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.

Talley's Log Cabin Bar - 2981 County Rd 612, Lewiston, MI, 49756 - (989) 786-2011

General thoughts - Owned by my friend's aunt and uncle, Talley's is the place to be if you're near the Atlanta/Lewiston, MI area. It's busy all year around. People come to the bar by car or by snowmobile. Its cozy atmosphere makes you feel right at home. It's too bad this wasn't on the GQ's top 20 burgers to try before you die, what do they know anyways? Their burgers are damn good and I will gladly place this as one of the top 3 burgers in the state.

Foods tasted - Chili, Talley burger with cheese (medium rare), seasoned potato wedges with ranch dressing

Thoughts -

1. Chili - That chili was excellent. It was exactly what I needed to warm up from tubing down a river during heavy downpour. The spiciness was just right. It wasn't too mild but not offensively spicy. I usually don't like chili that has beans in it but this one is pretty dang good. It's nice and thick, and has a good amount of meat in each cup. I can easily eat bowls of this with bread. Yum.

2. Talley burger with cheese (medium rare) - Like I said, this is on my top 3 (I can't specify which of the top 3 a Talley burger places though). The meat was fresh, and the burger definitely juicy. The melted American cheese makes it twice as good. It's really hard to describe why a burger is superior over another, but you just know it when you bite into a quality burger.

3. Seasoned potato wedges with ranch dressing - If you must compare them to something more relateable, I guess they would be similar to the potato wedges you'd get at Buffalo Wild Wings. These wedges are definitely a good alternative to fries. They are always fresh off the fryer, and the ranch dressing makes them that much better. Talley's is never skimpy with the portions either, which is great for a potato lover like me.

Final thoughts - Was it Very Yummy In My Tummy? Yes. Would I go back again? The next time I go up north. If Talley's wasn't so far away I'd probably go there more often. I think Talley's need to open a second restaurant closer to southeast Michigan. Amber?

University Cafe - 621 Church Street Ann Arbor, MI 48104-3045 - (734) 662-7162

General thoughts - I've been coming here since 1998 and I've remained loyal to this place even though other similar places have popped up. Across the street from this place is Pizza House (which is also a great spot), but if U-Cafe (as it's affectionately known on campus) is open, I'll pick it over Pizza House any day. Here's the menu. The food hasn't changed much since 1998 and the food is consistently delicious. I'm going to list some of the menu items that I've tried over the years. As I go back and try new stuff I'll update this. Along with any entree, you get a bowl of rice and 4 sides - 2 spicy (kim chee (picked cabbage), picked radish), 2 non-spicy (broccoli and bean sprouts seasoned with sesame oil)

Foods tried - Yakimandu, Jam Bong, Mandu Ramen, Galbi Tang, Kah Soo Dong, Dolsot Bi Bim Bop

Thoughts -

1. Yakimandu - This is your standard potstickers and comes with your soy sauce which has chopped green onions in it.  The potstickers are made with pork. You can also order them steamed. There's 8 in an order and they are cooked just right. The skin isn't too chewy and it's definitely cooked to that lovely golden brown color. The pork is well seasoned.

2. Jam Bong - I was looking for a spicy noodle dish and I landed on this one because once in awhile I feel like seafood and this one has plenty of it. They don't kid around with this whole spicy thing. It does make me sweat, but it is so delicious. I can't promise this is a spiciness everyone can tolerate, but if you love spicy food, this is a good one. I'm sure if you asked nicely they can put it in their non-spicy broth but I've never tried so i honestly don't know if they would do it or not.

3. Mandu Ramen - This is hands down my favorite and I've gotten this for the last 15-20 times I've been there because not only is it delicious, it's almost $2 less than the other entrees. It uses the same mandu (dumplings/potstickers) as the Yakimandu. The broth is spicy as well which is perfect. The mandu is very well marinated because of the spicy broth. The ramen is cooked just right. The ramen I cook at home is like theirs about once out of 10 times. The eggs are scrambled and there are some vegetables. Since I love spicy food, I dumped all of the kim chee and picked radish in with everything else. I don't like radishes, but I wanted the spicy stuff off the pieces.

4. Galbi Tang - This is a non-spicy noodle dish. The noodles are a little different. It's thick see through rice noodles so the texture is different as well. Galbi is sliced short ribs. The meat is so tender it falls off the bone. The only reason I haven't gotten it more than once is because I discovered Mandu Ramen. If they ever add the Galbi into the Mandu Ramen, I'll probably never order anything else.

5. Kah Soo Dong - This dish is very similar to a Katsu Don at a Japanese restaurant, except this is made with strips of meat (I usually choose pork) that are not breaded. The cooking method seems to be quite similar and the eggs are around the same consistency as the Katsu Don. It's basically strips of meat sitting on top of white rice with soft scrambled eggs poured over the top + whatever sauce is used. I've asked for it to be made spicy and it was a good addition to the dish.

6. Dolsot Bi Bim Bop - This is a classic Korean dish. The difference between this is regular Bi Bim Bop is that the bowl is pre-baked so that it's incredibly hot. Then once you put in all the rice and all the other stuff in it, the rice continues to cook because of the bowl and starts sticking to the bowl. This is one of the few instances where burnt rice is a good thing. All the meats and veggies are topped with a fried egg (usually sunny side up or over easy). The whole idea of it is that you can pop the yolk and mix the yolk into the dish and add to the taste of it. A red sauce is also provided for the Bi Bim Bop. It looks spicy but it's not really spicy. I'm not quite sure what kind of sauce that is, but I know I don't see this sauce used for anything else.

Final thoughts - Was it Very Yummy In My Tummy? Oh yeah! Will I go back? You know it! Going to U Cafe is like having a Korean mom cook for you. All the ads around the restaurant are either maize and blue or in Korean. Most of the staff speaks minimal English. You order at the counter and they bring it out to you. They also pick it up at the end. I wish there was one closer to me so that O'Sushi would actually have a competition for my business. I've tried other similar restaurants that have popped up at the U of M campus over the years, but in the end their attempts at copying U Cafe's menu are futile because U Cafe has this whole Korean food thing on the lockdown.