I r I 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! • I I 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 Watt print .mattprenticerg.com RESTAURANT GROUP