THE BEST OF EVERYTHING Happy Anniversary! Shangri-La has lived up to its name for 10 happy years. order ... She is courteous, personable and effi- t had two strikes against it when opening in cient Wai Lee Yu, pronounced "Why" not "Way," December 1995 ... following the closing of a and a server at Shangri-La since it opened. Chinese-American restaurant that had ABOUT WORD THAT a Cheesecake Factory gained immense popularity at that locale. restaurant may open in Birmingham or else- But the condolences many folks thought where hereabouts, Howard Gordon, senior vice should go to the newcomer that opened there in president for business development and market- what was looked upon as certain death quickly ing, denies it ... "Michigan is a wonderful mar- . turned into great praise. ket," says Howard, "and I hope we find a location Here it is; celebrating its 10th anniversary, and. in the near future. At thisspointwe do not have Shangri-La in Orchard Mall, Orchard Lake Road Danny Raskin any site planned in Michigan." at Maple, West Bloomfield, instead seems to Senior Columnist But, he adds, "As with any place, until we have keep on getting even stronger with its constant a signed lease we do not speak about it." ... changes and additions. Strange that Cheesecake Factory is all over the When it opened, there was no such thing country but not in the local area where founders Evelyn served as Peking duck ... A year later, it was on the menu, and Oscar Overton started the company. and today is among Shangri-La's more popular dishes ... WHEN HE OPENS his Stan's Deli soon on Woodward The excellent lobster Cantonese favorite with scallions was south of 14 Mile, Royal Oak, Stan Snitz will bring back a lot different, too ... Today, Shangri-La is one of the few of yesteryear memories with a sandwich many folks still Chinese restaurants that serve it cut up, mixed atop noo- remember and love ... It's just the plain ol' Bar-Le4)uc, dles that are saturated with a special Shangri-La sauce but so delicious made with just cream cheese and grape or goodness. strawberry jelly. Owner Cholada "Nancy" Chan estimates that Shangri-La A COOKIE BIG enough for up to three people, some- has gone through well over 30,000 pounds of lobster since times four? ... Might be the first time a normal retail cook- opening. . ie has such sharing prowess ... But cookie gal Jill It is interesting to note that many dishes seen at other , Margolick's son Andrew has other ideas, like heating one in Chinese restaurants may have originated in the Shangri-La the microwave, dressing it up with vanilla ice cream and kitchen and are served elsewhere under another name. eating the concoction all by himself. Only three years ago, it added a couple more items that The huge, delicious, 1-pound Ms. Jill's. Cookies are now are very seldom seen elsewhere ... Steamed fresh shrimp being baked at Dakota Bread on West Bloomfield's wrapped in lotus leaves, and steamed tofu shrimp and Boardwalk, where owners Tom and Jennifer Wilson have scallops wrapped in lotus leaves ... Both of which received Jill's recipes under lock and the cookies on sale ... A call to sudden praise. . Jill at (248) 661-5429 also gets them. Since opening, Shangri-La has gone through almost The baskets of Ms. Jill's Cookies, by the way, make an three-quarters of a million pounds of Chinese vegetables, excellent gift. over 200,000 pounds of shrimp, about one-half million If you intend stopping by Dakota Bread for coffee and a pounds of rice, etc. Ms. Jill's Cookie, have someone along unless folks back at It is a seven-day-a-week lunch and dinner restaurant, • the office want you to bring them only whatever wasn't Monday-Friday, 11 to 2 a.m.; Saturday and Sunday,.10-2 devoured. a.m.... Dim sum is served twice daily,,Monday-Friday, 11 FEW SHOW BIZ personalities have appeared live before a.m. to 3. p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; more people than Wayne Newton, well over 30 million ... evenings all seven days, 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. About the dim sum, when Shangri-La was born 10 years Mr. Las Vegas will be here at Crystal Gardens in Southgate, Friday, Dec. 16. ago, it had around 40 or 45 items ... Today the choices are CONGRATS ... To Jeffrey Weiser on his birthday ... To over 70 ... with the sold count almost hitting the 9 million Letty Terman on her 100th birthday, celebrated Dec. 10 at a - pieces mark. party in Pompano Beach, Fla.... (Letty is the wife of the The previous tenant at the Orchard Mall site, Rikshaw, late Abe Terman, my boss while selling Sunday papers on was a Chinese-American restaurant owned by Joe Cohen 12th Street years ago.) and David Lum that centered much on Western dishes, like Belatedly to Ray Abrams, former Oak Park councilman Caesar salad, along with its Chinese fare ... Many folks and Snooker's Pool boss, on his 80th birthday. expected this when they first visited Shangri-Lacand were DON'T CALL HIM Mike, even though his name is • somewhat surprised to learn that it was a Hong Kong- Michael ... As a camper years ago at Camp Michigama, Cantonese restaurant instead ... And even more surprised owned by brothers Herman and Mickey Fishman, he was to discover that it didn't serve chop suey or egg foo yung known as Mikey, which subsequently gave way to Mickey, either ... "They'll never make it without those basics," said the name that podiatrist doc and food and restaurant con- some folks, who have since eaten their original words ... noisseur Dr. Michael Salter is known by today. El and are today Shangri-La regulars. By the way, that's not "Why you?" some people ask when one of the Shangri-La waitpersons comes over to take their Danny's e-mail address is dannyraskin@sbcglobal.net . I , NORTH. FACE. PATAGONIA ARCTERWc. MOOSEJAW AUNT SALLY, UNCLE JIM, RODNEY; AND LUCY ARE SO FUN. GOING TO LIONS' GAMES, THANKSGIVING, PLAYING BOGGLE ON SUNDAYS AND AUNTY'S BOTOX. I'M SO GLAD WE'VE BECOME SO CLOSE EVEN THOUGH OUR GRANDMAS DON'T GET ALONG. WILL E ENTIRE MILLER FAMILY PLEASE COME UP AND uoirr CANDLE NUMBER 9, THE CANDLE OF COMMUNITY? Mooses 1:10(P -,f GROSSE POINIT. 313- WI -9999 244-?0.3-7777 (IN FAS I 1ANSING IffiGlit. JUR '248 375- ANN ARBOR 734-769-1590 i nT December 8 • 2005 57 .