Arts is Entertainment

The Best Of Everything

Ir

• Celebrity Showroom

Authentically Vietnamese

Something different for diners is
at Thang Long in Madison Heights.

-414k

Wed., & Thurs., May 17 & 18

FRAtigyAW

RHIR SE: . ..SONS

WORD BRENNER

Friday, July 7

Thurs. & Fri.

GLEN C

Sat., Sept. 30 & Sun., Oct I

TOM JONES

Thurs., Fri. & Sat.,
Nov. 9, 10 & II

PAUL ANKA

I..1_1

elebrity Showroom

7096 East Fourteen Mile Road

5/12
2000

322

(Between Mound & Van Dyke)

(810) 268-3200

meal, not as an appetizer ... The other
N YEARS PAST, many
dishes in the meal are usually served
Americans may have looked
dry; not swamped in gravy as in so
upon it as a poor relation of •
many other ethnic-type restaurants ...
Chinese cooking ... But
At
Thang Long, however, many soups
Vietnam has its own cuisine and the
can
be gotten with or without meals ...
authentic fare is delicious.
served
in cups and bowls.
At least it is so at Thang Long
Fish has always had a
Restaurant on John R in
prominent
place in the
Madison Heights' Farnum
Vietnamese
diet ... At Thang
Plaza ... operated by
Long,
the
house
specialties
owner/chef Alex Nguyen ...
include
crispy
fried
whole .
with his aunt Helen Nguyen,
red
snapper
topped
with a
hostess and server.
sweet
garlic
sauce
or
sweet
At one time, Vietnamese
and
sour
sauce
...
Crispy
cat-
chefs had to adulterate their
fish
is
topped
with
a
ginger
cooking to suit American
sauce or simmered in a
palates ... by using ingredients
Hanoi thick soy sauce or
that were not traditional ...
D ANNY
grilled with hot pepper and
Many of them worked in
RASKIN
lemongrass ... A favorite is
Chinese restaurants.
Loca 1 Columnist the mussels in a hot spicy
But an eatery like Thang
sauce ... and also the batter-
Long serves many authentic
fried
shrimp
with a Thai sweet and
Vietnamese dishes ... and uses native
sour
sauce
(about
25 percent of the
ingredients.
menu
is
Thai)
consisting
of tomato,
There is a strong French influence
pineapple,
cucumber,
celery,
bell pep-
in the cooking of true Vietnamese
pers,
onions
and
Thai
red
chili.
food ... It is big in France, with the
Traditional Vietnamese dishes
French having had strong colonial
include
thin vermicelli with ground
links with Vietnam.
shrimp
on
sugar cane ... grilled beef
The menu at Thang Long is by no
and
shrimp
on thin vermicelli ... beef
means small ... 124 items in the little
grilled
tableside
... and beef fondue
place that opened in May 1996 and
with
customers
cooking
their own
seats only 90.
meat
in
vinaigrette
broth
at the table
On the tables are various sauces
with peanut sauce brought for
dipping as well as hot sauce if
desired.
People love the authentic light,
refreshing green papaya salad
with a mint, basil and peanut
dressing ... and the cabbage-
chicken salad with mint, basil
and peanuts.
Among the appetizers is a very
tasty shrimp summer roll with
fresh leaf lettuce, vermicelli and
mint rolled in soft, rice paper ...
and served with a peanut hoison
sauce.
The flavor of Vietnamese food
relies on the use of indigenous
herbs ... Among these are basil,
fennel and coriander, but also
lemongrass, strong-tasting vari-
eties of mint and daun kesom, a
pungent, mint-like herb with a
slightly bitter. taste.
.***1
Traditionally, the Vietnamese
Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons will be at
drink soup as part of a one-course Andiamo Italia in Warren next week.

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fie Road, Berkley, (248)
VilOis nothing like a consistently
hborhood family restaurant.
merlon menu is one that
'fidence in casual dining. The
d and square pizzas, fish,
c. are served seven days a week
dinner. Everything is also avail-
...out.

!3L0(:)MFIELD HILLS
it. t*eve Deli, 6646 Telegraph Road,

teld Hills, (248) 932-0800. Award-win-
Aft liken soup is featured.Also serving
corned beef, fresh roasted turkey, sandwiches,
traditional dishes. Party trays and
itafeVt at this New York-style deli.
cheesecake and Steve's
'e
Brownies are among the desserts.

DETROIT

petroit, 7618 Woodward, Detroit,

90. Leafs has been an Italian
,.1939, with traditional dishes
varied menus of Italian spe-
videregular and light presentations

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and Lake Road,
22. Middle-
assan f3azzi,
'nal Sheik in
s•-• la's at lunch
cs ut with catering
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orthwestern
$-'4455.The
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together
ormarorciited or
81 5 St 8
dining in the 40-
en days a week.
ishes are home-
e popular cook-