Tianchu Restaurant
| Address: | 613 E William St, Ann Arbor, MI 48104, USA |
| Phone: | +1 734-769-1368 |
| Site: | tianchuannarbor.com |
| Rating: | 2.6 |
| Working: | 11AM–10PM 11AM–10PM 11AM–10PM 11AM–10PM 11AM–10PM 11AM–10PM 11AM–10PM |
Location
Photos 71
Reviews 6
A
A Private User
Im not quite sure what the previous poster is referring to with regard to his absurdly negative comments - he seems to have something personal against the owner or management - because Ive certainly never felt like they ever treated me like a cow or that I have no taste buds. The food is a fusion of several Asian countries, with each entree dish coming with miso soup and some side dishes similar to what youd get in a korean restaurant, and in general its quite excellent. The steamed dumplings are by far the best Ive ever had at any restaurant. They are second only to the homemade ones my mom used to make for me and taste truly authentic. The fried rice with Taiwanese sausage is really unique tasting, and has quickly become my favorite dish. Ive never been a fan of fried rice in the past, I always saw it as being faux Chinese food, but this dish really feels homemade and well-done. They have a great special where if you get a large bubble tea, you can get this dish for 3.99, which is a great deal because if you dine in you also get the miso soup and side dishes, all for less than $8. The beef short ribs are also great, highly recommended. Nothing Ive ever gotten here has tasted too oily or MSG-y. The food is definitely eclectic, but reminds me more of what youd find in an authentic Chinese restaurant, instead of the standard stock of general tsos and sweet and sour chicken youd find in a typical Chinese restaurant. The bubble tea is a bit too sweet sometimes, it seems to fluctuate so they maybe need to standardize how they make their teas better. Overall Ive enjoyed dining at this place. It has a neat little atmosphere, great service, and amazing food. I stop by there at least once a week, and I wish people would look past their fear of anything different that doesnt fit neatly into their preconceived categories and notions of Chinese, Korean, or Japanese restaurants. Just give it a try, youll find something new for sure, and might turn out to like it much better than what what you already know. Their prices are so reasonable, its not like youve got much to lose.
JE
Jerod Gardner
Why are the reviews so negative? Despite whats said below, the waiting staff definitely dont seem racist; their English just isnt so great so its hard for them to explain things to you like many American restaurants will if your food is late or whatever. You get a different restaurant culture here because of that too which can be really cool; different cultures have different atmospheres and customs in their restaurants, and just because it doesnt match up with what you are used to (mostly the costumer is always correct attitude that we have in America) doesnt mean they are deserving of a Hated It ranking on here. If there is a problem with your bill, argue with them; youll have to do it if you ever travel abroad. As for the food, Ive liked it every time I went. Great selection, many traditional dishes and many americanized dishes; you can get anything from a grilled cheese to curdled pig intestines. Always loved the food and their willingness to work with you to explain the different foods despite a language barrier. My only gripe is the rice bowls; I can never get them off, although the small asian child whose parents work there is able to pop it off no problem, so I guess its just a technique I havent figured out yet. All in all, Tian Chu Inc is a great restaurant as long as you dont come through the door with an attitude of entitled l who expects the world to revolve around you and your ideals; otherwise, you might just think you Hated it instead of Loved it
A
A Private User
Easily the worst "asian" food I have had. I have tried two of their soups, both of which had the same broth that was WAY too salty, greasy and is worse than a 10 cent packet or ramen. The dumpling soup was mostly broth and has a few vegetables like a few pieces of old zucchini and a carrot in there, and what looked like low quality beef, with frozen dumplings that were boiled and added to the soup. And it was far overpriced at $9. The must be making a huge profit consider the crappy ingredients in it. Sesame balls also were not good, and shrimp dumplings were okay. Maybe some other entrees are good, but none that I have tried. Pictures on the menu did not resemble the food that is actually served, which looks far less appetizing. Service was good though, and they do have really good bubble teas, but the last time I got one the bubbles were dried out. All in all I will never be going back, except for bubble tea. Feel bad giving them a low rating because it looks like a family run business and as I said, the service was good.
AS
Ashley Adams
DO NOT GO HERE. The service is absolutely horrible. I am convinced these folks are racist. And really, I have no tolerance for racism living in a college town like Ann Arbor. The waitress wearing glasses IGNORED me literally. She didnt give me water, seat me, anything. She ignored me did not even want to take my order. She never brought the bill to the table and when I went up to the register she took the liberty to GIVE HERSELF a tip. She built the tip into the receipt. I was flabbergasted. I asked her if this was legal and I did not think this was legal. She was on the phone the entire time and then proceeded to take the tip off the receipt. I will NOT be going here again. This establishment should not be supported by higher minded individuals who are working towards a global community of respect and courtesy for FELLOW humanity. Seriously, racism in 2013? Can we be real? (btw, I went with a white friend prior to this and was served by the same waitress and did not have these problems).
AS
Ashley Howard
My boyfriend and I ate here for the first time a week ago. Our experience was very good! We were both very surprised that this place has gotten such bad reviews. Our food was great, our waitress was friendly and helpful, and we really enjoyed our experience there. After reading reviews on here, we decided to try a different asian restaurant that got much higher reviews, Kai Garden. Our service was fine, but the food was nowhere near as good as at Tian Chu. After just a few minutes eating at Kai Garden, we decided we would go back to Tian Chu and test the bad reviews we read, thinking maybe we just happened to go on a rare "good" day there. Went back today for dinner and both tried new dishes and they were both excellent. Our waitress quickly greeted us with a smile when we walked in and our service was good the entire time! This is our favorite place to go for asian cuisine in Ann Arbor and we would definitely recommend it to others! Oh, and their prices were better, too.
CA
Carly Perez
Best mixed Asian restaurant Ive been to! The appetizers are good, and yummy, the tea is delicious, the service is very kind and polite, everything that Ive had there was good. Im a vegetarian, so Ive only eaten all of the vegetarian food, and its all good! The one thing that I couldnt eat and found awful was the black bean noodles, I dont remember the name, and I only disliked it for I hate black bean paste. The bubble tea is better than Bubble Islands tea, personally thats what I think. The decor is calm, yet colorful, the music is nice even though its all Asian pop. The food generally is big, no matter what you order so its good to go with others and share the entree or if youre getting appetizers or something on the side, share what you order or else you wont be able to finish your food. But it still makes yummy leftovers. Overall, this is my favorite place to go for Korean, Chinese, etc. food and I highly recommend it!
