Cardamom Takes Indian Food Seriously. Ann Arbor Should Return the Favor.

The lamb shank biryani at Cardamom arrives in a vessel large enough to feed a small family, and it very nearly could. The rice is layered with saffron and fried onions, the lamb falling apart beneath it after hours of slow cooking. It is a generous dish in a city where generosity and Indian food don't always meet. I ordered it on my first visit and have ordered it on every visit since. Not because the rest of the menu isn't good. Because the biryani is that good.

Cardamom is at 1739 Plymouth Road, on the north side of Ann Arbor, in the commercial corridor that runs between US-23 and the university's North Campus. This is not where most people go looking for a memorable dinner. Plymouth Road is a commercial strip — not the kind of address that gets foot traffic from downtown. The foot traffic is thin. But the restaurants along this stretch have always been a quiet counterargument to the idea that Ann Arbor dining begins and ends downtown.

The Food

The menu covers tandoori dishes, curries, and a selection of breads baked in the clay oven. The kitchen takes its time with things, and you can taste the difference.

The paneer tikka has a deep, smoky char from the tandoor. The paneer holds together without being rubbery, and the marinade has enough spice to register without overwhelming the mild cheese. I ordered it on my second visit.

The tikka masala is rich and tomatoey with a warmth that builds across the plate. The cream is integrated into the sauce, not sitting on top. It's the version I measure other tikka masalas against now.

The cocktail program draws on Indian spices in ways that feel considered. A gin drink with cardamom and lime is the obvious house signature, and it earns that position. The chai-spiced old fashioned sounds like a gimmick but isn't.

Plymouth Road vs. Downtown

There is a geographic bias in how Ann Arbor talks about its restaurants. Downtown and Kerrytown get the attention. Main Street and State Street set the conversation. But some of the most interesting cooking in the city happens on the margins: South Industrial, Washtenaw Avenue, Plymouth Road. Cardamom is a case study.

The food would get more attention if the address were on Liberty Street instead of Plymouth Road. The food hasn't changed. The address has. That gap between quality and visibility is something Ann Arbor's dining conversation needs to reckon with. We talk about supporting local restaurants, but we tend to mean the ones within walking distance of the Michigan Theater.

What It Means

Ann Arbor has plenty of Indian restaurants. The buffets on South University have sustained generations of graduate students, and I've eaten at most of them. Cardamom is doing something different — tablecloths, a cocktail list, dishes that take hours instead of minutes. It sits comfortably alongside Echelon and Mani Osteria in terms of ambition, and the prices don't punish you for it.

The lamb biryani is $24 and feeds two people comfortably. Go order it.

Go on a weeknight. Bring someone who thinks they know where to eat in Ann Arbor. Order the biryani and the paneer tikka. Watch their face when the food arrives.

Cardamom is at 1739 Plymouth Rd, Ann Arbor.