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The Michigan Daily - Thursday, October 7, 2004 - 4B
REACHING NIRVANA
MORE THAN SIMPLE EXERCISE, TAI CHI EMPHASIZES INNER PEACE, SPIRITUAL JOURNEY
The Michigan D
Teriyaki Grill is
so-so Japanese
By Lauren Hodge
For the Daily
The last thing students want to
hear is "exercise." Who has time for
it anymore? Study breaks are usually
made up of dates with the television,
cat napping, or the luxurious option
of doing absolutely nothing.
Tai Chi, an ancient Chinese mar-
tial art, may be a better alternative
for fueling stress into productive
energy. This low-impact, emotional-
ly stimulating workout alternative is
just the thing to get us off the couch,
even if it is just for 15 minutes.
Chris Luebbe, an LSA academic
advisor and an instructor of Tai Chi,
has experienced the life-altering
effects of this ancient form of relax-
ation. Though he has practiced Tai
Chi for five years, Luebbe has been
a certified instructor at the Peace-
ful Dragon School at 1945 Pauline
Boulevard for one year. The School
offers classes at the Beginner level,
which instructs students with little
or no experience, and at the Interme-
diate and Advanced levels for more
trained students.
"The primary benefits include
stress-reduction, relaxation, physi-
cal balance and body awareness,"
Luebbe said. Although most of his
students are adults from their mid-
40s through their mid-60s, the Tai
Chi instructor would recommend all
interested students to come and test
out the techniques. Luebbe also cites
increased flexibility and a general
sense of well-being as additional
advantages of the Tai Chi workout.
Between finding enough sleep
and studying for exams, Tai Chi
may be the best substitute for exer-
cise because it doesn't demand much
time. A simple 15 minutes in the
morning or before bed may be all
that's necessary to finding your cen-
ter and maintaining a calm state of
By Emily Liu
Daily Arts Writer
At the beginning of the school year,
I immediately noticed the arrival of
Teriyaki Grill on East William Street,
where employees were often seen tak-
ing cigarette breaks at one of the card
tables on the sidewalk in front of the
establishment. I finally decided to
scope out the place, especially after
noticing that there were actually peo-
ple eating inside.
I was struck by how small the res-
taurant was; only about five card tables
and some folding chairs form the seat-
ing area. Despite the compact kitchen
and dining area, the establishment
still appeared to be very clean. A few
artificial plants and posters of geishas
decorated the space, and a radio quietly
played innocuous songs by John Mayer
and Dave Matthews Band.
Opening two and a half months ago,
Teriyaki Grill is located near two other
downtown restaurants that serve Japa-
nese food, Sushi.come and Totoro. But
this place is very different from the
other restaurants. No sushi is served
here; instead, the menu is limited to
rice-based entrees. Teriyaki Grill is a
fast-food restaurant, as opposed to the
other establishments, which are sit-
down.
At Teriyaki Grill, emphasis is placed
on speed as opposed to quality: Cus-
tomers receive their entrees within five
minutes of ordering. This is a good
thing for students on the go, but it's not
so good for diners looking for authentic
Japanese cuisine.
Aside from teriyaki chicken (strange-
ly, a white meat version costs $1.24
more than the regular), beef and vege-
tables, the restaurant also serves curry,
bacon fried rice and oyako, a combi-
nation of chicken and egg served with
rice. In addition to these rice-based
entrees, the menu offers udon (thick
noodles in broth), teriyaki chicken
salad and gyoza (pan-fried dumplings
served with a dipping sauce).
The fact that a distinction is made
between the regular chicken and white
meat reveals that the quality of Teriya-
ki Grill's ingredients isn't exactly top-
notch. An employees even admitted
that the restaurant buys frozen gyoza
as opposed to making it fresh, further
stressing the convenience factor. How-
ever, the employee added that the res-
taurant makes its own dipping sauce,
a blend of red wine vinegar, soy sauce
and spices.
During my visit, the teriyaki beef
was tender, but the teriyaki glaze was
salty to the point of nastiness. The teri-
yaki chicken and veggies consisted of
chicken with steamed broccoli, cauli-
flower, cabbage and carrots with teri-
yaki glaze. Although the chicken was
a bit tough, the vegetables had just the
right amount of crunch to them. There
was too much cabbage, however, which,
to me and one of my fellow diners, is a
cheap vegetable used as filler.
The chicken curry was an appetiz-
ing, filling dish that came with pota-
toes, carrots and onions in a thick
curry sauce. While the sauce defi-
nitely tasted and smelled of curry, it
was also very mild: People who are
accustomed to eating Indian curry
would probably want the dish to be
spicier. But my roommate, who had
been to Japan before, deemed it "a
very authentic-tasting Japanese curry
rice." Like the teriyaki chicken, the
chicken curry was a little tough, but
the tasty sauce and crunchy vegetables
made up for it.
Side dishes included salad and
miso soup; unlike most other miso
soups, this one did not contain sea-
weed. However, there was plenty of
miso (a paste made from fermented
soybeans), soft squares of tofu and
chopped green onion, making the
miso soup a tasty (but very salty) side
dish. The rice itself deserves recog-
nition as well; instead of using long
grain rice (typically eaten by Ameri-
cans and thus served in many Asian
restaurants in the U.S.), Teriyaki Grill
serves short grain rice, which is used
in Asian cuisine and is slightly sticky
(and therefore easier to pick up with
chopsticks, for all of you who ever
wonder how people are able to eat rice
with chopsticks).
Teriyaki Grill is cleverly situated
among sandwich shops and the newly
opened Noodles & Co., making itself
the closest restaurant to campus that
serves rice-based entrees. Overall, it's
a decent place to go to if you're crav-
ing a quick rice dish that's moderately
priced (between $4.49 and $6.25). But
if you want to stretch your dollar fur-
ther, a better bet would probably be
Dinersty's $3.99 lunch special.
Teriyaki Grill
619 E. William St.
Monday - Thursday 11 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Friday 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Saturday noon - 9 p.m.
Closed Sunday
Though Teriyaki Grill qualifies as fast food, dishes bear some resemblanc
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ALI OLSEN/Daily
The Zen Buddhist Temple offers a place to pray and meditate.
----I
Tai Chi are offe
Fridays for one
mind. Miller, who
For serious Tai Chi-ers, the Zen ing Tai Chi for
Buddhist Temple at 1214 Packard says that this ty
Street offers a variety of courses and involves extren
workshops that focus on meditation of the muscles
and the path to finding inner peace. for increasing b
This calming
Victorian house , .
is the ultimate It's a life journey,
setting for prac- something you
ticing Tai Chi.
Fenced off from can do throughout
the street, the the agingand
temple's sur-
ered on Tuesdays and
-hour sessions.
has been practic-
more than 12 years,
pe of exercise, which
mely slow movement
, is a great workout
back and leg strength.
1
1
J
1
In addition to ton-
ing these muscle
groups, Miller
said, "Tai Chi can
help people focus
and to find their
inner balance."
Though U-Move
Tai Chi has held
just three classes,
Miller hopes to get
a better response
from undergrads,
advising that it can
ease tension by
rounded gar-
dens enhance
the serene and
inviting atmo-
sphere. Weekly
meditation ser-
CCRB because she had been inter-
ested in the techniques of the sport.
"I was always curious about Tai
Chi when I saw people practicing
outside. The class enhances body
awareness and has revitalizing
effects on the soul. It's my one hour
of enjoyment."
Hoping to reduce pain in her fin-
gers from tendonitis, Cencer also
hoped this type of workout would
help her stay relaxed.
Master Wasentha Young, primary
instructor at the Peaceful Dragon
School, says Tai Chi has healing
effects for those suffering from
arthritis because it loosens the joints.
Studies have shown that Tai Chi may
also help those with high blood pres-
sure because the movements increase
blood circulation. And because Tai
Chi relies on low-impact techniques
and are conducted at such a low speed,
even those injured can partake in the
workout.
Young, who has been teaching Tai
Chi for 30 years, says people with
all abilities can partake in the work-
out and has taught students anywhere
from the ages of 16 to 78. "It's a life
See TAI CHI, page 16B
students.usecreditwisely.com
much better than
students.humantestsubjectsforcash.com.
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maturing process."
-Wasentha Young
Tai Chi Master
vices are held
on Sundays, at 9:30 a.m. and 4 p.m.,
but the grounds are always open for
those wishing to meditate.
Tai Chi instruction has also been
recently added to the selection of
U-Move classes held at the Cen-
ter Campus Recreational Building.
Taught by instructor Richard Miller,
the basic principles of Chen Style
obtaining a meditative condition to
the mind.
Miller instructs at the beginner
level, and encourages anyone to try
out the class. The registration fee
ranges from $78 to $84 and includes
14 weeks of training.
Bethany Cencer, a Music graduate
student, signed up for Tai Chi at the
A statue
of the Bud-
dha, com-
plete with
flowers
lying at its
feet, sits
at the Zen
Buddhist
Temple on
Packard
Street.
AL! OLSEN/Daily
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