Local Restaurant Reviews Around Campus
Ken Michalzuk
Issue date: 1/28/08 Section: Features
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China Gate is a sit down restaurant located on the corner of South University and Church Street. I went with a friend around 5pm on a weekday and I got seated immediately. The selection is really impressive. There were a lot of entrees, I'm guessing upwards of 100, along with specials. The menu isn't too descriptive for those that aren't very well versed in Chinese cuisine, but one of the walls in the restaurant is lined with pictures of selected entrees making the decision easier. You can order each meal as either a dinner or lunch portion. The dinner portion comes with a lot more food as well as your choice of won ton, egg drop, or hot and sour soup and costs about $2 to $3 more on average. The soup came out immediately with a platter of rice, soon followed by more food than one person could eat. I would consider splitting the dinner portion with a friend unless you are really hungry. The lunch portion is significantly smaller, making it a good choice if you are just buying for yourself. The service was really good. I never had to ask for a refill and the waitress would come over if I so much as made eye contact with her. The food itself wasn't bad either. The location is great, sitting right on the corner of the "diag" making it a great place to take a study break. Ultimately China Gate is a better than average sit-down Chinese restaurant. If you are going to get a dinner entrée, expect to spend around $10 after tax and tip and be ready to spend at least 30 minutes eating.
Tubby's
Chances are that you have been to "Tubby's" before and have a general idea of what to expect, but there are some subtleties about the particular location on Hill and State street that are good to know. First is the location, which is very convenient. If you are sick of burritos, just go a few doors down and get a sub at "Tubby's". Their menu is pretty expansive boasting dozens of unique subs as well as soups, salads, catering options and desserts that they will deliver to your door. You can get each sub in three sizes: 6 inch, 8inch or foot long. I went with the 8 inch grilled Pizza Steak and Cheese sub and I stand by my decision. Personally, I'm a huge fan of grilled subs and the Pizza Steak and Cheese, which ended up costing around $5 for the 8" size, was a welcomed change to the standard submarine sandwich. I suppose my biggest complaint is the speed of service. I went there at 5pm on a Saturday and it took over 10 minutes to get sub without there being a line. That being said, there was only one employee so I think that I just went at a bad time. I would imagine that things would be much faster on a weekday afternoon when there is more help working there. Ultimately, go to "Tubby's" if you are looking for a sub you can't get anywhere else and don't need something as fast as Jimmy Johns.
University Café
I wasn't sure of what to expect when going to University Café. I had seen it before, but had never talked to anyone that had actually gone there. I was in for a pleasant surprise. University Café is a small Korean restaurant on Church Street, one block over from the Business School. It looks like an old house that was converted to a restaurant. The interior is all Michigan - the walls are maize, the molding is blue and Wolverine football pictures hang everywhere. When I walked in every seat but one was taken. You order at the cash register and can either eat in or take out. There are no waiters or waitresses. I ordered a bowl of Be Bim Bop, a rice bowl with beef and vegetables that is topped with a fried egg. My food was brought to me just two minutes after I ordered it - very impressive. The speed of service makes University Café a definite candidate for lunch in-between classes and actually rivaled the likes of Pancheros and Jimmy Johns. My entrée, which totaled $7.25, came with Miso Soup and small vegetable side dishes. The food itself was excellent - a welcome change to my regular diet and Ann Arbor's standard offerings. The menu variety is impressive as well. It seemed as though everyone in the restaurant was eating something entirely different. All the dishes range between $6 and $8, a great value for the amount of food that you get. The speed, price and quality of food makes University Café a no brainer when you want to mix up your diet. I suppose the only complaint I have is that University café closes at 9:30pm which is too early for people looking for a late night snack.
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