Neehee's has brought a type of Indian food rarely found in Michigan all the way from the streets of Mumbai to... a strip mall in Canton. Advertising "Indian Vegetarian Street Food," Neehee's is the first restaurant in the area specializing in chaat — snacks sold by street vendors. With deep-fried breads and turnovers, crunchy sev noodles and nuts, all topped with an array of chutneys, purees, yogurt, and spices, Indian snack food is like nothing else. It's been a (rarely satisfied) addiction of Joe's since he first got to try it in Toronto. They're hard to describe, as they hit on a lot of sensations at once: cold, hot, spicy, sweet, salty, and crunchy. And you have to eat them fast, lest you add "soggy" to that list.
Khasta Khachori (#21, $4.99): "Big spicy khachori filled with chutneys, yogurt, onions, and potatoes"
The chewy fried-bread khachori are a little hard to cut into with plastic cutlery, but they are completely worth the effort. We have no analogies for this; you just have to try it.
In addition to a dazzling 31 varieties of chaat, Neehee's also has Indian sandwiches, South Indian-inspired uttapams and dosas, and a selection of Indo-Chinese dishes that goes well beyond offerings in Ann Arbor. (Indo-Chinese, according to Neehee partner Rikesh Patel, is an adaptation of Chinese flavors to Indian techniques, originating in the Chinese community in Kolkata, aka Calcutta.)
They opened within the past couple of weeks, though they've also got a place in Farmington. We'll be back to Neehee's for a more comprehensive review, but for now, here's a sampling...
A view of the counter at Neehee's
During the time we were there, there was a constant flow of (mostly Indian) customers — a great sign for authenticity and for the health of the business.
Masala Puri (#17, $4.99): "Crisp puris crushed and topped with green peas ragda, chutneys, onions"
Green peas ragda is a puree of green peas, warm and very nice. It's a great contrast to the crunchy puri pieces and crispy sev.
Dabeli Dosa (#91, $8.99): "Dabeli stuffing mixed with ground nuts and onions, cut into pieces"
Dabeli stuffing is a spicy potato mixture which also includes chutney. On this one, you have the option of getting it with or without the additional pungent garlic chutney. By default they'll probably leave it off for non-Indians, so make sure you ask if you want it. The crunchiness of the noodles and the occasional chunk of nut really make this one.
This dish is one of the fusion creations Neehee hopes to become famous for — taking a stock South Indian dosa and combining it with the filling of a Mumbai sandwich. Along with the classics, they've also got items like Mexican dosas, Szechuan Paneer dosas, and Jalapeno Pineapple uttapam. Works for us.
The ice cream case
End your meal with a selection of ice creams made in house. These aren't kulfi, as they have some air whipped into them. Flavors include fig, dried fruit with vanilla, and classics like mango and pistachio saffron. We were impressed especially with the saffron and fig.
neehee's
45490 Ford Rd.
Canton MI 48187
(734) 737-9777
Open Monday-Sunday 11am-9pm, closed Tuesdays
Wow! When we get back from the UK we gotta go there with you guys!
Posted by: f&j | August 03, 2009 at 09:33 AM
When you're actually in the UK, you shouldn't have any trouble finding food like this. I'm sure there's at least one place in Sheffield, if not several. Jenny and Ray should be able to hook you up.
Posted by: Joe, Kitchen Chick's husband | August 03, 2009 at 09:52 AM
You guys get all the good stuff. Here in Denver, a city of over 3 million people (and a lot of Indians), we have exactly one South Indian restaurant. I'd be eating at this place every week.
Posted by: Scott | August 03, 2009 at 12:07 PM
I don't want to drag this off topic, but I travel to Denver for work occasionally. Last time I was there, I found one truly outstanding Japanese place (Domo) and had some great Honduran food from a pupusa cart on Federal. Is there anything else I should check out next time?
Posted by: Joe, Kitchen Chick's husband | August 03, 2009 at 12:09 PM
Joe -Maybe that great S. Indian place we have all been to in Sheffield will have some of the street food - I have emailed our native informants .... and await with baited breath..
Scott - We envy you your proximity to Domo... we were in Denver for a conference in Feb and took a group there on Joe's recommendation - we all licked our plates clean... now we are all looking for an opportunity to return.
Posted by: f&j | August 03, 2009 at 02:56 PM
I'm salivating and I can't wait to try it.
Posted by: jules | August 03, 2009 at 10:51 PM
Went there last night, and the food was definitely tasty. It will take a while to figure out what to order since the menu is so broad. We started by order what you guys ordered, but next time we'll have to find the more savory items. I guess we're lucky to live 5 minutes away!!!
Posted by: chiwei | August 04, 2009 at 08:09 AM
chiwei: I agree that the Khasta Khachori and the Dabeli Dosa are both on the sweet side. I think I prefer a more savory dosa, but we tried it because the owner created this dosa recipe and we wanted to try something different.
Posted by: Kitchen Chick | August 04, 2009 at 06:24 PM
Don't get me wrong, they were definitely tasty. Can't wait for your more comprehensive. I still use the one you did for chia shiang. Anyway, I hear that the paneer chili is off the hook!
http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/3Nm2tsjZREGKUbYGrZ0lpw?select=mnANB06yVgwdeV-OaCsoGw
Posted by: chiwei | August 05, 2009 at 09:00 AM
Thanks again for an intriguing post. Neehee's sounds like a must try for me.
Posted by: John Hritz | August 05, 2009 at 09:58 AM
Thanks for sharing this- the food looks amazing! I live pretty far from Canton, but next time I make a trek out to that big store with the blue & yellow flags, I will have to make a point of going here. The only other restaurant I've been to in Canton is Izakaya Sanpei, another hidden strip mall gem serving authentic Japanese "pub food". I'm guessing you're already familiar, but if not, it's definitely worth checking out.
Posted by: mlle noelle | August 28, 2009 at 12:54 PM
Hello!
I found your website by chance when looking for food blogs in Metro Detroit. What great pictures and reviews! Love it!
I just wanted to pass on a link to Operation Frontline's blog, which is a program at Gleaners Community Food Bank. We do nutrition education and cooking classes in Southeastern Michigan. There are more details on the website if interested: www.ofldetroit.wordpress.com.
Thanks!
Diana
Posted by: Diana Flora | September 04, 2009 at 02:22 PM
I'm fortunate enough to have grown up in Canton, MI and still live close by. This place is awesome!
Posted by: Chris | September 14, 2009 at 01:53 PM
My husband and I go to the Neehee's in Farmington (it's tucked into a strip mall, as well, and has a large sign that says "Suraj Indian Groceries, or something, but definitely "Suraj"). We love it so much, we try to go fairly often. We have tried most of the dosas, and my favorite is the stir fry dosa. It is SO good. My husband really loves the garlic dosa (and also the debali dosa, actually!), with the potato masala. The sambhar soup that comes with the dosas is delicious, but very spicy (love it). They also come with a fabulous coconut chutney and a tomato type chutney. The coconut chutney is my favorite, and I feel extra lucky when I find a delicious, smoky, curry leaf at the bottom. We tried the ice cream last time we were there, and it is amazing. The owner told us that he makes it there, and wow, it is delicious. We had the saffron flavor, and it was so creamy and perfectly sweetened, with just the right amount of saffron. The owners are super nice, too. We aren't Indian, and they have really explained a lot of the menu to us, and been so helpful and friendly. This has gotten really long, but I just can't say enough about how great this place is.
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