EVERGREEN RESTAURANT 2771 Plymouth Rd. Ann Arbor, MI 48105 734-769-2748 evergreen-restaurant.com Sunday- Thursday 11am – 10pm Friday- Saturday 11am – 10:30pm
Evergreen Restaurant is tucked away in the corner of the Plymouth Road Mall at the intersection of Plymouth and Nixon Roads on Ann Arbor’s north side. Given its strip mall location, we were blown away when we opened the double doors to discover a spacious and sophisticated area, with polished wood tables and a large bar with fun blue accent lighting. The restaurant has been open since 1992, but a recent renovation of a few years ago provided a new and modern dining space, with plenty of room for families to enjoy comfortably. This is not a fast casual dining experience, so budget time and naps accordingly. And be sure to take full advantage of an indoor atrium within the strip mall for all the running, jumping, falling, and wailing that the kids may need to expel from their system before the meal. Chinese food variety show Evergreen has a huge menu, offering selections from many different regions of China. Learn from our mistake and make sure you narrow down your options ahead of time, rather than walking in blindly. The menu lends itself to communal or family style eating which works great since Evergreen offers no dedicated kid’s menu. We started with spring rolls ($1.50/ each) and veggie potstickers (10 for $9.99); both were delightful and fresh
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Veggie potstickers.
A Hidden Northside Favorite Family-style Chinese food at Evergreen By David and Julie Sturza
versions of these Chinese staples. The spring rolls were “just so crispy,” according to our 5-year old, and the dipping sauces were perfect complements. Tread lightly with the spicy mustard sauce, as this wasabi and mustard mix will run straight up the sinuses! For our main course, we shared three dishes. First was Evergreen’s Double Happiness ($14.99), a combo dish of Crispy Sesame Beef and Lemon Chicken. This combo dish is one of their specials that came recommended by the friendly staff as enjoyable for many pallets. The sesame beef had a hint of spice for the adults and the lemon chicken was lightly-breaded with a sweet lemon sauce that was great for our 5- and 3-year olds. The Salt and Pepper Calamari ($14.99) offered larger bites of squid beyond the too-fried rings that are so common in restaurants. The light breading on the squid combined with the sweet and savory diced red peppers made this dish a hit all around. Even the kids were happy to taste this dish – first for the silliness of eating squid and then for the flavor!
Combo dis h of Crispy Sesa m Beef and Le e mon Chicken.
Finally, we tried the Vegetable Delight ($9.99), a mix of seasonal veggies with either a white or brown sauce. All of the vegetables were lightly sautéed so nothing was too greasy or soggy. A medley of snow peas, snap peas, broccoli, mushrooms, baby corn, bamboo, and water chestnuts should offer something for everyone. Of course, our 3-year old was amused by the baby corn and gobbled up every last piece. Bamboo really peaked the kids’ interest, but not much more, leaving these artichoke-like shoots for the grown-ups. Evergreen does not have a dessert menu, but you can satisfy your sweet tooth with a bubble tea and the complimentary fortune cookies that come with the bill. Healthy and customizable Chinese food Evergreen breaks from the stereotype of heavy Chinese food and is surprisingly health-conscious. Each menu item included a calorie count and all menu items can be customized with little or no salt, oil, gluten or MSG. We are excited to head back and try another set of selections from Evergreen’s extensive menu. With so many options to choose from, it may take several trips before we settle in on a few family favorites!
• December 2018 • www.annarborfamily.com
Salt and Pepper Calamari.
The Short Course Kid-friendly: Yes. To avoid wait: Come on the earlier side of both lunch and dinner. Noise level: Low. Bathroom amenities: No changing tables. High chairs? Yes. Got milk? Yes. Kids’ menu? No. Anything healthy for kids? Yes. Food allergy concerns? All menu items customizable to address health or allergy concerns.