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.

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.

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?

Miller's Bar - 23700 Michigan Ave Dearborn MI 48124 - (313) 565-2577

General thoughts - This was another one of GQ's Top 20 Burger to Try Before You Die - #8. I love that Michigan has 2 Top 20 Burgers and I live less than 5 minutes from this one. We go there about once a month (or more if we have the craving or if we have out of town guests that have never been there). The 2 things we love most about Miller's are 1. the very simple menu, and 2. your bill is based on the honor system. When you're done, you walk up to the bartender and tell him what you had and he's able to tell you exactly what you owe without a second thought.

Foods tasted - Single cheeseburger, French Fries, Onion Rings

Thoughts -

1. (Single) Cheeseburger - I love that it's served very simply and deliciously. It consists of bun, cheese, about 1/3 lb. of pure delicious meat, and bun served in wax paper. Ordering it medium rare will give you a very juicy and almost rare burger where some of the juice from the burger soaks into the bun. You can add your own ketchup, mustard, raw onions, pickles, but it just seems wrong for me to ruin a perfectly good burger so I always have it plain. Love it.

2. French fries - Being the potato snob that I am, I believe Miller's has its method of making fries down to a science and is perfect every time. I got a feeling they have been blanched before frying, and that's why it's so deliciously crunchy outside and very fluffy inside.

3. Onion rings - Since I love potatoes, I'm obviously more partial towards the fries. Don't get me wrong, these onion rings are great. I'm guessing the coating is something closer to panko bread crumbs rather than standard bread crumbs. I was taught that in order to be able to bit through an onion ring (instead of biting on it and drag out the whole piece of onion) you have to let it cool for several minutes. Seems to work.

Final thoughts - Is it very yummy in my tummy? Oh yes. Will I go back? How about next week? I love that their menu on the website looks like this - 

They have since updated their menu to include a grilled chicken sandwich, grilled cheese and if I remember correctly even a fish sandwich for those that are not into red meat. Writing this is making me crave a Miller's Burger right now. You don't go there to eat healthy, you go there to satisfy an nearly insatiable craving. If you're trying to watch your weight, I would suggest you put yourself on a water only diet for a week if you do go get a Miller's burger. It's soooo worth it.

Greektown Casino International Buffet - 555 E lafayette blvd Detroit, MI 48226 - (877) 424-5554

Sorry, no picture, but I do have the menu - Greektown Casino International Buffet menu.

General thoughts - Since my stomach can only take in so much and their menu is a rotating menu, I was obviously only able to taste so many things. Lunch for $9.99 is a pretty good price, and they let you use the Greektown Casino comps.

Foods tasted - Hand carved roast beef, Mac & Cheese, mashed potatoes, fried chicken wings, potstickers, wonton soup, lo mein, spaghetti with sauce.

Thoughts -

1. Hand carved roast beef - It was pretty good. Not too dry or overdone.

2. Mac & cheese - Also pretty good, nothing overly spectacular.

3. Mashed potatoes - I'm not 100% sure if that was box or the real thing, but it was pretty good for a buffet.

4. fried chicken wings - I didn't really want the commitment of the fried chicken so the wings are a good substitute. They're also pretty good, and they are cooked through.

5. Potstickers - Seeing that I make Chinese dumplings (basically potstickers that you cook in a broth instead of pan fry), I still think these potstickers are delicious and well done. The skin was browned properly and the inside was cooked through. I was afraid the skin was going to be gummy because of unnecessary moisture, but they weren't gummy at all.

6. Wonton soup - The "wonton" in the soup is the same as the potstickers which is great because I don't like wonton soups that are just skin or maybe with a dab of meat. Whoopie doo. So this one is great. The broth was your standard chicken broth but it wasn't too salty. I did go back for seconds.

7. Lo Mein - It was a bit cold. You can tell it's been sitting there in its oil for awhile. But ignoring the temperature of the dish, it was pretty good for a mass produced dish.

8. Spaghetti with sauce - It was a bit cold as well. But flavor-wise, it was pretty good.

Final thoughts - Very Yummy In My Tummy? It's alright. It fills me up, but I think I can only handle buffet for lunch once or twice a year. I'm not expecting dishes at a buffet to be out of this world, but the regulars do not worry about that.

Jim's Place Family Dining - 13245 Michigan Ave, Dearborn, MI 48126 - (313) 584-5437

General comments - Jim's Place is a very unassuming local gem that has been there for over 37 years. I didn't think I could find a good Polish restaurant outside of Hamtramck but there it was, right in Dearborn. It's like having a Polish mom cook for you - it's just that good!

Foods tasted - Polish combo with Kielbasa, Beef barley soup, cabbage soup.

Thoughts -

1. Beef barley soup / cabbage soup - delicious and hearty. Both seasoned very well.  They serve that at least twice weekly as their Daily Soups. Add on 37 years of experience, they have these recipes down pat. The cabbage soup could use a little salt today, but it's not necessarily a bad thing if someone is looking for a soup that has less sodium in it because of health reasons or whatnot.

2. Polish combo with Kielbasa (2 pierogies, stuffed cabbage, mashed potatoes, kielbasa, sauerkraut) - all I have to say is wow! The kielbasa was perfectly done. I really think the score marks made a huge difference, and somehow even by trial and error I can never make mine turn out like that. The stuffed cabbage was great as well. I'm glad the tomato sauce on it wasn't too tart, because that can distract a person from fully enjoying the stuffed cabbage. I am a huge fan of this stuffed cabbage. Again, with their experience, I would not even dare to suggest to make any changes in that recipe. Pierogies were perfectly cooked. They're obviously handmade because you can tell from their individually unique shapes. Some places make their pierogies with really thick skin so that it can taste kind of doughy, but Jim's pierogies are just right. Mashed potatoes are "eh". Not 100% sure if it's homemade (vs. from a box), but it's eh. Sauerkraut is good too, but it's what you would expect in sauerkruat - picked cabbage.

Final thoughts - Very yummy in my tummy? Oh yes. This is the type of meal that induces food coma. Would I go there again? Of course. My only wish is that I had discovered this place sooner. The menu extends beyond Polish food of course. But seriously, if the owners had intended for this restaurant to be a glorified diner with some Polish food, they wouldn't specifically put the words Polish food under their name on the awning for everyone to see. Prices are unbeatable. At a grand total of $7.95 for the Polish combo with Kielbasa, I have more than enough leftovers for another meal.

Sidetrack Bar & Grill - 56 E Cross St, Ypsilanti, MI 48198 - (734)483-1035

Sidetrack Bar & Grill menu

General comments - My friends and I went to Sidetrack at an EMU alum's recommendation and because we heard their burgers are among GQ's "The 20 Burgers You Must Eat Before You Die." I will say the restaurant is easy to find and it's at a great location that is full of railroad history, but the parking situation in that area leaves something to be desired. I love that there's an outside area to the restaurant and the feel of it is like that of an Irish pub. I'm impressed with how quickly we were seated considering how busy it was at the time and I walked in with a request for a table for 8. The staff was very nice to us despite the fact that 3 of the 8 turn out to be no shows. I'm also thrilled that Sidetrack sells merchandise that says "Beer is the proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy." - Benjamin Franklin. That is awesome! Sidetrack does have a pretty good selection of beer. Unfortunately I just wasn't in the mood for it.

Foods tasted - Beer battered clams, Spinach artichoke dip, Gourmet mini burgers - Mini Driver with hand cut fries, and my boyfriend's half pound handcrafted burger with feta and roasted red peppers.

Thoughts - 

1. Beer battered clams - very solid appetizer for an excellent price. Clams can get chewy if not cooked correctly, but these were delicious. It was obvious these clam strips were not sitting under a heat lamp all day because the first few were HOT (temperature hot). The tarter sauce that came with it went well with the clams too. It's not overly seasoned so you can still taste the claims, which is the way I like it. The clam strips tasted great even without lemon juice and/or tarter sauce. That's the sign of a good dish.

2. Spinach artichoke dip - I like that it's very cheesy but still contains a good amount of spinach and artichoke. The only thing I would change in this appetizer is that I would chop up the artichoke pieces more. It's hard to share with 4 other people when I dip a chip hoping to get a taste of it and wind up picking up 20% of the whole thing just because the artichoke pieces pick up everything else around it. The chips are fine. Definitely not freshly made but as long as they're not stale...

3. Mini Driver (mini burgers with bacon and blue cheese) / handcrafted burger with feta and roasted red peppers - both very much overdone. The 1/2 pound burger was ordered medium rare and it was cooked medium well, borderline well done. They actually messed up on my Mini Drivers because they didn't put the blue cheese or bacon on them. So I'm sure by the time they were brought back to me, the mini burgers had been thrown back onto the grill to melt the blue cheese. I was disappointed to find more or less barely cooked bacon bits as the "bacon" on the mini burgers. I think the feta and roasted red peppers combination is a winner as far as toppings, but toppings are toppings. It doesn't really matter how great the toppings are if the burger is overcooked. I'll say the staff was very apologetic and fixed their mistake very quickly so I can't complain about that.

4. Hand cut fries - they were just OK. I've certainly had better and worse. The outsides were done but the insides still tasted raw and starchy. Like I said in my pilot post, potatoes are one of my all time favorite foods so I take potatoes very seriously. If you mess up on my potatoes, if I don't tell you in person, it will now be known to the whole world on my blog.

Final thoughts - Was it Very Yummy In My Tummy? Unfortunately, no. I'm disappointed to say the reviewer from GQ must have been sick and lost his sense of taste the day he went to Sidetrack for a burger, because quite honestly, the burger is NOT worthy to be in a Top 20 list. I've had chain restaurant burgers that are much better than this. Sorry GQ! However, I'm happy to see it as crowded as it was so obviously they're doing something right. I'm glad to see it's not totally crowded with drunk college kids as it seems this spot is located on the outskirts of the EMU campus and the general demographic of the customers are people in their upper 20's or older. Hopefully my next review of this spot will be better when I order a non burger dish. Don't get me wrong, it's a great spot and like I said, and they're crowded for a reason, but the burgers were just not worth they hype.