Asian-inspired Tigerlily opens Wednesday in former Antihero space
A new Asian-inspired restaurant and sushi bar was set to open Wednesday in downtown Ferndale.
Called Tigerlily, the restaurant is located in the former Antihero space at 231 W. Nine Mile.
The restaurant is from the Hometown Restaurant Group, which purchased Antihero along with Public House from the Working Class Outlaw group more than a year ago.
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Tigerlily will offer at first a limited menu of sushi, shareables and items from the restaurant's Robata (Japanese-style) grill. Robata is short for “robatayaki.”
A Robata grill is a similar to barbecue. The ingredients are first skewered and then cooked over white oak, binchotan charcoal — a hardwood-type of charcoal. There’s little smoke or flame involved.
Chris Vasquez, who was born and raised in metro Detroit, is Tigerlily’s executive chef. Vasquez returns to Ferndale after working as head sushi chef at Momotaro restaurant in Chicago. In metro Detroit, Vasquez worked at Maru Sushi and Nippon Sushi.
At Tigerlily, the owners are highlighting sushi bar offerings as new and unique to Detroit.
Tigerlily’s sushi bar will serve imported A5 wagyu, caviar-topped nigiri and sustainably sourced bluefin.
“We are taking an Edomae style of sushi and bringing in different contemporary flavors and techniques,” Vasquez said in a news release. "We are creating a new style — not like New York sushi, but fusing it with different cultures while still being authentic to what sushi is. It’s really an expression of a fun new concept that’s a bit more sophisticated and unique.”
Tigerlily’s 4,000-square-foot dining space was redesigned by Birmingham architects Ron & Roman. The dining room includes the sushi bar set beneath a six-panel mural by Detroit artist Glenn Barr — kept from Antihero.
There’s also a private “omakase” room, where guests can enjoy a multi-course, chef-curated meal based on each individual’s preferences. Or you can order from the menu of sushi, nigiri, sashimi, small plates and Robata items.
The name Tigerlily refers to the tiger lily flower that, according to a news release, once grew wild in the area. The flower symbolizes confidence, pride, positivity and wealth.
A 900-square-foot tiki bar called "Mai Tiki" will be accessible through Tigerlily and is expected to open in several weeks.
Hometown Restaurant Group also operates Ferndale’s One-Eyed Betty’s, Pop’s For Italian, and the former Rosie O’Grady’s.
Tigerlily hours will be 4-10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 4-11 p.m. Friday, and 3-11 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Contact Detroit Free Press food writer Susan Selasky and send food and restaurant news to: sselasky@freepress.com. Follow @SusanMariecooks on Twitter.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Asian-inspired Tigerlily restaurant opens Wednesday in Ferndale
