was stuck to the bowl gets scraped off and you get served with a rice soup. Talk about an experience.

Final thoughts - I friggin' love the Soon Du Bu, definitely on par with (and probably more than) the House Special Bento Box. I will be happy to bring anyone that wants to go. I'll never forget the Soon Du Bu, this sets the bar very high for all the other Soon Du Bu's I'll try in my lifetime. I have yet to find one that's comparable.

East Egg - 6907 Sears Dr · Portage · (269) 366-4344

Wow, it's been a year and a day since my last post. Good Lord, I'm lazy. Since the last post back on September 21, 2010, I've gone back to Zehnder's in Frankenmuth for their fried chicken (although I'm still debating on whether I like their fried chicken or Bavarian Inn's fried chicken more). I also spent almost a week in South Beach between Christmas and New Years Eve of 2010, ate at the Whitney in downtown Detroit (twice), spent about 5 days in New Orleans at the New Orleans Jazz Fest, etc. Essentially, I ate my way through the last 12 months. Oh well, what's done is done. Hopefully I'll be more diligent with this from now on. No promises though. Lol. Oh, there is one thing I absolutely have to mention. The fresh oysters that are shucked 3 minutes before they hit your plate in New Orleans are simply amazing. There is no other way to describe it. I can't find anything of that caliber up here in the Midwest. Guess I'll just have to go back.

So...

General Thoughts - I heard about this East Egg place from my boyfriend's mom. Based on her descriptions of the restaurant, it sounded like it was the perfect place to be on Labor Day. When we got there, the place was packed, we ended up waiting for at least half an hour when they told us 10 minutes. We were told we had to wait that long because the tables are generally 4 tops, to add an extra person is a fire hazard. So seeing there were only 2 tables in the whole place that could accommodate more than 4 people, we had no choice but to wait. Half an hour later, we were seated. Here is the menu -

Foods tried - Cinnamon donut holes, Blackened Salmon Benedict

Thoughts -

1. Cinnamon donut holes - I think the waitress felt bad for us, so she brought enough donut holes for the table. I don't know if that is enough to make up for all the pain we had to go through to get that table, but it was a good start. They were fresh out of the fryer, still glistening with oil, hard to pick up because of the temp, but so very delicious. If they served hot cider, I wouldn't need anything else. Who cares about the rest of the stuff on the menu if East Egg served cinnamon donut holes with hot cider? Bam! Winning!

2. Blackened Salmon Benedict - You don't usually find this on the menu at a standard brunch place, and it came highly recommended by the server. I was sold. Check this out, how can you resist?

The eggs were poached perfectly, the seasoning on the blackened salmon wasn't overpowering everything else on the plate, and the hollandaise was just right, not too watery, not too thick. It was very obvious the hash browns was cooked with a lot of butter, but no complaints here. I could've gotten grits instead, but I simply can't turn down potatoes.

Final thoughts - Was my meal Very Yummy in my Tummy? Yes. If I was 7, I would've held the plate to my face and licked the plate clean. I was so full, I passed out in the car on the way home due to food coma. There was no fighting it. Will I come back? Heck yeah. But I think the next time we'll have to go at 8:39am to make sure we can grab a seat right away. Clearly, 12pm wasn't the best choice.

p.s. Maybe I should pretend I "relatively" kept up with this blog over the last 12 months and recreate the what would've been my string of New Orleans blogposts based on what I remember, and lump everything into one since some of the details have now escaped me.

Carter's Restaurants - 22990 Outer Dr, Dearborn, MI 48124 - (313) 277-9033

General thoughts - I love these types of restaurants where it's all counter seating. The whole building, inside and out, is white.You know everyone that works there and they know you. There are always the regulars that are there every morning by 8am and do not leave until almost 11am. There's something comforting about walking in and seeing the same people. Carter's used to be a chain but are now individually owned and operated. The first picture is the outisde. As you can see, the window has the sign for cheap (and yummy) burgers. The second and third pictures show the interior.

Foods tried - Breakfast Special, Cheese omelette, Fried egg sandwich, Cheeseburger, Fries, Boston cooler, Strawberry malt

Thoughts -

1. Breakfast Special - It is only available until 11am, and at $3.25, you can't beat the price for what you get - 2 eggs any style, hash browns, 2 slices of bacon, 2 slices of buttered toast. With a nice hot cup of coffee, you can't ask for a better start for your day. I guess this is one of those seemingly foolproof meals that any diner makes, but maybe it's the taste left on the grill from years of cooking on it that makes this Breakfast Special better than the others. I've been to places where the hash browns aren't cooked through, and this place definitely knows how to cook a breakfast properly (if that made sense at all). As you can see from the picture, it's actually a "reenactment" of what it actually looks like. The spots on my knife isn't junk leftover from the previous user of the knife but from me taking a couple bites of the food before I remembered to take the picture. And you can see I also "rearranged" the toast so the piece that I already ate half of is in the bottom. I would think that's a excellent proof that it's very delicious.

2. Cheese omelette - Another yummy offering from Carter's. This time I remembered to take the picture before I started to eat it. I also enjoyed this a lot because the eggs are not rubbery like some omelettes can be. Omelettes seem easy to make but it is an art and I cannot tell you how many times I've tried and failed. As you can see, it also comes with hash browns, 2 slices of bacon, and buttered toast. The bacon is well done and brittle to the touch like I asked for it. It's just my preference.

3. Fried egg sandwich - One day I decided to be adventurous and I thought I'd try something new just for once. The fried egg sandwich, however, doesn't come with bacon. It is exactly what it is, fried egg in between 2 slices of extra heavily buttered toast. I did order bacon separately that time so i can make a bacon and fried egg sandwich. I love when the eggs are cooked over easy because of the taste of the toast and egg yolks together when the yolk breaks. There's just something deliciously satisfying about that.

4. Cheeseburger - I think the cheeseburger is pretty good for the price. The patty isn't the biggest, but it is cooked right. Topped with some grilled onion (you have to ask for it), it's actually quite yummy. Being the experienced cooks that they are, of course all the burgers are cooked to order. If you order it deluxe, it come with fries and coleslaw.

5. Fries - Carter's serve skinny fries. You would think it's easier to burn those becaue they're so thin but they make some dang good fries - Crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside. It's not expensive and you get a healthy portion of it.

6. Boston cooler - This is one of the easiest drinks to make and yet I've never had it until I was 28 years old. It is literally a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream topped with Vernor's (similar to a root beer float). I've had it with regular and diet Vernor's and they both taste good. It is an awesome summer drink. The simplicity of this drink makes me smile. :-)

7. Strawberry malt - This is the reason you go to a place such as Carter's. Although these have become more common over the years and served in various chain restaurants, the ones that come from soda fountain shops like Carter's just seem to taste better. Maybe because of the nostalga factor? Either way, they're served in the very recognizable cone shaped glasses and you are given the leftovers. Love it!

Final thoughts - Was it Very Yummy in My Tummy? Yes. Will I be coming back? The short answer is yes. The long answer is that this is one of those restaurants I like coming back to again and again because the food is good and it's something I don't want to see go away. It is an institution to the area. This restaurant has been there for well over 50 years, I would love for it to be here for another 50.

Sanka Tei - 39520 West 14 Mile Road Commerce Twp, MI 48390-3908 - (248) 960-3363

General thoughts - I found Sanka Tei from when I decided to drive around where I work to see where I can grab lunch from. This place is about as non-descript as it gets. Even though they have a few tables, all its foods are served in toss away plastic or styrofoam containers. Based on its take out menu, other than the restaurant's name, the next biggest words are "Take Out Sushi" so it should come as no surprise the containers are all disposable. There are 2 people running the restaurant, 1 makes the sushi/takes orders, and the other is the chef. I'm guessing they're a couple. It's not a very big place, but for a place this size the menu selection is quite good.

Foods tasted - Curry rice with breaded pork, spicy tuna roll, spicy yellowtail roll, Katsu don, Kakiage udon

Thoughts -

1. Curry rice with breaded pork - It's very good. I like that the curry is very thick. Some places has very watery curry and that's flat out gross. The breaded pork wasn't tough and the breading isn't burnt. It has pieces of carrots and potatoes in it.

2. Spicy tuna roll - I just wanted to test something simple since I've never been there before. The fish was fresh, but my favorite part is that instead of the usual spicy mayonnaise (which add tons of calories), the spiciness comes from hot sauce poured directly onto the rice.

3. Kakiage udon - It's udon with vegetable tempura, seaweds, and 2 pieces of fish cakes. There wasn't a large amount of tempura but it was sufficient. The bowl looks smaller than it really is so I guess it was worth the $7 I spent on it. Sanka Tei's broth is good, but I have yet to decide which Japanese restaurants (of the ones I have reviewed so far) has the best one. *I only have the stock picture here because I forgot to take pictures the last time I was there but this is pretty close to the real thing.

4. Spicy yellowtail roll - I thought I'd give some different foods a try just to see (for my now third visit). The yellowtail is also fresh and the hot sauce was also poured onto the rice instead of the spicy mayonnaise. See above for pictures along with the spicy tuna roll.

5. Katsu don - Since the curry rice was good, I wanted to taste another dish that I often order at a Japanese restaurant (also for the third visit). It came with 2 pieces of raddish (which unfortunately I don't eat), a slice of honey dew (for dessert), and a small bunch of spaghetti noodles mixed with mayonnaise. I'm guessing it's suppose to be their version of coleslaw? Katsu don is basically a breaded pork cooked with sauted onions on top of a bed of rice with a cooked egg on top of it (I still can't figure out how they do the egg to get it to that consistency) and a sweet sauce. There's more than enough for a second meal.

Updated 9/21 - Yakisoba, Bibimbop, Squid and masago roll, Miso soup

Thoughts -

1. Yakisoba - If it's up to me, I usually get Yakisoba versus Yakiudon, which is the same stirfry dish but with fat white noodles instead of the skinner soba noodles. Yakisoba consists of pieces of cabbage, pork, carrots, and pickled red ginger stir fried in a teriyaki type sauce. I like that the noodles and the pork are not over done and the cabbage is not mushy. I also like that they put a generous amount of sauce in it, which is convenient for the reheating so that the noodles do not become dry as it is being reheated.

2. Bibimbop -  This is another knockout dish from Sanka Tei. The dish contains shiitake mushrooms, carrots, sunny side up egg, thin slices of beef, sesame oil, shreds of daikon, pickles, seaweed, and a delicious sweet and spicy sauce on top of a bed of white rice. The presentation is great for a takeout dish like this. I also love that this sauce is spicy in addition to being sweet, which is what most restaurants serve alongside their bibimbop. This is one of those dishes where you pretty much have to mix everything together, egg yolks, sauce, and all in order to fully enjoy it. It does come with a side of miso soup. It's too bad that since this restaurant is mostly a takeout restaurant that they do not serve Dolsot bibimbop (bibimbop in a burning hot stone bowl). The difference besides the burning hot stone bowl is the bits of rice that are deliberately burnt from being in the bowl. It adds additional texture and taste to a bibimbop that you otherwise wouldn't have. I definitely would order this again.

3.  Squid and masago (smelt roe) roll - This simple roll is only $3.25! The quality of both the sqauid and masago are great. It is a great alternative to the spicy tuna or spicy yellowtail roll. This roll made me want to order more squid nigiri (individual sushi pieces) the next time I eat at a Japanese restaurant.

4. Miso soup - I love the simplicity of miso soup - broth, miso paste, seaweed, cubes of tofu, scallions. I love the salty taste of the miso soup, the softness of the tofu, the taste and texture of the seaweed and the scallions. Fortunately, this is one of those soups that every Japanese restaurant can make correctly.

Final thoughts - Was it Very Yummy In My Tummy? I like it more and more each time I get food from there. Will I go back? I would, especially when I'm craving rice/noodles at work since it's only a mile away. I don't know if I would drive from home for it. I think they're starting to recognize me as they threw in a spicy tuna roll for free today. Score! As with other restaurants, I'll update with more pictures as I go back.

Union Street - 4145 Woodward Ave. Detroit MI 48226 - Phone: (313) 831-3965

General thoughts - I've been there many times and have never had a bad meal there, I honestly don't know if it's even possible. The best thing about going the night we did was that they served $5 martinis and $5 appetizers. The atmosphere is very cozy, awesome place to go for a night on the town. And unlike a bunch of other restaurants in Detroit, this one does open on Monday nights.

Foods tasted - Mac & Cheese w/ Wings, Lobster and shrimp Casino, Blackened (Tilapia?) with Jambalaya

Thoughts -

1. Mac & Cheese w/ Wings - This was one of the $5 appetizers. Honestly, 2 orders of this and I would've been a perfectly happy camper. Their wings were not those scrawny little things and the mac & cheese was delicious and not over done where the cheese starts breaking down. Like the apptizer "menu" says, it came with a lemon tequila BBQ sauce. Couldn't quite taste the tequila or lemon distinctly, but the bottom line is that those 2 elements made normal BBQ sauce that much better.

2. Lobster and shrimp Casino - I honestly don't think I found any actual pieces of lobster, but it does come with a lot of shrimp. Perhaps they used the lobster in form of a lobster broth to cook the pasta in? I don't know, but either way, it was THAT good. I love cooking but there's no way I can imitate that. It had a lot of shitake mushrooms and garlic in it, that's for sure. The sauce was very buttery. It was well worth every penny.

3. Blackened (Tilapia?) with Jambalaya - This one isn't on the regular menu, it was a Chef's Special. It's not even on the website's menu anymore. There was a good amount of blackening seasoning on the fish, and the rest of the components in the jambalaya was very good as well. I'm a person that loves salt, but quite honestly, this dish was a bit too salty even for me. I'm sure for someone out there, it's just right.

Final thoughts - Was it Very Yummy In My Tummy? Yes. Will I go back? For sure. I really like the feel of the place. It's a great place to go before a Detroit Symphony Orchestra concert because it's right down the street. It's slightly dark in the restaurant, but not in a bad way at all. It's a great date place. As always, I'll put more pictures on this the next time I go.

O'Sushi Japanese Restaurant - 22431 Michigan Ave, Dearborn, MI (313) 562-4166

Again, no picture. If you Google map it, it still shows the old gelato place that was there before O'Sushi.

General thoughts - I've been there at least a hundred times and I always leave very satisfied. It is at a great location with an attached parking lot, whereas their competition (less than 2 blocks away) is at the corner of a big street but the parking situation is hideous. O'Sushi is known for their very innovative an appetizing rolls. They of course have the standards - Spicy tuna, Philadelphia, Spider, etc. But it also has a lot to choose from that is far from the ordinary. They has an O'Sushi roll that is wrapped in cucumber slices instead of your standard seaweed, they have a White Christmas roll that is baked and is top is treated with a blowtorch. The possibilities are endless. They also have the standard udon, teriyaki, tempura, and even some Korean dishes which are really yummy as well.

Foods tasted - Unagi Nigiri (eel sushi), Chicago roll (has multiple kinds of fish in it), Spicy scallop roll, Philadelphia roll, Yum yum roll (deep fried and has avocado, cream cheese and other things in it), Tempura udon.

Update on 9/8 - here's a picture of all the rolls + nigiri minus the yum yum roll (will add it the next time I eat it) From top to bottom - Chicago roll, Philadelphia roll, tuna avacado roll, salmon roe nigiri, unagi nigiri, salmon nigiri

Thoughts

1. Philadelphia roll - I like that it is made with raw salmon instead of smoked salmon like other places does. Not that it's expensive to begin with, but the raw fish makes it worth the cost. Since it's made with the same salmon that they use in the nigiri, needless to say the salmon in this roll is very fresh.

2. Tuna avacado roll - We were just looking for something simple, and since neither of us are crazy about cucumbers, this is perfect. The tuna is blood red (which indicates freshness) as I would expect from O'Sushi and the avacado is also fresh.

3. Salmon roe nigiri - This is one of my favorites. I know it sounds kind of cruel that I feel like I'm eating Nemo's cousins, but strangely I like that fishy salty taste. As with "grown" salmon, the eggs are suppose to be bright orange (which they were). O'Sushi is also pretty generous with the amount of salmon roe it puts into the salmon roe nigiri which I like a lot.

4. Salmon nigiri - I know I'm totally just rehashing this, but I cannot stress enough how fresh this restaurants' fish are. I know this is just a piece of salmon and rice, but bad sushi really does leave a bad taste in your mouth. This one is far from it.

Thoughts -

1. Unagi Nigiri - John and I both love the eel sushi with the sweet sauce on top. The eel is cooked and delicious. There's really no need to dip in the soy sauce, but I love soy sauce. And of course with lots of wasabi.

2. Chicago roll - It's a great value for $9.95. 4 types of fish inside seaweed and rice into 8 pieces. The chefs do not skimp on the fish, and each fish taste really fresh - which is the key for all sushi. There's no fancy sauce or anything that's on top on it or in it, it's a roll that is for people looking to fully enjoy the raw fish and nothing else. It is one of our new favorites.

3. Spicy scallop roll - It's an 8 piece roll with fresh scallops mixed with masago (smelt roe), topped with a spicy mayo. It has a nice little kick to it, I like it. It's always nice to be able to have something as simple as spicy scallop that features 1 item to go with the fancy Chicago roll that has everything but the kitchen sink in it.

4. Yum yum roll - It looked interesting so we had to try it. It happens to be on sale as well, so that never hurts. The deep frying had melted the cream cheese a bit and it made it sweeter than when it's cold, so that's a pleasant surprise. It does have avocado in it and it was fresh (not mushy).

5. Tempura udon - This is one of my all time favorites. It's a large bowl of noodles in a hot broth with 2 tempura battered fried shrimps and 2 slices of tempura battered yams. SOOO GOOD! I especially love this dish in the winter when it's freezing outside it really warms me up. They give you a red pepper flakes type season to go with it in case you like the broth spicy. I like it when the shrimps and yam have been sitting in the soup for awhile and the batter starts to break off. The batter carries a little bit of taste from the shrimps and yam which seasons the noodles. However, I think the next time I go, I'm going to tell them to put the tempura stuff on the side because I want to have the option of eating them while crunchy if I happen to be in the mood for it. But I order this every time I go almost without fail.

Final thoughts - Yummy In My Tummy? For sure. If it wasn't, I wouldn't keep going back. Their staff is super friendly and they know me by name and vice versa. They do have a liquor license, so I suppose if you want to drink a JD while eating sushi, you can (although I don't recommend it). They do have sake. Once again, I passed out after the huge meal. Surprise surprise!

Ajishin - 42270 Grand River Avenue Novi, MI 48375-1836 - (248) 380-9850

General thoughts - I go to Ajishin mostly for 1 thing because it's just that good. It's weird the only day they're closed is on Tuesdays. It's a very small restaurant with less than 50 seats so there's always a wait. Unless it moves to another location it can't really expand because it's at the end of a strip mall. If you're into manga (Japanese comic books), they have plenty for you to read while you wait.

Foods tasted - Ajishin udon, salmon avacado roll

Thoughts -

1. Ajishin udon - The reason I keep coming back to this is because not only is it economical (less than $8) but the portion is huge. In addition to the noodles, it has half of a hard boiled egg, crab meat stick, seaweeds, some tempura crumbs, scallions. I love the broth at Ajishin, it's hard to describe it but you can tell it didn't come from a pack of soup mix.

2. Salmon avacado roll - The most important thing to check for when eating sushi of course is the freshness of the fish and in this case avacado. The salmon was bright orange (indicating freshness), and the avacado wasn't brown (if it's been sitting out for a long time). The sushi chef is working nonstop, so obviously Ajishin is doing something right. :-)

Final thoughts - Was it Very Yummy In My Tummy? Of course, that's why I keep going back. Will I go back? See previous sentence. Most of the time there's a short wait, but since I usually go alone I can walk right up to the sushi bar and sit right down and get served right away.

Pictures

Per my readers' request, I have started to post pictures of the foods I tasted as I go back to these restaurants. So today I've updated the O'Sushi post with pictures of various yummy foods. I'll put whichever post I update on top so you can find it easily. I'll put in a new post when I add more pictures so you'll know where to look. :-)

Priya Restaurant & Bar - 36600 Grand River Avenue, Farmington, MI 48335-2916 - (248) 615-7700

General Thoughts - This restaurant came at a high recommendation from John's Indian coworkers. They said this restaurant is better than Ashoka in Canton, so we had no choice but to try it out. It's on Grand River Ave right in the heart of the Farmington Hills/Novi area where a lot of restaurants are. Here's their menu. The restaurant is really big, it even has a second level. The decorations are really nice, and provides a good ambiance. But since we went on a weeknight it was really quiet. There were only a few more tables other than us. While I was hoping to try something slightly different, my main reason to be here is to compare its food to Ashoka's food.

Foods tasted - Mango lassi, Vegetable Samosa, Gosht (lamb) Vindaloo

Thoughts -

1. Mango lassi - Honestly, not much to compare here. I ordered it because mango is my favorite fruit. It's a mango smoothie, it's hard to mess it up. The only way this would be a "bad" lassi is if the mango wasn't fresh.

2. Vegetable Samosa - These samosas were as good as Ashoka's. There was nothing about it so spectacular that would make me choose the samosa at Priya over the ones at Ashoka.

3. Gosht (lamb) Vindaloo - This is where I decided to stray from the one dish I've become very familiar with (Lamb Koorma). There's nothing about this dish I didn't love - spiciness, potatoes, lamb, vinegar. I knew this was going to be a winner. The portion is very similar in size to the same dish at Ashoka. The lamb was tender and the potatoes were cooked through. I will say that Lamb Koorma now has a contender the next time I sit down in front of an Indian restaurant's menu.

Final thoughts - Was it Very Yummy In My Tummy? Yes. Will I go back? Honestly, living where I live, and seeing that I didn't honestly find something so spectacular that I would specifically return for, I'll probably end up at Ashoka more often simply because of distance and time to get there. Perhaps we ordered the really common Americanized Indian dishes and that's why I didn't think there was anything super special. But it's definitely worth a try.

Taqueria Mi Pueblo - 7278 Dix Street, Detroit, MI 48209-1204 - (313) 841-3315

General thoughts - There is something to be said about a Mexican restaurant that has decided to operate in an area of Detroit that's heavily populated with Mexicans instead of situating itself in Mexicantown. It definitely isn't situated in the best part of Detroit, but it is totally worth the drive. As with any ethnic restaurants, I spend a couple of minutes observing the people that work there and the people that eat there to get an idea of how good it is before I even order. I knew I was in the right place when I noticed the wait staff barely spoke English and 95% of the people eating there are not speaking English. I wish they had an online menu because it's huge. I go there and eat the same thing every time because I don't go there often but they serve all sorts of other things too for the regulars. The restaurant is painted in very festively bright colors. I heard colors like red and orange is suppose to promote a good appetite, works for me every time. :-)

Foods tasted - Chips and salsa, Horchata, Burrito dinner with fried pork and beef tongue (comes with refried beans and rice)

Thoughts -

1. Chips and salsa - As soon as you sit down the staff will give you a basket of chips with 2 salsas - one mild, one medium. The chips are clearly fresh and haven't been sitting under a lamp all day. The salsas always taste fresh. I love spicy food so I basically only eat the spicy salsa, but both are good in terms of flavor. The salsa also goes great on whatever else you order.

2. Horchata - This is such a delicious and simple drink. Horchatas in general are made with rice water, condensed milk, cinnamon, sugar at the least. I know there are plenty of recipes that are much more complicated but that's a simple version of it. It's thirst quenching and refreshing next to the generally heavy Mexican food. There's nothing like it. It's just THAT good.

3. Burrito dinner - It comes with 3 healthy sized burritos along with a heavy amount of refried beans and rice. There were other options for meat such as beef or chicken, but it's not everyday I get to voluntarily choose to eat fried pork and beef tongue, so why not? The fried pork is slightly tough in my opinion. But then again, it's hard to not think the fried pork is tough when the beef tongue is so tender. Also, I'm probably mentally comparing it with the fried pork Chinese people serve, which is generally more tender as well because for the most part the skin is the actual deep fried part. Beef tongue sounds gross but it really is good. There's no gamey taste or anything weird like that. The texture is very different from other parts of the cow such as tendon or tripe or liver. It's basically really tender beef that happens to be really tasty. I usually can't finish the 3 burritos and rice and beans, so I usually have leftovers. At less than $8 a plate, it's a steal. The rice seemed a little overdone and slightly underseasoned this time but other times it's really good. I've never been a big fan of refried beans so other than saying it's beans and it was refried, I have nothing else.

Final thoughts - Was it Very Yummy In My Tummy? You bet. Will I go back? Can't wait. I get a nagging craving for good Mexican food about once a month or so and that is the only local Mexican restaurant I'd want to go to. Taco Bell just doesn't cut it no matter how you look at it.