Farmington Hills, MI — On Wednesday, May 28th, I embarked on a rare foodie adventure for lunch during a workday. One of my weather-focused colleagues had recommended a restaurant he recently discovered near our news station and had suggested wanting to check it out at some point. So, on that particular day, I decided to take him up on his offer to adventure to ShiangMi in Farmington Hills!
ShiangMi features Hunan-fusion cuisine with several signature dishes from South-Central China. The restaurant is located along the south side of 12 Mile, just west of Orchard Lake Road. During that particular time of day, another weather-inclined associate was clocking out for the day and asked if he could join our foodie adventure, so we checked in a few minutes after noon for a table for three. As you may have already noticed, I won’t be referring to my colleagues by name since there’s a company policy or whatever, so enjoy my journalistic vernacular!
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I frequent a wonderful Chinese takeout establishment in Southfield for lunch and dinner (shout out Hunan Town!) in my rotation for places to eat around my work. But it’s been some time since I sat down for a succulent Chinese meal at an establishment (well, locally at least… shout out to Dim Sum Garden in Philadelphia from early May!). I was the first of our trio to arrive, so I quickly snapped a few photos and videos of the exterior as my coworkers pulled into the lot to park one after the other. Unfortunately, ShiangMi is a little hard to notice if you’re just casually driving by along 12 Mile because of its proximity to the nearby intersection and being tucked back a bit from the sidewalk. But, as I was soon about to learn, ShiangMi is VERY much worth the stop and visit — because this place is fantastic!
Upon walking in, my work cohorts and I agreed in swift accordance that the interior aesthetics and artwork were elegant and very classy. According to the owners, their team is dedicated to providing locally sourced ingredients from farmer’s markets, never compromising on quality, and paying homage to the rich cultural heritage of South-Central China. I was really captivated by the entryway to the dining hall, flanked by private dining rooms encased by glass shelves of wine and spirits. The interior feels surprisingly spacious, open, and relaxed, which fits the perfect vibe for a quick lunch with colleagues. There’s also a patio dining area and a relaxed, modest bar space just behind the welcome podium.
As I marveled and took more photos and videos, slowly making my way through the foyer, the rest of my party was seated at one of the large round tables in the dining hall, which looked capable of seating about eight people or so. These tables were meant for some serious dim sum experiences, in addition to the dining options for various meat and fish entrées. Thankfully, my table was down to clown with starter town, so we collectively decided on an order of the Sliced BBQ Roasted Pork, Steamed Pork Soup Dumplings, and Walnut Buns (I insisted after reading rave reviews on Google and Yelp about this particular menu item). We went three for three because that appetizer trio got straight 10s across the foodie boards!
Starting with the Sliced BBQ Roasted Pork: if the image above isn’t enticement enough, imagine how hard it is for me to write about this on an empty stomach approximately a week later! ShiangMi’s roasted BBQ pork belly comes slathered in a sweet barbecue sauce and is quite a successful launch from start to finish. The dressing was appropriately portioned across the tender pork, a hearty flavor encased within a sweet and thick sauce. The three-to-four-bite slices were so delicious that we cleared the plate within about two minutes. We even had trouble deciding what we enjoyed more, the roasted pork or the sauce — either way, it’s a phenomenal appetizer dish and a great shareable item for groups.
Up next were the Steamed Pork Soup Dumplings. I’ve been fortunate enough to have experienced some marvelous soup dumplings over the years. Two establishments stand out; one is the aforementioned Dim Sum Garden in Philadelphia, and the second is Din Tai Fung (one of the largest dumpling assortments I’ve ever happened upon) at Aria Casino in Las Vegas. My eyebrow-endowed weather colleague and I were particularly excited to order the Pork Soup Dumplings, a popular dim sum dish hailing from the Shanghai region. Unlike other dumplings stuffed with meat or vegetable fillings, these dumplings are filled with a liquid or broth. They are often made with a thinner wrapper than typical dumplings or buns and are usually a delightful explosion of broth and flavor upon first bite.
We each chop-sticked a dumpling to our plates and cautiously poked a hole near the top of the dome to allow some of the interior heat and steam to flow out. One of the many well-known aspects of a soup dumpling is that you typically have to be careful in your approach because if you bite straight into it, prepare to have hot steaming soup squirt and/or explode into your mouth! This could potentially burn parts of your mouth and spoil the rest of your foodie adventure (and nobody wants that).
After a few seconds of allowing the interior to cool, I boldly popped the whole dumpling into my mouth, and my taste buds were greeted by the savory rush of pork-flavored broth that burst from within the very soft and thin steamed dough. The flavor of the pork was prominent, and each dumpling had a proper portion of broth, which was wholesome and really tasty. These soup dumplings were undoubtedly some of the best I’ve ever had, aside from my out-of-state mentions. I only wish they had a spicy version for the pork soup dumplings!
Admittedly, I’ve never encountered a walnut bun, or at least, I hadn’t noticed them before on menus after reflecting upon the various dim sum adventures I’ve had over the years. But I couldn’t help but notice the majority of online reviews hyping up this menu item, which was also one of the most common photos shared by reviewers—all of which reported high praise for this popular Chinese dim sum delicacy.
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I was very excited when our wonderful server brought my appetizer suggestion out to the table. My coworkers had never tried or heard of the walnut bun either, so this was genuinely a new foodie adventure for everyone. For starters, the Walnut Bun’s appearance makes it look super edible and fun. Even visually, there are some fun textures at work because the dough looks as soft as a marshmallow, which is probably the closest consistency I can compare it to.
The buns felt very soft and squishy, steamed to absolute perfection. I easily snatched one up with my sticks and took a bite. My eyes widened, and a “holy cannoli” shockwave jolted through my body. I was overcome with foodie euphoria because I was NOT prepared for how deliciously amazing and sweet these buns were. None of us were expecting the creamy milk mixture within the bun as we bit in, but then again, we were more distracted by the photo of the dish on the menu rather than actually reading the ingredients. The Walnut Buns at ShiangMi also contain diced walnuts sprinkled throughout the interior mixture, a great nutty contrast to the sweet and soft dough exterior. All three of us were instantly obsessed with these buns, which was the best dish, as determined by consensus at the end of our meal. I even placed a to-go order for more so some of my colleagues back at the station could try them. After all, food is better when shared for all to enjoy!
Since we were running low on time, we also placed our entrées for carryout since we had to get back to work. I goofed when placing my under, not realizing that the rice was à la carte, so consider this a future note for myself and for readers — always order the rice! It was the only thing missing to accompany my order of the Black Truffle Sautéed Chicken. The chicken was generously seasoned, and I could tell the palate-grabbing black truffle and soy sauces had fully saturated the chicken and fried onions.
This dish really brought the flavor, with the chicken and onions standing out in their own way with their unique flavor profiles. When I sat down for dinner after work and tried some of the entrée, I really wished I had ordered fried rice. A hefty portion of rice is the only missing link to complete this dish. Thankfully, I remembered I had some leftover tortillas from making my Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas the previous week. So, I found a reasonable carb-y substitute and turned them into tacos. Again, rice would have definitely been the move to seal the deal with this order, but when in doubt — taco out!
My element-deciphering coworkers and I closed out and embarked back to our station. We were overjoyed and extremely enthusiastic after such a glorious meal. While one colleague was done for the day and the other about to begin, I thankfully only found myself with a couple of hours remaining on my shift, to which I used any opportunity possible to spread the holy gossip about the phenomenal food at ShiangMi to everyone I encountered. Our foodie adventure to ShiangMi inspired my Foodie-at-Arms Juan to take his wife for dinner several nights later, and they were as equally energized after their experience!
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ShiangMi is a solid spot for some amazing takes on classic Chinese-American dishes and Hunan-inspired fusion cuisine. Two of my friends have tried ShiangMi’s General Tso’s Chicken and said it was the best they had ever had, particularly crispy yet tender. I’m eager to try that in a future endeavor. Some other dishes that caught my eye are the Braised Duck, Happy Family Soup, ShiangMi’s Signature Braised Pork Belly, Braised Beef Brisket, Steamed Basa Fillet with Chili Sauce, Chinese Beignets, and the Thai Tea Pudding. If you’re looking for a friendly, upscale, sit-down Chinese establishment with great food and ambiance, ShiangMi is an excellent addition to anyone’s restaurant rotation!
For more information about ShiangMi in Farmington Hills, click here.
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