Lunch Around the Globe on a Block
One of the things I enjoy and like the most about living in a large metropolitan area is the diversity of people, cultures and their food. Every day I have the option of eating lunch around the world within a one mile or so radius of my office. Within close proximity of me are options from every corner of the globe to taste and experience. Farmington Hills, Michigan is located in the upscale northwestern suburbs of the metropolitan Detroit area. The city is the second largest in Oakland County and has around 81,000 people; however, the metropolitan area boasts a population of 4,313,002 – and that’s a lot of hungry mouths to feed. Since moving here I’ve had the opportunity to try quite a few of the diverse offerings right at my door. Many of the places I’ve tried are actually in the suburb of Novi; which 
is on the other side of the street. Last week I tried Korean Fried Chicken (saw it on the winter Olympics and have been wanting to try it ever since) at a Korean BBQ place called, Dae Jang Keum, Korean BBQ refers to the popular method in Korean cuisine of grilling meat, typically beef, pork, or chicken. Such dishes are often prepared on gas or charcoal grills built 
into the dining table itself. It was very spicy yet delicious and was served with plain rice and Kimchi, a very pungent vegetable dish made by fermenting the vegetables (mostly cabbage and radishes) and then adding spices very heavily – honestly, I did take a small nibble, it wasn’t something I enjoyed, unlike the chicken. Then there is the Vietnamese place, Pho Lucky, Pho is a 
Vietnamese soup consisting of broth, rice noodles, a few herbs, and meat, primarily made with either beef or chicken. Pho is a popular street food in Vietnam and by the lines at Pho Lucky a very popular food in Novi, Michigan as well. I did enjoy my experience with Pho, I probably wouldn’t get it very often but for a change of pace it hit the spot. Then there is the Lebanese place, Beirut Inn which serves delicious chicken shawarma and the best tabbouleh salad I’ve had since moving here. Shawarma is a Levantine meat preparation, where lamb, chicken, turkey, beef, veal, or mixed meats are placed on a vertical spit and may be grilled for as long as a day. Shavings are cut off the block of meat for serving, and the remainder of the block of meat is kept heated on the rotating spit. Shawarma is 
usually eaten with tabbouleh, fattoush, taboon bread, tomato, and cucumber. Toppings include tahini, hummus and pickled turnips. Shawarma is one of the world’s most popular street foods, especially in the countries of the Levant and the Peninsula. I took our auditor there for lunch on the day of our location audit and he raved about the food. Then there is the local favorite Mexican place, El Patio where I’ve ate a few times, who can resist baskets of warm tortilla chips and spicy salsa? Not me! The portions are large and typical of Americanized Mexican restaurants. One of my favorites is Alfoccino an old world Italian restaurant serving delicious sauces, pastas and homemade bread, true Italian style food. Thanks Sandy for introducing me to this gem. The area is very influenced by Asian cuisine and there are more Japanese restaurants than I can even name but a few I will be trying such as Oharu located next 
door to Pho Lucky and Dae Jang Keum, while I’ve never eaten here, Matt at the office says it’s one of his most favorite places in the area, lots of tempura and sushi offerings. It’s next on my list to venture to. Farmington Hills is a mecca for Indian’s there are abundant locations of Indian grocery stores and restaurants. Included on my list are two Indian places, Paradise Biryani Point and Namaste Flavours both of which serve the basic and typically same menus including Dosa a pancake type bread made from fermented
Dosa
– all authentic Greek cuisine without the hassle of having to drive downtown to Greektown. There’s a Portuguese vegan fusion place in downtown Farmington (not the same as Farmington Hills) just a few minutes east of me called Chive Kitchen, with Portuguese and Western European flavors and is 100% vegan. Recently I had a meeting in Sterling Heights (about 20 miles west of me) and we met at an Iraqi restaurant called Ishtar and it has been by far my favorite experience since moving to Detroit. Everything from the 
greeting at the door to the Persian influenced atmosphere transported me to a place in the world where many people fear. The colleague who setup of the meeting is an Iraqi born American that spoke fluently his native tongue to the wait staff and did all of the ordering for our group. We enjoyed a first course of lemon-chicken rice soup that was a vibrant yellow and simply delicious, followed by trays of 
delicious pita bread or nan. Large bowls of potatoes, okra and beans all stewing in a tomato sauce accompanied by platters of beef kabab, chicken kabab, chicken scallop, chicken tikka, beef and chicken shawarma – enough to feed an army. Lunch was absolutely delicious and was followed by traditional Iraqi tea service – which was an experience all in of itself as an elderly gentleman brought 
the silver tea tray to the table and clanked the glass hour-glass shaped vessels several times in 
rhythm before slamming it on the tray and filling it with steaming hot black tea. No sweet tea here. After lunch we headed to the Palm Sweets Bakery where we all purchased boxes of honey drizzled baklava (Iraqi version is not as sweet or as drenched as Greek version and is loaded with pistachios) to take home and share with our families. If Ishtar was closer to my office…
I’d eat there very often. I almost forgot if you are hungry for Canadian, there are numerous Tim Horton’s …well, it is a Canadian institution. It has been a learning experience living in Detroit, I’m beginning to enjoy the diversity and offerings of having the world at my fingertips and lunch around the globe on any given day…just down the block.
