Restaurant Review: 2.5/5 stars (fair, satisfactory)—Ratings range from zero to five stars and reflect the reviewer’s reaction to food, with ambiance, service and price taken into consideration, as well.

The Original Cottage Inn

512 East William Street Ann Arbor, MI 48104
Hours Mon-Fri 11:00am-11:00pm Sat 11:00am-12:00am Sun 11:00am-10:00pm

(734) 663-3379

Reservations suggested

In December of 2011, the Washtenaw County Health Department noted that The Original Cottage Inn was “under new management,” and that improvements in the restaurant’s cleanliness and food handling were “tremendous.” In October of 2012, the State of Michigan revamped its health inspection terminology. Violations went from easy to understand (i.e. “noncritical” and “critical”) to ”core” and ”priority foundation.”  To read the definitions of the new restaurant health inspection lingo, click here. The Original Cottage Inn was last inspected in December of 2012 and cited for two “core” violations, both related to food storage unit upkeep. In short, the violations are nothing to get your knickers in a twist about.

The service? It made reviewers on Yelp.com downright cranky:

“The service is spotty…”

“The wait staff is always ever-changing (it IS a college town after all) so the level of service is always ever changing….”

“The wait times for service are horrible and servers tend to become very careless when they see that you are ordering nothing but a personal pizza….”

“This paired with the waitress who (although she did her job in taking our orders and getting the food to us) gave off the impression that she *really* didn’t want to be there made for a negative experience.”

My experience, alas, was similar.

You don’t usually make reservations at a restaurant and then expect to wait over 30 minutes for your table, but at The Original Cottage Inn they had some very different expectations. My group arrived at about 6:55 p.m. for a 7:00 p.m. reservation. There where 13 of us so we’d order the food in advance as well as made a reservation (usually a good move when the idea is to speed dinner along). Unfortunately it did not work as well as planned. We weren’t seated until 7:35—all of us significantly hungrier than when we’d arrived. When we finally did get seated, our salad was already at the table, which was very nice, but there were no plates. The waitress finally appeared and brought some plates, but immediately disappeared before we could order drinks.

The décor of Cottage Inn is supposed to remind one of a rustic Italian home. Unfortunately from the unclean bathrooms to the rickety tables to the frying cheep carpet on the stairs leading to the second floor, Cottage Inn feels more like a ruin of ancient Rome. Noise levels are loud, making conversation difficult, and the evening I was there the restaurant felt like an overheated box—though this certainly could have been the result of a temporarily turned up theromostat, or some other temporary problem.

The Greek salad was very tasty. However, the salad was populated by some roughly cut vegetables (huge chunks of carrot and onion) and massive cubes of feta. The dressing was very flavorful and savory and the lettuce mix was crisp and fresh. The salad also had some nice fresh olives and tasty beets, which leant some nice flavor and color to the plates.

While waiting for the pizza to show up some of us wondered if perhaps they had they had called out for delivery. When the pizza did finally appear it was without its escort, the plates. The plates after being requested from a staff member where disappointingly small and could only hold one piece of pizza max and the ends were dangling off the side like they were sitting on the edge of a cream colored ceramic dock. The pizza itself was not a disappointment at all and almost, and I stress almost, worth the wait. The pizza although a little on the greasy side, had not too much sauce and seemed to be fresh when it finally appeared at our table steam rolling off, available in a multitude of different crust types the pizza is quite filling. My party got four pizzas for 13 people and that was quite enough. The pizza at Cottage Inn should be a focus of their menu but does not appear until the end of the 8-page behemoth. Also it has a high base price $13 for a regular larger and $20 if you want to add more than 5 toppings. You can also add any number off additional toppings for $2 each.

Cottage Inn also has a verity of Italian dishes and a “make your own” pasta section. This section of the menu is not one to be frequented and if at all possible to be avoided. When I went another time we all ordered non-pizza items which proved to be a huge mistake. The dishes took a very long time and two of them had to be sent back mine because it was so salty I could not eat it and another one because the salmon in the grilled Atlantic salmon ($15) was undercooked. Mine, the portabella mushroom ravioli ($13), had to go back a second time because it was stone cold and almost to hard to eat. When they managed to get my ravioli to an eatable state it was under seasoned and did not have much actual mushroom flavor. The pasta itself was gummy and overcooked, which was a disappointment for a restaurant that claims to import its pasta (I suspect it might be from Kroger).

Yelpers collectively gave the Original Cottage Inn a 3.5/5. They attributed this to good pizza and some good dishes with huge portion sizes, but also did note spotty service, loud noise levels and unpleasing décor. I would be remiss to not to mention that while at Cottage Inn I did see the entire University of Michigan women’s gymnastics team, they came in after us while we where waiting and got seated immediately along with about six or eight other parties who came in after us.

As one person I talked to said about Cottage Inn it is “a great place for U of M alums.” This I would have to agree to, there are some far better alternatives in this city and many within the price range or cheaper. Cottage Inn is a great place for pizza but not for much past that. Just remember to make you reservations far in advance for large groups or be a young attractive female collage student.

Restaurant Review: 3.5/5 stars (good, reliable)—Ratings range from zero to five stars and reflect the reviewer’s reaction to food, with ambiance, service and price taken into consideration, as well.

Great Plains Burger Co.
1771 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48105
Hours 11:00 am–10:00 pm Mon-Sat, Sun 11:30 am–9:30 pm
Ph (734) 769-6900

No reservations needed or taken

by Richard Saunders

Mo Farha wanted Great Plains Burger Company to be the epitome of Americana. ”I have a great passion for the American hamburger. For me, it’s a source of American pride,” the Ann Arbor native said in a 2009 interview. “I have a true burger, fries and shakes passion. These things go together.”

Farha is the manager and a partner in the Plymouth Road restaurant across from University of Michigan North Campus that opened in 2009. Gary Staub, son-in-law of Tom Monaghan is one of Farha’s partners in the venture the concept for which was developed after two years of study. Great Plains Burgers hamburger meat is Michigan-grown and ground fresh every day. You don’t usually think of higher quality restaurants as being located beneath student apartments and in a strip mall, but Great Plains Burger Co. is the exception that proves the rule. Great Plains Burgers serves up a great local burger and fries. All the menu items are made fresh and cooked to order including the fries, which are made from the 1,200 pounds of potatoes stacked in the dining room on any given day. Great Plains Burgers also offers fresh hand-crafted milkshakes and a wide selection of soft drinks and other beverages.

Great Plains Burgers is housed in a modern and airy building, which can lead to some heating issues, and I found the restaurant a little to cold for my tastes. One corner has the feel of a brightly light sports bar, with a flat screen TV mounted over a stainless steel bar area in the corner near the kitchen. Even though the volume is on as opposed to having subtitles, it is not too loud at all and doesn’t interfere with conversations. The fore mentioned kitchen is open completely to the restaurant (they use the space meant for an enclosed kitchen as a storage room), which is not unpleasant at all, and in fact lends a lively feel to the space as the workers bustle around making sandwiches, whipping up shakes and hand-cutting potatoes for french fries.

I have been to Great Plains Burgers more times than I can count, but the most recent time I went with my family for the purpose of reviewing the restaurant. We got there at about 6:15 in the evening, just about prime dinner time, and the restaurant was about half full. We reached the counter and two young women came over immediately and took our orders promptly. We ordered two chicken sandwiches ($5.69), a single burger made of 1/3 pounds of Black Angus beef (at $4.89 it’s the smallest burger on the menu). We also ordered a double 2/3 pounder (at $7.59 the largest burger on the menu). Each sandwich was laden with a wide variety of toppings—from the classics, lettuce and tomato and cheese to green olives and perfectly grilled jalapeño peppers. We also ordered a basket of fries to share ($4.49). Be warned, the large basket of fries is enough to feed a small army (4-6 people), and a side of fries will satisfy 2-3 eaters easily.

Suffice it to say Great Plains Burgers goes big on portion sizes when it comes to almost everything. The paper sauce cups, into which condiments are pumped, are on the small side.

Once we ordered we selected a table in the dining area, and went to go sit down. The table and my chair had not been wiped down, and there were a few small chunks and smears of food on my chair. We decided not to make a fuss and switched out a chair from an unoccupied table. A worker  quickly came over the wiped down the table when asked. My family and I made conversation for only a short time before our fries arrived, piping hot and fresh from the fryer. The fries were perfect—golden brown, crispy, hot and perfectly salted. We dug right in dipping them into the four house made special sauces available at Great Plains, including truffle mayo and Kentucky bourbon sauce. No matter which of the sauces the fries were paired with they tasted great.

We worked on the fries for a short time before the sandwiches arrived. My burger was the double and quite the imposing structure; when topped with tomato, cheese, lettuce, green olives, pickles, mayo, ketchup and my favorite ranch it was almost impossible to get my hands not to mention my mouth around. Somehow I managed and it was well worth it. The meat was well-seasoned and the toppings where fresh and not wilted. The bun, which can almost be called the most important part of the burger, was toasted to perfection, which makes all the difference.

The chicken sandwich that I tried the most recent time was well-seasoned and perfectly cooked.  When cooking a kind meat with a lack of natural piquancy, such as chicken breast, how it is seasoned can make all the difference: the good people at Great Plains Burgers know how to make a well-seasoned and juicy chicken breast every time. My only complaint about the chicken sandwich is that on a few ocassions the bun has been a little bit soggy, but that could also be the result of combining sauces and grilled veggies.

In my last review, I wasn’t enthused about the fact that fries had to be ordered a la carte. Those fries were frozen, but good. While fries must also be ordered a la carte at Great Plains Burgers, here a single burger in $4.89, is not anywhere near as expensive as the $8 burger I ordered at Sava’s. In fact, add an order of regular fries to a 1/3 pound burger at Great Plans Burger Co., and you’ll still spend less than $8 (and get a generous order of fresh cut fries to boot).

I have saved the best for last: milkshakes. Chocolate, strawberry and vanilla. Pick one. Pick them all. The hand-dipped shakes are made to order, topped with whipped cream and chocolate syrup. Each shake costs $3.79, and you’ll have to wait while it’s made. Wait. Gladly. These simple treats are, without a doubt, some of the thickest, tastiest milkshakes in town.

The most recent Washtenaw County restaurant inspection of Great Plains Burger Co. was on October 2012. There were no violations. Yelpers have given Great Plains Burgers a combined 3.5/5.They raved about the fries, but some did find the burgers a little on the greasy/messy side. In all I think that Great Plains Burger Co. is a great northside neighborhood joint, and the concept has solid potential going into the future. When the restaurant opened in 2009, Mo Farha said he and his partners intended to open up more locations. Thus far, the Plymouth Road restaurant remains an only child. My few concerns (wipe off the tables and sweep the dining room floor more regularly, guys) are far outweighed by the many great sandwiches, sides and shakes they sell. I would suggest Great Plains Burgers for any night of the week when you don’t feel like making dinner and want a tasty alternative. It’s a great kids restaurant, and perfect for a casual date, as well. Just don’t go with anyone who shouldn’t see you with ketchup on your chin, and remember to grab a pile of napkins.

Restaurant Review:  *** (good, reliable)—Ratings range from zero to five stars and reflect the reviewer’s reaction to food, with ambiance, service and price taken into consideration, as well.

Sava’s
216 South State Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48104
Hours: 8 a.m.-midnight daily
Ph: 734-623-2233

Reservations suggested for Sunday brunch.

Trying to find the door to a restaurant and almost walking into a research lab is something I have never done before, except at Sava’s. Once you get inside, the first thing you notice is a cramped waiting area with a few benches with more room for the maitre d’ than for customers waiting on a cold Sunday morning, most on their feet, for more than 30 minutes if you forget to make a reservation at least one week in advance. If you were informed enough to make a reservation, you are seated in the middle of what seems like a busy road where customers and wait staff alike bustle up and down the narrow restaurant to reach the extremely popular Sunday breakfast buffet. The décor of the restaurant is 50 shades of gray with wood accents. The noise, when the restaurant is full, is ear-splitting, and this makes conversations difficult even with the people sitting next to you.

The Sunday buffet costs $16 per person, plus drinks, tip and taxes, is actually what it’s talked up to be. There is a full table of hot prepared foods such as pies, potato dishes, corned beef hash, corned beef (other guests commented that the corned beef was a little too salty) and a plethora of egg dishes, including poached eggs. Each of the dishes on the buffet was hot when it was supposed to be hot; cold when it was supposed to be cold, and all the house made pastries—excluding the bread and bagels— were delicious. Pastries, in fact, were uniformly the perfect combination of “ooie” and “gooie.” The homemade poptarts are flaky-amazing, and the fruit-filled poptarts come highly recommended from a fellow brunch diner.

After that brunch I was anxious to return. I went for lunch. The restaurant, which had been bustling and full on the weekend when we were last there, was empty and quite quiet except for staff members who were lurking around and chatting among themselves.

The restaurant has an exposed ceiling, wood floors and a second floor indoor balcony area that, while charming, amplifies the noisy first floor. When I visted for lunch, Sava’s was a winter wonderland and decorated with oversized Christmas ornaments covered in glitter and an immense Christmas tree also covered in glitter and fake snow. My fellow diner and I sat down at a high-backed booth with padded seats and a wooden table. The server came promptly over and took our drink orders—a Coke for me, and a sparkling water for my guest. Usually it’s a bad sign when you server starts your meal by bringing tonic water (used in the making of mixed drinks) instead of the sparkling a.k.a. soda water requested, but the server apologized quickly, when found, and brought the correct drink.

We ordered an appetizer at the same time as our food, and fell into a deep discussion about, of all things, Punnett squares. The conversation was pleasantly interrupted when our appetizer came (spinach and artichoke dip). We tried to dig right in but found, when an entire castle keep of pita chips is stacked around the dip, it can make it slightly difficult to find the food. When we did make it in, we found that perhaps the pita chips, which themselves where very crisp, warm and tasty, were placed in the castle like formation to stop you from drowning in the copious amounts of oil in the roux. The dip was a disappointing mixture populated with huge chunks of tinny canned artichokes and bits of wilted spinach. Once we dismantled the pita chips, found a small amount of the roux devoid of artichoke chunks and were able to taste the flavors themselves, they were actually quite good.

Our entrees came as soon after we were finished with the spinach and artichoke dip. Our main courses consisted of a steak sandwich with regular fries that I had selected and a burger with sweet potato fries for my companion. The fries, which come in small portions and are a la carté, make a pricey lunch pricier—$3 for regular fries and $4 for sweet potato. Both the regular and sweet potato fries were served hot and perfectly crispy. While sandwiches themselves were good, the steak in my flank steak sandwich ($10) was bland, and the meat in my companion’s burger was also in need of a bit of salt and pepper. In my steak sandwich the horseradish sauce (which appeared to be grated horseradish mixed in with a small amount of mayonnaise) overpowered the meat. When combined with the wilted arugula and balsamic braised onions there was simply too much going on—as if the sauce would cover for the meat.

The burger ($7) on the other hand was cooked perfectly medium well, had very fresh vegetables and a snappy sauce made with mayonnaise and hot sauce—the same sauce served with the sweet potato fries.

We concluded our meal with dessert even though a dessert menu was as hard to find as the door to the restaurant (we had to locate our server and request one). We tried the peanut butter cheesecake, cooked by Sava’s in-house pastry chef. The cheesecake was silky smooth and extremely chocolaty. While it was called peanut butter cheesecake, the peanut butter flavor was lost in the layers of chocolate. I’m not complaining; I love chocolate. If you’re looking for the taste of peanut butter, you’ll get it from the crumbled peanut butter cups that surround the square of cheesecake. The peanut butter cheesecake had a layer of peanut butter cheesecake sandwiched between two layers of chocolate cheesecake. All of this was perched on a double chocolate Oreo crumb crust. Alas, the crust was slightly soggy, but you won’t notice.

Yelpers, collectively, give Sava’s 3.5 stars. On Yelp.com, multiple reviewers praised the sweet potato fries, and panned the noise levels. While our service was good both times, more than a few Yelp.com reviewers commented on what they considered spotty service at Sava’s. All in all the food, ambiance, service were, for the most part pleasant, but not worth the $52 some dollars we paid for lunch, (including drinks and tip). Sava’s is a great restaurant for Ann Arbor, but I wouldn’t rush there. If you do decide to find your way to Sava’s, put it on your calendar for brunch with friends. Just remember to go the Sunday after payday.

Restaurant Review:  ** (good, reliable)

Broadway Cafe & Jumbo Steak Hoagie
1139 Broadway St., Ann Arbor, MI 48105
Hours: Mon-Fri: 11am – 6pm, Sat: 11am – 2:30pm
Ph: 734-769-8900

Run by a Korean opera-singing coach and his wife, the Broadway Cafe in Ann Arbor serves up two kinds of food: Korean and cheesesteaks. The right side of the short menu is devoted to bibimbop ($8), bulgogi ($9.50), and soondooboo jjigae ($9), on the left side you’ll find fries ($2), and a cheesesteak hoagie ($7) made with American cheese and thinly shaved ribeye on a just-chewy-enough steamed, seeded roll.

Believe it or not, this small, simple, hole-in-the-wall is one of the most highly rated Ann Arbor restaurants on Yelp.com. Broadway Cafe has 4.5 stars, a higher rating than flashier, better known eateries such as Zingerman’s (four stars), Frita Batidos (3.5 stars) and The Earle (3.5 stars). You can easily drop $50 for lunch for two at Zingerman’s, Frita Batidos and The Earle. You’d have to hurt yourself to drop $50 for lunch for two at the Broadway Cafe. In fact, if you spent more than $25 you’d need a trip to the nearby U of M Emergency Room, because in all probability spending that much at the Broadway Cafe might mean you’d had not one but two hoagies. No one should eat more than one Broadway Cafe hoagie at a sitting. However, once you’ve had one, you’ll be back for another—and probably sooner than you should.

The restaurant has relatively limited hours, and just recently began accepting credit cards. There are about a dozen formica tables in the place, and ordering is done at a counter in the front of the one-room restaurant. Food is prepared in a large kitchen that has a better inspection record than many downtown Main Street Ann Arbor eateries you’ll step into and drop big bucks at under the mistaken impression that spending $25 for an entree means the chef knows how to keep the kitchen clean. Broadway Cafe’s most recent inspection was done on April 18, 2011 and the restaurant was tagged for one critical and two non-critical violations by Washtenaw County’s restaurant inspectors.

The menu board (right) is on the wall to the left of where customers place orders. The menu choices are limited. There is Bi Bim Bop, chicken dishes and, yes, hoagies (with or without cheese or mushrooms), and fries. There are soft drinks and bottled water for sale, as well.

Most food is served in disposable bowls and plates, and the napkins are, as you might imagine, paper.

If the hoagies are excellent, served piping hot every time on rolls that can stand up to sliced ribeye, onions and whatever else you might like to have piled on your sandwich, the Bi Bim Bop is some of the best tasting and best prepared in town. The dish comes in a simple steel bowl, and you can include chicken, beef or tofu. The veggies are always done perfectly and of excellent quality. Typically, the Broadway Cafe Bi Bim Bop includes cucumbers (seasoned in a light vinegar), carrots, spinach and now and again bean sprouts. The rice is white (no brown rice is available) and perfectly steamed. You can count on the fact that you’ll never get lumpy or undercooked rice here. Your egg, whether scrambled or over over easy, comes cooked perfectly and piping hot. In fact, if there were one complaint about the food at Broadway Cafe it would be this: the food is often served scalding hot (in temperature).

The french fries in this restaurant are never limp, and (you guessed it) always crisp and very hot when brought to the table. Zingerman’s Roadhouse line cooks could take french fry lessons from the Korean woman who prepares all the Broadway Cafe’s food, and serves up perfect order after order of fries, soup and entrees that always look and taste as though she were cooking for friends of the family.

Take a friend, or sneak off for lunch by yourself. You’ll see plenty of individuals enjoying quiet meals, as well as small groups. It’s not a spot to bring your 10 best friends. You won’t be able to sit together. However, I can guarantee if you did show up with your 10 best friends, all of your meals would be prepared well, served with a smile by the owner, priced reasonably, and incredibly tasty.

By Elaine Hayes

Restaurant Review: + (no stars, poor to satisfactory)

Teriyaki Time — New Ann Arbor Japanese/Korean Restaurant
314 Detroit St., Ann Arbor, MI 48104
Hours: Mon-Sat: 10am – 9pm, Sun: 12am – 8pm
Ph:734-929-2272

I was strolling through the Kerrytown Farmer’s Market and noticed a little eatery along Detroit Street that goes by the name of  Teriyaki Time. Located across from Commie High, this place is self-described as a Japanese restaurant that brings the taste of teriyaki from the Pacific Northwest to Ann Arbor. Teriyaki is a cooking technique used in Japanese cuisine in which foods are broiled or grilled in a sweet soy sauce marinade (tare in Japanese). Is it new, cutting edge cuisine? Nope. Since the late 1980s McDonald’s in Hong Kong has offered a Teriyaki sandwich called the Shogun Burger. In Japanese McDonald’s restaurants it is known as the Teriyaki Burger. Beginning in 2007 Burger King has offered a hamburger called the Whopper Teriyaki in its Japanese restaurants. Local Subway restaurants offer Teriyaki sandwiches.

Teriyaki Time is in the building that once housed local legend DeLong’s BBQ pit. The place is still a pit in many ways. While I do not let shabby decor deter me, I was a little dubious about this place. Diners are greeted by peeling lineoleum on the floor and battered furniture. The rest room was filthy—a case for the health department. It appeared that they had a tube from the air conditioning unit draining directly into the sink that was filled with what I can only assume was black mold. In fact, the restaurant’s last inspection in February of 2011 turned up a report that included one critical violation and several non-critical violations all related to food handing and cleanliness. The restaurant has a food inspection rap sheet that goes back to March of 2010 filled with critical violations (though the most recent inspection turned up only one critical violation).

The menu is directly above the small window where you place your order and peruse options.

My choice was the Bi Bim Bop, a signature Korean dish which literally translates to ”mixed meal.” Usually, it is warm white rice topped with sauteed vegetables, a raw or fried egg and sliced meat. For visual appeal, the vegetables are often placed so that adjacent colors compliment each other.  My dish contained cucumber, lettuce, shredded carrot and a fried egg with the teriyaki beef. My lunch companion tried the Spicy Bits, which was lightly deep fried chicken bits with spicy teriyaki sauce served with rice. Brown rice is $.99 cents extra.

While I think that adding an egg to just about anything would only enhance the flavor, I was disappointed that it was hard-fried. I would have preferred the egg over easy. In Bi Bim Bop, when the egg is cut into, the soft yellow center should spread over the rest of the dish to add richness and enhance all of the other ingredients in much the same way fettucine carbonara is given life by that the raw egg in which the pasta is tossed at the last moment. Then, again, the server didn’t ask how I would like my egg cooked, or point out that I could have had the Stone Bowl (sizzling rice) Bi Bim Bop. This was poor service even for a joint that expects customers to hoof it back up to the window to pick up plates of hot food.

I wasn’t totally disappointed by my meal. The warm egg and meat served over rice meshed well with the cool, crisp vegetables. The cucumber slices were well marinated in rice vinegar. I would have appreciated a little more of the meat, but all in all, Teriyaki Time’s Bi Bim Bop wasn’t bad. As a side, I was served a Miso soup seasoned to perfection. Slightly crisp scallions floating in the flavorful broth added a nice touch.

I sampled my companion’s Spicy Bits. While I did enjoy the flavor of the dish, the fried tid bits of chicken were not crunchy. The dish’s spicy teriyaki sauce was just that. Spicy. The ginger sauce for the salad was one of the most flavorful I’ve had. It didn’t help that the brown rice served along side the Spicy Bits was underdone. I realize what a challenge it is to cook brown rice al dente, but come on, this is an Asian restaurant. Ironically, the restaurant’s latest critical violation handed out by the Washtenaw County food inspector concerned the proper cooling of the brown rice. The violation notes: FOUND NUMEROUS COVERED AND PORTIONED CONTAINERS OF BROWN RICE IMPROPERLY COOLED (BROWN RICE AT 90 F AFTER ALMOST 4 HOURS). PIC CORRECTED BY HAVING EMPLOYEE DISCARD BROWN RICE, AND REMINDED EMPLOYEE TO COOL RICE FROM 135 F TO 70 F IN 2 HOURS, AND THEN FROM 70 F TO 41 F IN 4 HOURS.

The brown rice that accompanied the chicken dish served on the afternoon I visited was poorly handled, as well.

The food was satisfactory; while I did appreciate the interesting Asian brick-a-brack scattered around on little shelves that lined the walls, the decor lacked cohesiveness. The tangerine colored walls and battered pink and black tables have seen better times, and should all see a new coat of paint. A cozy (read cramped) restaurant should be kept exceedingly clean. This one is not, and that is a shame. It’s a family-owned business, and in this economy any restaurant business that wants to thrive needs to pay close attention to detail.

If you want to eat at this establishment, get it to go! It’s teryaki basic, and cooking done without the care and attention to presentation or preparation one would expect at an Asian restaurant. In short, this place could use a little Tiger Mothering to whip the decor, service and food into shape. Prices for appetizers range from $.99 cents for a serving of kim chee, to $9.95 for an appetizer sampler. Entrees are priced at $6.95-$12.95 (salmon teriyaki). A “create your own” Bento Box will set you back $12.95.

The Star System
A2Politico’s star system rates restaurants on the following scale.

**** — Extraordinary
*** — Excellent
** — Very Good
* — Good
None Poor to Satisfactory