East Lansing, MI - These my friends are Dolmades or grape leaves. This dish is very common among Mediterranean countries. I got it from a middle eastern restaurant in East Lansing, MI called Woody's Oasis. These grape leaves are vegetarian, but you can get them with beef as well. Here is a great description from another website: "An Arabic term meaning "something stuffed." Dolma (stuffed vegetables) became "Dolmades" in Greece, which is a dish prepared of grape leaves stuffed with rice, meat, lentils, and seasonings. This dish is typically served as an appetizer or as an entry." http://whatscookingamerica.net/Vegetables/StuffedGrapeLeaves.htm Growing up, my friend's mother use to make this all the time and it was truly the best. They can be a bit oily depending upon how they are prepared, but don't worry, it's good stuff!

East Lansing, MI - Are you asking yourself, what is that? Usually that question will lead into, I don't know if I would like that. Well, this is Bulgar. It is very common in the middle eastern regions of the world. This happens to be from a restaurant from East Lansing, MI called Woody's Oasis, but I've also had bulgar from a friend who made it and he was from Turkey. If you like stuffed cabbage, then you will definitely like this. It is cracked wheat that's cooked in tomatoes and other spices. So it tastes very similar to stuffed cabbage or red peppers. You can also eat this hot or cold, either way it is still quite tasty.

East Lansing, MI - Here's one more dish from the Malaysian restaurant in East Lansing, MI called Ria's Malaysian. As you probably can tell, I went there a few times. It was so good, I had to try everything. I'm sorry, I can't remember the name of this dish. It was very very good, right up there as one of my favorites. It was tofu over noodles in the remarkable spicy and tangy sauce with bean sprouts and cucumbers flanking it on both sides. They did a great job in preparing the tofu as well. It was cooked very well. Sometimes prepared where it is still pretty mushy inside, but not this time. Enjoy your Malaysian experience!

East Lansing, MI - For an appetizer at the Malaysian restaurant in East Lansing, MI called Ria's Malaysian, I got Roti Canai w Dipping Curry. The bread was almost like nan Indian bread. It was very soft and served nice and warm. I was expecting the curry sauce to be very thick and deliver a curry punch, but to my surprise it was the opposite. It had a higher viscosity and not as strong curry flavor. For the non curry lovers, I would probably stay clear, but it wasn't as strong as you may think. The bread and sauce were very good and I would be happy to get it again and again. Try some...

East Lansing, MI - This is called Malaysian Mee Goreng. This is from the Malaysian restaurant in East Lansing, MI called Ria's Malaysian. This has now become my favorite Malaysian dish. I first ordered it extra spicy and it almost kick my ass. So now I just get it the way it comes, spicy and it still has a nice kick and awesome flavor. It has lots of veggies and traditionally comes with chicken, pork, and shrimp, but you can get it any way you want. Just saying the name of the dish makes me salivate. Enjoy.

East Lansing, MI - Here's another dish from the Malaysian restaurant from East Lansing, MI called Ria's Malaysian. This is called Malaysian Hokkien Mee. It consists of very thin noodles, I forgot the name of it, different kinds of meats such as beef and shrimp, veggies, and then cooked in a sweet Malaysian soy sauce. The sauce is not a salty soy, but a sweet one. This dish is at the top of my list at this place. This one was a good find.

East Lansing, MI - Now that the Malaysian restaurant is open in East Lansing MI called Ria's Malaysian, it's time to experiment. This is called Malaysian Hokkien Mee Hoon. Lots of flavors going on. From the picture you can see that it is made up of noodles that have been cooked in this sauce that is a sweeter flavor. It also has lots of veggies and of course the large fried egg on the top. It's not one of my favorites, but it was good to experiment a little with some food I never had before.

East Lansing, MI - A new Malaysian restaurant opened in East Lansing, MI called Ria's Malaysian that I had to try out. The only other Malaysian food I had was in NY, so I was compelled to compare. The menu was formatted very well for those inexperienced Malaysian eaters. They have a picture for every dish! So I started with the curry puff, seen above. First I have to say, get it if you have the opportunity. It is very good. It consists of a flaky pastry shell and potatoes cooked in a curry sauce for the middle. Surprising enough, I was expecting a strong curry flavor and it wasn't that strong at all. So for all you non-curry lovers, but can tolerate a small amount of it, this would be an excellent appetizer to start with. Enjoy.

Detroit, MI - Japanese fast food? Yeah, I tend not to dabble in that, but I was actually surprised by this. I was at Metro Airport in Detroit MI and they had a fast food Japanese restaurant. I decided on the curry beef dish and was pleasantly surprised. This was made up of potatoes, veggies, beef, over rice with a strong curry sauce. I admit, it wasn't the best in the world, but it was much better than the Burger King there! :)

Southfield, MI - Deserts are an important part of a meal or just a snack. This desert is from the same deli as the new dill pickles in Southfield, MI called Star Deli. This is a jewish desert called Rougalah. Oh man is it delicious. Some places have these, but make sure you get it home made. It makes a big difference for freshness and FLAVOR. I believe a few of them were either apricot, cinnamon, or blueberry. They have crystallized sugar on the top and a flaky dough shell. Try one if you get a chance.

Southfield, MI - In case you missed the first picture I put up, here are some delicious new dill pickles. They are better than any other pickle out there. They are still like a cucumber, very crunchy, but lots of garlic! My feeling is that you can never have to much garlic. This is one of those cases. You can never find them in standard grocery stores. You have to go to a jewish deli and ask for new dill pickles. They'll be happy to sell them and you'll be even more happy to have them. Oh, I forgot to mention that this was from a deli called Star Deli in Southfield, MI.

Okemos, MI - There is a little place in Okemos, MI called the Tuba Museum. They have a plethora of menu choices, but also excellent beer. Every month, they have a different international special. They makes dishes from around the world and this month, it's from the Caribbean. This is called Pork Griots. It came with these delicious black beans, similar to cuban style beans. They were very hardy with chunks of pork cooked with it and the pork griots were quite delicious. They had a lot of jerk spice, very tender, and full of flavor. It wasn't "spicy", but it had a little kick to it. I look forward to their next special! :)

Lansing, MI - This little Korean restaurant in Lansing MI called Rivi's Deli not only has fantastic bulgogi, but has amazing customer service. This is true customer service when I spoke with the owner and asked her what other Korean dishes she makes. This is a small deli and only two or three Korean dishes on it, the rest is American deli food. She said, "well, I'll make what ever you want" All I have to do is come up with the name of a dish I would like to try and she will do it. She said to try the Kimchi Stew next time, so I think I'll have to try that one. As for this dish, Bulgogi is very thin sliced beef marinated and sauteed with the vegetables. The meat is so tender and flavorful. Her bulgogi was actually had a bit of a sweet taste, which was refreshing since I ordered it spicy. It was definitely hot, but it had this slightest sweet flavor that made it perfect.

Southfield, MI - If you are every really hungry, one place you will not leave hungry is a Jewish Deli. Get a sandwich from a Jewish Deli and the thing is so big you can't fit it into your mouth. This is a Corn beef Sandwich from a Jewish Deli in Southfield, MI called Star Deli. It has cheddar cheese, coleslaw, and russian dressing on rye bread. The meat is so soft and fantastic! Sorry for the bad pic, it is from my phone.

Detroit, MI - I think this was the desert of all deserts. Don't you just say wow when you look at this? I do every time. Instead of having dinner, just have this. Why not? It is so seductive looking. This is a desert at the Whitney in Detroit MI. It is Peanut Butter Mousse Dipped in Chocolate with Carmelized Banana. Each bite of this desert was pure pleasure!