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Arts & Entertainment
THE BEST OF EVERYTHING
A Taste-Tempting Trio
Enjoy authentic Thai, Chinese and Japanese delicacies at Shangri-La Garden.
I is a triple Asian restaurant (Thai,
Chinese, Japanese), but the scale leans
very heavily on the side of authentic
Thai cuisine.
Like I have always maintained, there is
little that beats a chef preparing food of
his or her own culture.
In the case of Shangri-La Garden, 12
Mile, just east of Middlebelt, Farmington
Hills, not only is the Thai chef a main fea-
ture, the owner is as well.
Cholada Chan, whose
former Mai Tai in West
Bloomfield's Old Orchard
Plaza 18 years ago, prior
to her opening Shangri-La
of West Bloomfield in the
Orchard Mall, was a huge
favorite before Thai food
gained the large popularity it
enjoys today, is also a native
Taiwanese ... She was born
in Thailand and raised on
the cuisine of her country
... It doesn't get much more Cholada Chan
authentic than this.
The strong aromatic components of
Thai food is apparent, along with impor-
tant balance, detail and variety that I
found in tasting three popular Thai dishes
that included Pad Khee Mao with its
flat rice noodles, bamboo shoots, bean
sprouts, wine, etc.; Nam Prik Pow Fried
Rice with green beans, both red and
green peppers, basil, etc.; and Ka Prow
Gai, minced chicken stir-fried with Thai
chilies, basil and red pepper, served with
a fish sauce ... The latter was Cholada's
favorite while growing up in Thailand,
only thre it comes with a sunnyside-up
egg on top, she says.
It is a very huge fallacy that Thai food
is too spicy ... All items can be prepared
according to wishes and needs ... Or
people can make them as spicy
hot as wanted with condiments
or sauce given on the side.
The food prepared by each
of the three styles of din-
ing at Shangri-La Garden
in Farmington Hills, Thai,
Chinese and Japanese, is by
chefs from their own country,
a reason why the foods of each
nation have
such varied
distinctive
tastes.
If calling two days
ahead, Shangri-La
Garden's Thai chef will
work out a set Thai menu
according to budget
restrictions if desired ...
Because of the large vari-
ety, minimum of at least
six persons is requested.
Big Chinese favorites
are the Plum Sauce Duck
specialty of the Chinese
chef, crispy with plum sauce on the side
... Also his shrimp or scallops with chili
sauce and a dish that few Chinese restau-
rants have, Triple Delight of shrimp, beef
and chicken stir-fried with vegetables ...
Also, of course, the traditional Chinese
food that people know and enjoy.
The sushi bar, with six stools is continu-
ally filled with preparations freshly made
by a Japanese chef ... along with other
customer orders.
Seating at Shangri-La Garden is
210, with seven-day hours ... Sunday-
Thursday, 11-9:30; Friday and Saturday,
11-10:30.
Ethnic dining with chefs of the same
culture is difficult to beat ... Shangri-La
Gardens on 12 Mile Road, Farmington
Hills, does it three ways, Thai,
Chinese and Japanese ... And
the results are deliciously
striking.
AMONG MAJOR points
going for the newly opened
Steven Lelli's Inn, 12 Mile
Road, between Halsted and
Haggerty in Farmington
Hills (Copper Creek), lunch
and dinner, are the presences
of onetime employees from
the former Lelli's Inn On
Woodward, Detroit, and many of the food
features that folks remember ... Two for-
mer Lelli's Inn, Detroit, head chefs are out
of retirement and lead the kitchen staff in
its preparations.
Walls of the upstairs modernistic room
have framed photos of original owners
Nerio and Irene Lelli; their son who took
over after them, Michael Lelli, who is the
father of Steve Lelli, co-owner of Steve
Lelli's Inn with Mark Zarkin; and a fram-
ing of the Lelli's Inn on Woodward's vio-
linist in their flashy red jacket.
The entire 148 seating in an upstairs
avant-garde look that takes in an 18-seat
bar filled with fine wines and liquors ...
Future downstairs renovation is expected
to, in time, have the original look of Lelli's
Inn on Woodward, with green stucco walls,
alcoves, etc.
NEW BOOK by Sheryll Bellman,
America's Little Italys follows up her highly
successful America's Great Delis on which
she still makes cross-country appearances,
the latest recently at the 12th Annual
Jewish Book Festival in Los Angeles ...
Sheryll's America's Little Italys has a brief
history of each restaurant, photos and
recipes as it profiles Italian eateries in
various cities.
MAIL DEPT. ... "Regarding your col-
umn on Las Vegas, I want to mention the
growing number of Jewish restaurants
there. The Rampart Casino has a New York
Deli night every Thursday, and then there
are the famous Canter's Deli at Treasure
Island, Carnegie Deli at the Mirage,
Greenberg's Deli at New York-New York,
and Stage Deli at MGM Grand. Also the
many kosher Israeli restaurants in town:
Adar Pizza, Sababa Grill, Shwarma Las
Vegas, Haifa restaurant and the Jerusalem
Grill" ... Allan Gale.
KOSHER HOT DOGS of all styles is in
vogue, including the one Sammy Sadler
used to have at his former Sammy's
Corned Beef & Rye in Ferndale ... He
called his a "Floogie Dog" ... kosher hot
dog with green peppers, tomatoes, kosher
pickles and mustard on a sesame seed roll.
WHEN SHE STORMED into the Holly
Hotel in Holly, Michigan, Carrie Nation
made headlines more than 100 years ago
with her frantic antics and spent some
time in the local hoosegow ... But Holly
Hotel owners now George and Chrissy
Kutlenios honored her recently with a
dinner, even though she swooped her
umbrella across the bar top shattering
glass everywhere yelling how shocking the
painting was over the bar of a partially
nude woman ... George and Chrissy have
a replica of the painting still hanging over
the bar.
REUNION DEPT. ... Mumford High
class of 1961 date for its 50th shindig will
be Saturday, Aug. 27, 2011, at Somerset
Inn, Troy ... Contact Henry Gornbein,
248-332-4837 or 248-594-3444.
CONGRATS ... To Marvin Tamaroff on
his 85th birthday ... To Frank and Audrey
Gladman on their 31st anniversary.
Danny's e-mail address is
dannyraskin@sbcglobaLnet.
Matt Prentice and the staff wish all our
customers a very happy holiday!
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I
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I With any Hanukkah Tray Order
1 Latke per person • Minumin 10 people
I
Expires 12/1/10
Mae 6724 Orchard Lake Rd 248-737-3890
54 November 2 5 - 2010
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