INJOV (411-AT
ZAIIRI DINING cilVINGS!

$19.95 Dinner For Two

Sunday, 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

You can save nearly $10.00 with our great early dining mein'. During these
special times. clxx)se any two dinner entrees up to a regular price of S14.95 each
andt)ay only $19.95.
Delicious decisions. Your choices include any of these sixteen entrees from our
regular menu listed below:

■ Petite Cut Prime Rib
III Standard Cut Prime Rib
■ Sizzling Mushroom Steak
III Stuffed Filet Mignon
■ Whiskey Peppercorn Top Sirloin
■ Brandy-Dijon Filet Mignon
■ Roasted Chateau Filet Mignon
■ Filet Mignon

■ Top Sirloin
■ Teriyaki Top Sirloin
■ Flame Broiled Salmon
III Grilled Swordfish
III Tempura Shrimp
■ Shrimp Scampi Linguini
■ Lemon Herb Chicken
■ Teriyaki Chicken

So, join us for the $19.95 Dinner for Two early dining mein'. Make your reserva-
Hot ts ally Sunday and save almost $10.00 off tile regular meat price!

Early dining oiler available on S19.95 Dinner lor Two cittrees only. Guests must be seated (it ring
special early dining times. Otter is limited to seating capacity of the building. Reservations arc strong-
ly suggested and may be necessary to assure availabilit • of seating. S 19.95 Dinner for Two does n ot
include sales tax or gratuity. Not valid on holidays. for banquets or large panics of eight or more. or
with any other oilers.

■

Valid at the Southfield location only.

JNTAIN
MAI CK'S,

Offer Expires
July, 3 1994

PRIME RIB • CHOICE STEAKS

Southfield • 26855 Greenfield Rd. • 557-0570

Don't let your dreams
go up in
smoke

Stop
smoking
today

AMERICAN LUNG ASSOCIATION
® OF SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN

18860 West Ten Mile Road, Southfield, Michigan 48075

This space donated as a public service by the publisher

DETROIT'S LEGENDARY STEAK HOUSE
OKERIris CHOP HOUSE

One of America's Truly Great Restaurants

Nationally-known for Blue Ribbon Steaks & Chops Aged in our
own coolers • Excellent Seafood • Prime Rib • Etc.

Served Daily From 11:30 a.m. • Sun. From 2 p.m.

SUNDAY BRUNCH 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

PRIVATE BANQUET FACILITIES UP TO 200

3026 Grand River off John Lodge Expressway • Valet Parking

833 0700

-

Nu? Asian?
How About Mon Jin Lau?

DANNY RASKIN LOCAL COLUMNIST

N

u-Asian may be a dining
category you might know
absolutely nothing about
. .. But fret not, neither
does almost everyone else.
How to classify a restaurant
like Mon Jin Lau on E. Maple
and Stephenson Hwy. in Troy is
difficult because of its seldom
heard about dishes that are in-
terspersed with classical Chinese
selections.
Owners Marshall and Marco
Chin no doubt call their cuisine
Nu-Asian since it takes in other
sectors like Vietnamese or old
Cathay to modern China, French
colonial Peking to the contempo-
rary Orient in America.
Mon Jin Lau seems to have no
boundries when it comes to food,
incorporating much of Asia in its
culinary presentation . . . It ac-
tually is the alternative type of
Oriental dining that many peo-
ple have been looking for . . . A
place where conventional fa-
vorites can be gotten while other
guests are able to enjoy a varied
choice of exotic Asian delicacies
seen only at restaurants on the
east and west coasts.
Back in December of 1969,
Mon Chin, who obviously had
amazing foresight because 25
years ago this area was hardly a
prime locale, opened Mon Jin Lau
strictly as a Cantonese restau-
rant . . . She and husband Joe
Chin owned Wah Lee Imports in
downtown Detroit, where sons
Marshall and Marco were ex-
posed to exotic Asian imported
foods . . . When Marco and Mar-
shall took over after growing up
in the family business, they want-
ed something different . . . not the
same type of Chinese restaurant
bordering on the ordinary.
Joe was one of the founders of
the original Chinatown on Third
. . . and another son, Marvin
Chin, was a challenging sort also,
with his too much ahead of its
time Port-O-Three (former De-
von Gables) years back on Tele-
graph in Bloomfield Hills, and
Chin-Tiki on Cass.
Marco and Marshall visited
dozens of foremost restaurants
and cafes in America and Europe
and made their decision to
change.
There are now 11 appetizers
like peppered tuna sashimi,
Maryland soft shell crabs, chick-
en in coconut milk, Chinese duck
salad in won ton . . . about 20 en-
trees that include Thai coconut
swordfish, Vietnamese bouill-
abaisse, Thai curry with lemon
grass and lime, Mandarin filet,
sizzling Thai peanut sauce with

broccoli, red pepper and onion, Madonna's undergarments, etc.,
three-mushroom chicken, Mon- French windows and French
golian rack of lamb with spicy doors, pillars with illuminated
peanut sauce and Asian vegeta- art deco, pin spot and glass ring
bles, seafood spicy noodles, lighting along with hanging dec-
steamed pickerel . . . Side orders orative halogen light fixtures,
take in Japanese shitake mush- Chinese art deco of the '30s, rose
rooms in oyster sauce, bamboo and pink shades reminiscent of
steamed vegetables, etc. . . . The the Ming dynasty, the melding of
fine menu has eight soups, six classical Chinese art and artifacts
vegetables or tofu, eight rice and with modern Chinese imagery
noodle favorites, 12 meat dishes, etc.
12 seafoods, and 13 poultry items.
Those nine new French win-
It must be remembered that dows are a revelation at Mon Jin
Mon Jin Lau has always been a Lau . . . Until about a year ago,
highly successful restaurant op- the restaurant never before had
eration, but in direct defiance windows.
against the adage, "If it's not
There are seven chefs, with
broken, don't fix it", they have Marshall Chin executive chef
done something both wanted for . . . Karen Fulner, assistant to
at least eight years . . . This was Marco and Marshall, also makes
a big move, perhaps a little the delicious tiramisu . Yes, this
scary what
with the up
and down
economy .. .
After all,
taking a
successful
restaurant
and pro-
moting a
higher ideal
was a major
step that
could either
stand tall or
fall flat on
its face.
But Mon
Jin Lau has
turned out
for the bet-
ter . . . and
that's say-
ing a lot be-
cause it has
always
maintained
a fine repu-
tation
. . . Today's
upscale
Mon Jin
Lau with its Marco Chin and Marshall Chin
imaginative
dishes that cannot be gotten any- Oriental restaurant even serves
the Italian dessert favorite, along
where are a major plus.
Also, staying away from with espresso coffee and cappuc-
starches like some put in plum cino . . . Pastries are from Fourth
sauce to thicken it, having low fat St. Bakery owned by Marty Wilk
cooking and the positive exclu- and Jeff Smith in Royal Oak.
The waitstaff at Mon Jin Lau
sion of MSG when requested, are
is a good one . . . Many of the per-
added pluses.
Seating at Mon Jin Lau is 140 sonnel have been there 15 to 20
. . . White linen tablecloths are years and are not just order-
covered with white butcher pa- takers . . . They make suggestions
per on which the waitpersons for in-doubt customers, are able
write their names for you, white to explain dishes and available
linen napkins, contemporary cul- whenever needed for assistance
tural images and icons, some- . . . Guess again if you don't think
what of a rogues and heroes all this is very essential for win-
gallery of celebrity photographs, ning in the restaurant game.

