Apple Jade - Taste of Taiwan

Apple Jade in Frandor has been around for a very long time. It was one of the first Chinese restaurants in town, going back to the days when Chop Suey and Chow Mein were the staples of such a restaurant. They have a loyal following from those days, and still have Chop Suey on the menu.

But over the years they've evolved to have more -- they were the first to offer potstickers in town -- and the current owners have added a number of delicious Taiwanese dishes. They are unique in Lansing, and worth a try.



My favorite dish is on the lunch menu as well as on the Specials board up front: Taiwanese Ground Pork, a plate of rice with seasoned chopped pork, a huge side of stir-fried vegetables and a fried egg. (Okay the egg may seem odd to us, but it's good -- fried hot enough to have lacy crunchy edges, that contrasts with usual textures of white and yolk.) The vegetables give you a healthy and tasty lift to your meal...and the pork! It's seasoned with a five-spice blend that is a little heavier on the cinnamon than usual. It's one of those dishes that make you go "Ooooo!" when you bite into it.

Similarly the Sacha Beef is spiced with a blend of tasty spices. It's a variation of Sa Tsa or Chinese Satay -- usually beef or shrimp stewed in a spice mixture with or without vegetables. Often served with or over rice noodles. We had the version that isn't on the menu, but is listed up on the specials board: "Water Spinach with Sacha Beef" and that's the way to have it. Aromatic beef with tender greens.

Their hot and sour soup is great, much more full of "stuff" than most places. Spicy Wontons is a favorite dish of mine. It's served elsewhere in a spicy sesame sauce (really made with peanut butter), but here they just drench the boiled Won Tons in a fragrant sauce of oily browned garlic and hot pepper flakes. It is VERY hot, but good enough. I think I like the sesame sauce version slightly better, or the sichuan version at Hong Kong Sichuan.

Apple Jade Restaurant, 300 N Clippert St., Lansing (right next to Aladdins and Sparty's Coney Island in Frandor) 517-332-1111.

Drive-bys, August 2, 2007

Coming soon to the East Lansing Strip: Johnny's Hots -- a retro-diner type place -- is moving into the "kiss of death" location at the corner of Abbott and Grand River where nothing has succeeded in decades. Good luck! The gyro place moving into East Lansing's old Taco Bell is now called Spartan Gyros (is this a sign they're finally opening soon?). And Fiesta Charra Mexican Restaurant is moving into Ria's old location next to Oriental Mart.

The Banyan Tree - the Thai restaurant that moved into 1001 Mt. Hope (right next to Korner Kitchen) - is now open. I haven't had the chance to try more than some take out Pad Woon Sen, but it was good. A little Americanized and mild, but I think that's probably because they are afraid Americans can't take the heat of Thai food. (So be sure to say "hot", not "medium" if you like it at all spicey.) (ADDENDUM: we stopped by again last night, and they have the heat levels straightened out. With the green curry, anyway, "mild" was nicely zippy. Some noodle dishes aren't automatically hot at all unless you ask. Their scale is mild, medium, hot and "Thai hot.")

Allen Street Farmer's Market

This is a good time of year for farmer's markets: some spring vegetables -like cabbages and greens - are still on, and the beginning of the bounty of late summer is beginning. I got some great tomatoes, cucumbers and zucchini at the Allen Street Market last week. The flavor of real, fresh in season veggies is so wonderful, you have to give it a try. (Yes, we do get pretty good vegetables at grocery stores around here, but really, this is different.) They also have baked goods, canned goods, and potted plants.

The Allen Street Market runs in a parking lot at the corner of Allen and Kalamazoo every Wednesday from 3:30 to 7:30 pm. (And if you are out in Okemos on a Saturday, there is also a Farmer's market just north of Meridian Mall, in the parking lot of the Nakomis center on Saturday mornings.)

El Oasis, the little taco stand that could

(Note: After a temporary closure, this location is back open again, now moved just a few doors down, right next to Lam's Sweeper Service.)

It's just a little taco stand on wheels, like they have in Los Angeles. Except at El Oasis people will stand in line sometimes even in the middle of a snowstorm. They're in a parking lot at the corner of Michigan Avenue and North Francis Street (just east of the light at Foster Street, a few blocks west of Frandor).

Very authentic Mexican food here. You won't find food quite like this anywhere else in Lansing. The tacos - which come with a wide choice of meats, from chicken, shredded beef or pastor (pork) to the more exotic tongue or tripe - are served on a corn tortilla with cilantro and onions and a wedge of lime. I love the shredded chicken myself, and it's good with just the lime, but the salsas are too good to pass up. The mild sauce is a green tomatillo-based sauce that I particularly like on the tacos. The hot sauce is a tangy red sauce, with a milkiness that I can't identify, but hot and tasty. I can't make up my mind, so I ask for both whenever I visit.

Another of my favorites is the tostada, which come with the usual beans, lettuce, tomato, but also with sour cream and a fresh cheese that's crumbly and yummy. They put a little touch of avocado on top, and next time I might ask for more. The tostadas are offered with any of the meats, but I just get a plain bean tostada.

Tacos are $1.50 (2.00 for some of the more exotic meats), and the tostadas are $3.00 with meat, or $2.00 for just the bean version. Other prices are pretty much in that range.

It used to be that you could only get food from El Oasis at festivals, where the lines would be an hour long sometimes. Now that they have a permanent location the lines are shorter, and they get the hand made food to you fast. Give them a try.

3 Times Cafe - Deli and Teriyaki Grill

A new restaurant has moved into the tiny strip mall in Okemos (where Michelangelos was, across from Bennigans, next to the Mongolian BBQ).

3 Times Cafe is a nice mix that may have a chance in that difficult location: The Korean owners serve American style soups, salads, smoothies and deli sandwiches, as well as their own teriyaki platters - all with a simple, subtle and homemade richness. Of course, the teriyaki - grilled beef or chicken cooked in a homemade soy and sweet sauce - is what to go for. The portions are good and the price is about $6, and it comes with a salad. For about a dollar more you can get a version with vegetables.

The salad is fresh and with just the right amount of dressing. The teriyaki is more subtle than some, but you get bottles of teriyaki sauce and sriracha hot sauce to doctor it at will. It's served over the plain short grain Korean/Japanese style rice -- sticky and pearly, and noteworthy in itself. The beef comes with optional grilled onions and peppers (take them, they're good!) but we preferred the chicken, which didn't come with anything else, but was really good. Add a little hot sauce if you like Korean spicey chicken dishes.

We also sampled their chicken vegetable soup, an American style vegetable soup with Korean richness. It was also very hot (temperature, not spice) and we both burned our tongues because we couldn't stop eating it.

The smoothies are so rich, I have to assume they have fat in them. Of course, I tried the pina colada smoothie, and with the coconut milk in it, it certainly WAS fatty. IMHO, it could have used more pineapple. My friend had the mango, which she said was very rich and very good.

3 Times Cafe, 2090 Grand River Ave., Okemos, (517) 349-3122.

Mr. BBQ

2602 N. Grand River Ave. (corner of MLK). 517-886-2012

It's hard to be a BBQ afficiando in Michigan, but this time of year you'll see smokers start turning up on street corners. There are a few little places with regular shops. (Like Vernadines up in north Lansing where Lamai's old place was.) I came across Mr. BBQ by accident, and I was lucky...it was almost lunchtime! (So often I've just eaten somewhere else when I discover these places....)

The sauce here is the sweet and tangy, but thin so that it doesn't gloop onto the meat and overwhealm the flavor. Good with both pork and chicken. They have hot sauce (vinegary and hot) on the side, and this is excellent to set off the flavors. I like to dip pieces in it as I eat it, or you can just pour it over the top.

The side dishes vary. The day I was there, they offered fries, mac and cheese and greens. I had the greens, which were yummy but too salty. (Probably from cooking with smoked ham or bacon.) The owners were still getting organized at the time, so I got offered bread by one person, and a corn muffin by another. (I took the corn muffin -- yum.) A plain slice of bread is traditional with bbq, so I assume this comes with the meal, but the corn muffin is not listed as a choice on the menu. You might have to ask if you want one.

They have a $5 lunch special -- smaller portions than their main dishes (but plenty), with one side and pop. The dinners come with two sides and range from $12 for a BBQ Rib meal to $8 for BBQ Chicken meal.

They offer Ribs, Rib Tips, BBQ Chicken, Fried Chicken, Fried Catfish or Perch, and BBQ Polish Sausage. Most of thse are also offered as a sandwich -- along with a BBQ meatball sub. (They also have hot dogs.)

Their menu says that call-in orders are welcome and that they will deliver to businesses with a minimum $25 order.

Lazeez burns down!

I just saw on the Lansing State Journal site that Lazeez burned down this afternoon. According to the Journal, the owners were working on the airconditioning when something went wrong. One of them was sent to the hospital with burns. (Update, the LSJ is saying that they were minor burns, thank goodness.)

I drove by there not long before it happened today. I'm shocked.

Anyway, our best wishes to the Helmy brothers and the people at Lazeez.

Student Gourmet Event

I also got this info from Paul Homeniuk:

"I am teaching in the Hospitality and Culinary Arts program at LCC. I stepped into the middle of a High school class in Culinary Arts that is a partnership with Eaton Intermediate School District and LCC. My students are putting on a five course gourmet dinner on Friday May 18th at 6:00 PM

The menu is below and I will note that I am baking the breads for the dinner. We still have some tickets available. They are $20.00 each. Contact me here at plr567@msn.com if you are interested in tickets or call the school office at 483-1328."

And here's the menu for that evening (comments by Paul):

Appetizer course: Gougeres, California rolls, Stuffed mushrooms & Spinach puffs

Most of these "little bits" are student favorites and in some cases their "Show case" project. From the "cheesy" lightness of Gougeres, (pronounced Goo Share) to the "Let's pretend it is healthful" Spinach puffs we think these will kick off this meal nicely!

Soup course: Parsnip & Apple

Light enough to be the second of a five course meal but hearty enough to stand alone if need be. This is an old Irish recipe that reflects the spice trade in it's hey day. Sweet parsnips, tart apple and cream form the base of this delightful concoction

Salad: Class Salad

The students spent some time experimenting with salads and at the time of this being printed the debate over which to use is still red hot. Rest assured there will be plenty of fresh greens and the student's own unique dressing to bring it all to table.

Entree: Filet en croute w/ Ravigote sauce

A simply seasoned beef filet in puff pastry (medium to medium rare) made truly exceptional with an old fashioned Ravigote sauce. This sauce has a checkered history and has been used in French cuisine since the 1600s. Done both hot and cold, in either case the heart of the sauce is fresh herbs.

The entree will be accompanied by the class's own unique blend of seasoned and slow roasted vegetables.

Dessert: Petite Chocolate heart attacks with Raspberry coulis and cream

This award wining treat is a unique version of a flour-less chocolate cake. Rich and creamy it is pushed into the decadent realm by a fresh raspberry coulis and a dollop of whipped cream

Dinner will also include an assortment of fresh baked breads and beverages.

Tickets are $20.00 per person

Dinner will be served in the Kennedy Grill in Lansing Community College's Arts & Science building, 2nd floor.

Heard on the Grapevine, May 12, 2007

I can't call this a drive-by because I wasn't the one who drove by, but I heard a few things this week.

*There's a new Thai restaurant over by Korner Kitchen around Mt. Hope and Pennsylvania. Don't know if it's good, or exactly where it is.

*Paul Homeniuk, formerly of the International Bread Company, reports that a new food market has opened up in Okemos. INTERNATIONAL MARKET at 2160 W. Grand River, has great Russian chocolate, and delicacies like Cold Smoked Mackerel. He says they're working to bring great bread, but apparently hasn't got there yet.

Ria reopens as Suria

(Editor's Note: Alas, but Suria is now gone too.)

I have been off in Day Job Hell for quite a while. I hope to get a bunch of new reviews up soon. In the meantime, here's some important quick news for fans of Ria Malaysian Restaurant, which was in East Lansing, and closed recently. They've found a new location in South Lansing.

We're eating there tonight, so I will post a review with favorite dishes later. I just thought I'd try to get the news out there ASAP.

For now, here's their press release:

The Ria family would like to welcome back all our loyal supporters of our former restaurant Ria Malaysian Restaurant to

SURIA Malaysian Chinese Restaurant

The new location is located on the northeast corner of Jolly Rd. and Cedar St. (between Subway & L.A Insurance). This location is much cozier but our menu is pretty much the same. You might not find your usual favorites on the menu (we have condensed the menu), but we'll be more than happy to make your dish for you if we have the ingredients on hand. If you want to be sure, give us a call ahead of time!

(517)887-8168

We also offer lunch specials that start from $3.99,
Mondays - Saturdays 11am to 3pm.

Terima Kasih!

Shirley Boucha
Suria Malaysian Restaurant
5025 S. Cedar St.
Lansing MI 48910
(517)887-8168

Everyday 10:30am - 9:30pm

Lamai Birthday Event

Lamai's birthday is coming up! On Tuesday, September 26th, she will be having an extended buffet from 11am to 9pm -- which will include Thai Sukiyaki.


Thai Sukiyaki is an interesting dish -- supposedly one that came to a street vendor in a dream. It bears little resemblance to Japanese Sukiyaki other than it is a "self-cook" dish. Lamai puts out a large simmering pot of broth, a few strainers, and a whole bunch of raw ingredients, including seafoods, some very thinly sliced meats, vegetables and cellophane noodles. You fill your strainer, and dip it in the broth to cook, then dump it in your bowl and cover it with this pink Thai Suki sauce. It reminds me a little of Chinese sa tsa sauce -- five spice with a touch of salty dried shrimp flavor. (I myself like to have a little broth in the bowl too, although Lamai doesn't approve.) NOTE: the pink sauce is blazingly hot, use with care.

The main problem with the sukiyaki is that Lamai only has a couple of strainers, so there ends up quite a crowd waiting around the pot. Also, when she first fills the pot, it takes it a while to come up to heat. (Note: most of the ingredients she has laid out for cooking are quick cooking -- you don't need to boil it to death. Shrimp, for instance, is cooked when it is no longer translucent -- depending on the kind of shrimp, it doesn't always turn bright pink.)

But aside from the sukiyaki, there will be the pad thai noodles and fresh eggrolls, and salads and curries and stirfries. Sometimes she has spicey stir-fried dumplings, or little seafood custards.

Odds are, Tuesday will be a very tasty day.

Thai Food From Lamai's Kitchen, 2033 E. Michigan Avenue, Lansing. (517) 267-3888.

Sultan's Restaurant

The main Sultan's location in Hannah Plaza has a bread oven. Yes, fresh hot hand-made pita bread. (At least when the oven is fired up -- which it usually is at dinner time.) A big basket of hot bread, a bowl of their lentil soup and a plate of babaganouj, and you might forget to leave room for the generously portioned main course. (I often take home a huge box of leftovers.)


The lean and well seasoned grilled meats are premiere here. There's lamb and beef and chicken. Probably one of the more popular dinners is the Chicken Shawarma. (Shawarma is what many of us think of a gyro meat: chopped and seasoned meat formed into a big roll, and then put on a hot rotisserie. The chef cuts off strips as the meat sears and sizzles.) All the chicken dishes are served with this intensely garlicky yoghurt sauce that is a favorite. The Shish Combo (pictured below) provides samples of a couple of the grilled meats, and both kinds of sauce.


A few other favorite dishes: The salads are good, and I think they have the best fattouch in town -- this is a large salad of crunchy toasted pita bread, along with the usual tomatoes, peppers, onions and lettuce. Gallaya (below) is another of my favorites -- a cross between a stirfry and a stew with chicken in mushrooms, tomatoes, carrots and seasonings.


Sultan's also serves good fries, when you have kids or other cautious eaters with you.

They have two locations in the Lansing area:
Sultan's -- Hannah Plaza on Hagadorn in East Lansing
Sultan's Express -- 305 S Washington Sq, in downtown Lansing.

Drive-bys - August 29, 2006

*Lazeez isn't open yet, but they now have up a giant sign with a neon message "Open 24 hours". Hmmm. That sounds great for those times when you're coming home late from work.

*Lou and Harry's had a sign that they were opening up a new location on Coolidge, but that sign is now gone. Perhaps they backed out? Or perhaps, like Lazeez, they are just taking longer to get started than they expected.

*PET PEEVE: It's pronounced broos-KET-ta. Bruschetta, that lovely Italian toast that you can put all kinds of toppings on (or just rub with garlic and dip in a little olive oil), is not pronounced "bru-shet-ta." It's pronounced "broos-KET-ta". Repeat after me: Broos-KET-ta. In Italian, an "h" makes a "c" into a hard "k" sound. (The fast food industry has a lot to answer for!)

Lou and Harry's Greek Grill

Lou and Harry's Greek Grill in East Lansing, has the best gyro in town. I don't know where they get their meat -- it comes in oval patties rather than on the classic big shwarma roll you see in a lot of gyro places. However, it is perfectly spiced, and they sear the patties on the grill to crisp, carmelized perfection. Their pita is the thicker Greek-style, which they also heat on the grill.

I'm not a fan of their seasoned fries -- but I'm not a fan of coated or seasoned fries in the first place -- so if I get a combo, I like to get their Greek salad. They have a nice, sharp dressing that isn't shy, but is also not too vinegary. And the salad itself has a nice balance of feta cheese, peppers, onions and olive, as well as the lettuce, tomato and cuke.

There are a lot other popular items on the menu, from chicken sandwiches and burgers to fancier salads and a great selection of Greek deli foods like moussaka or Greek spaghetti. They have specials Monday through Thursday, combos of burgers, chicken sandwiches and the original gyro. I don't recall offhand which days for which special, but gyros are Wednesdays.

L & H Five Star Deli on Ann Street (next to El Azteco) is also owned by Lou and Harry's and serves excellent sandwiches. For a long time, they didn't have a grill, so their gyros weren't as good (they put them through a broiler instead --and it just didn't reach that crispy, seered texture), but I notice they are offering burgers there, so I assume their gyros are now cooked on a grill, and up to the quality of the original location.

The original Lou and Harry's is at at 1139 East Grand River, East Lansing. Phone: (517) 351-0066
The Five Star Deli is at 245 Ann St, East Lansing. Phone: (517) 351-5566

Farewell Taj

For those who didn't know, Taj has closed. I've been expecting this. For the past couple of years they've been showing signs of trouble. First they got stingey with the main ingredients, then with the spices. I think the location -- the old Windmill truckstop west of Frandor -- just wasn't right for them.

They had a wonderful chef, who had a different take on the same old dishes served in other Indian restaurants, plus several great things you didn't see much around here. I hope we see this person's cooking show up somewhere. (Including a truly wonderful appetizer they only offered once, during a special dinner. It was little crispy wafers -- maybe small pappadams -- covered in a chickpea, tomato and onion salad dressed in yogurt and lemon. I may have to set some other food bloggers out on a search for recipes.)

In the meantime, the people who run Sultans have bought the restaurant and will soon be opening Lazeez Grill -- American, Indian and Mediterranean food. More about this next post.

Drive-bys - June 29, 2006

*I notice that a new Lou and Harry's location is going to open up near Frandor. It's on Coolidge -- in the little block between Saginaw and Grand River, near Beaners. Lou and Harry's have the best gyros in town, and lots of other great grill food and Greek deli specialities. (Review of the main restaurant in East Lansing coming soon.)

*A little bird told me that House of Kabobs has relocated -- and have a new location in or near Frandor. Yes!

*Mexico To Go 3 (which moved into House of Kabobs' location on Michigan Avenue) is now open. They have slightly odd hours - 7am to 5pm Mondays and Thursdays, 7am to 9pm Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays. They are closed on weekends.

Drive-by - May 29, 2006

Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church is having a "Taste of Greece" dinner fundraiser. A lot of these sorts of things are ordinary, but sometimes you luck out with food you can't get anywhere else. They say a $10 dinner includes a half a Greek-style roast chicken, rice pilaf, Greek salad, bread, spanakopita (spinach pie) and baklava. Eat in or drive through -- 4:30 to 7:30 pm on Thursday, June 8. They're at 1701 East Saginaw in Lansing (corner of Marshall St). 482-7341.

Drive bys - May 27, 2006

I've been off line for a while, due to the loss of a beloved pet, but I'm hoping to catch up with the blog posting soon. Here are a couple of drive-bys to get started:

*House of Kabobs is gone. I'm very sorry to see it go, but I'm not that surprized. Their wraps, which seemed to be the bulk of their business, were inconsistant. I think they really needed a more upscale location and atmosphere, since their best foods were their more expensive "sit down" dishes.

*The good news for those of us in Lansings East Side, is that Mexico To Go is moving into Kabob's space at 1825 East Michigan Avenue. They are much more suited to the "grab a lunch to go" crowd. Plus we've needed a Mexican place on Michigan Ave since Lopez Bakery shut down.

*I see a new restaurant in the 500 block of E. Grand River in East Lansing. Chipotles ("burrito bliss") is a chain restaurant, and here's a review I found on the net (they conclude that it's good but still a chain). They are either next to Flat's Grille, or they replaced Flats, which would make me sad.

Middle East Cafe - a hidden treasure

A Lebanese friend recommended Middle East Cafe to us. He said that Lebanese cooking tends to vary by village, and that this place serves food like his own family's cuisine.

And boy, his family must eat well. My favorites are the Cabbage Rolls. Somehow the perfect balance of tenderness and seasonings. You can get it with meat or vegetarian (in both cases, the filling has a lot of rice -- so if you get the combo, this can replace a rice dish). My other favorite is the Baked Kibbee -- grain and lamb, and pine nuts.

One great thing about this place is that they have a Combo Special, where you pick three items for $6.50. The list includes: Grape Leaves (Meat or Vegi), Baked Kibbee, Meat or Spinach Pie, Shwarma (that's the big roll of gyro meat: Chicken or Beef), Cabbage Rolls, Burgul & Tomatoes, Mujadara (lentils and Cracked wheat), Hummous or Baba Ghanouge, Hashwi (rice, chicken and ground beef), Tabouli (salad of parsley, cracked wheat and tomato).

The worst thing about the place is that's it's hard to find. (Once you know it's there, it's easy, so give it a try.) They are just off West Saginaw on the way out to Lansing Mall, tucked in behind a Tuffy Muffler shop a block or so west of Waverly Road, on the north side of Saginaw.

They are open 8am-10pm weekdays but not weekends. (Hey, the owner has to have time to run to the grocery store once in a while!)

801 W Thomas L Pkwy, Lansing, MI, 48917. 323-9009

Mexico To Go

1825 East Michigan Avenue. 203-4071

A friend of mine who loves authentic Mexican food has been bugging me to try this place. I did and I was pleased. Mexico To Go is cheap, tasty, quick. Makes me hungry just recalling the meal.

They had a three tacos for 2.75 special going on at the time. I had them give me one of each type of filling -- ground beef, chicken and carne asada (stewed beef). They gave me a basket of chips and a squeeze bottle of salsa to go with. (CORRECTION: I meant carne guisada -- which is moist and stewed. They also have excellent carne asada -- roasted chunks of meat, like fajita style. This costs more. But it's also really good.)

The salsa here is kind of mellow -- yes it has a little zip, but it isn't saturated in cumin and sharp flavors. While usually I like all the flavor I can get, I found that this more subtle flavor really brought out the flavor of the other ingredients -- and the other ingredients are choice.

The chicken and carne asada in particular have a great stewed flavor and texture. (The ground beef was okay, but not all that exciting.) The tortillas were fluffy corn tortillas which they had thrown on the grill to heat for me. (If they don't ask if you want the tortillas grilled or heated, be sure to ask, it brings out the flavor and texture.) The chips reminded me a lot of what you get at El Azteco.

I didn't ask for any extras. I went with what the waitress suggested for my first test drive. They may have a hotter sauce if you ask for it, and you could certainly ask for jalapenos if you need more bite.

They are located at 1825 East Michigan Avenue, a couple blocks east of Marshall. (The location on Trowbridge has closed down.)