I went back to Azalea for a family dinner and didn't realize they had changed their menu since the first time I visited. The quality of the food is still amazing and worth a visit, but there were some items I wish stayed on the menu. For example, the spicy salmon crispy rice is no longer available and only available in the tuna form. The portions are also smaller, now coming in three small bites rather than the two big bites from before. The gochujang rigatoni and kimchi paella are also unavailable. Some new dishes I tried and loved were the short rib and the grilled octopus. The octopus was incredibly tender and I couldn't stop eating it! It also comes with delicious potatoes. The short rib was a larger portion and also tasted delicious. The rest of my table ordered the miso cod. The miso cod was delicious, but the portion was quite small and arguably not worth its price compared to the short rib. Cocktails that I recommend are The Gatsby and The Promised Neverland if you like sweeter drinks! For the service, we felt a bit rushed as we were dining. Normally the drinks come out followed by the appetizers, but our appetizers came first and the drinks came with our mains. I think there was a missed opportunity to sip on our drinks and chat with our party as we enjoyed the restaurant's ambience. Otherwise, the food came quickly and was well served. read more

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I'm pretty torn on this one, hence the 2 stars. I came here with a friend for dinner and we were rudely greeted and told that it would be best if we sat at the bar because they were busy. It was restaurant weekend in downtown Ann Arbor and we didn't have a reservation, so we obliged, although the space was pretty empty. Once we got to the bar, the young waitress slammed menus down in front of us and acted extremely annoyed by our presence. After bothering us every minute for the next 5 minutes to order, me and my friend put in our orders in haste. We then waited for 30 minutes for our meals to arrive. I got the "Amazing Shrimp" sushi roll and my friend got the "Grilled Angus Short Rib". As noted on the menu it comes with Mashed Potatoes, Shishito Peppers, and Garlic Chives. Per my friend's request, the order did not come with the Shishito Peppers or Garlic Chives, but it also didn't have the potatoes. After asking for the potatoes, our server went back and we could hear her yelling at the kitchen staff. Minutes later she came out with a bowl of 3 potatoes, not mashed and not hot. My roll was great and I'd definitely order again if I come back, but I'm honestly not too inclined to after this experience. Lastly, the restaurant itself was freezing. It was a cold day but it was way colder inside than it should've been. We ended up keeping our coats on for most of dinner. I really do want to like it here because the vibe seemed very modern and clean, however the service, food, and level of professionalism fell short of my expectations. read more

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Amazing Japanese fusion restaurant! Everything we tried on the menu was a 10/10. As a spicy food lover, I just wished the gochujang rigatoni was spicier--but it was still so good! From appetizers to entrees, everything was perfectly flavorful. I'd definitely recommend this place to anyone looking for an Asian restaurant in Ann Arbor. It's a great spot with a nice interior and a perfect downtown location for meeting up! read more

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For some context, we went during restaurant week on perhaps the coldest day of the year, so it was likely they were understaffed, and unusually busy. We ordered off of the restaurant week pre fixed menu. The menu was quite generous and had a good bit of variety, including sake and edamame before two appetizers per person, an entree, and optional dessert course. All the food was phenomenal. However, the service was a little disorganized. For starters, when we arrived at our reservation time, the host seemed confused on where to seat us, causing it to take a while for us to be seated. Once seated, our waitress appeared sporadically, and the timing between courses was very strange. We waited a very long time for our appetizers to be brought out, but then one entree was brought out nearly as soon as the appetizers arrived. The other came way later. Before ordering appetizers, I ordered a drink, which did not arrive until right before our dessert arrived. Our waitress did acknowledge that the timing was off and comped the dessert uncharge (it was only $2). Other than that, the dining area was very noisy and cold, but clean and well designed. All in all, the food was excellent and made the experience worth it. read more

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I love the walk down stairs into the restaurant. It's minimalistic with a nice ambiance/vibe at night. The dining room area was busy but the bar was wide open! Mark greeted me very nicely and made sure I was good while dined. I ordered the Lychee Blossom martini but substituted vodka for tequila. I ordered the Firecracker roll and it was chefs kiss! I'll be back! read more

Azalea - Lychee Blossom Martini - Japanese Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

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We were visiting Ann Arbor after having played a gig in Ypsilanti. We wanted to have something different for dinner, and we found this place with multiple good reviews. As we were sitting there my friend and I agree that this place was a perfect combination of classy but welcoming. The staff was unpretentious and made us feel like we were valued guests. The menu is a nice mixture of unique sushi rolls, dumplings, rice dishes, and other Asian staples. I went with an order of pork dumplings, Wego dumplings, and pork bow buns. All of it was delicious. My friend enjoyed an order of kimchi along with several drinks that he indicated were wonderful. I'm not sure I'll ever have a chance to visit this place again, but I'm glad we made it in today. read more

Saturday night. Place is pretty busy. Ordered a number of sushi rolls. We hadthe sake salmon, caterpillar and the cucumber rolls pop. I ordered the lychee martini and my friend a cosmopolitan. Both drinks were a little sweet. The sushi was fresh and creative. The portion size was generous. We ordered a second drink and requested to be made less sweet. I don't believe the bartender got the message, as he was also waiting tables. It was not less sweet. They apologized that they were a little short staffed. Overall was happy with the dining experience and would go back again. They are right by the Ark, so make it a convenient place to eat before a show. It is downstairs, and this gives it a cozy, yet modern vibe. read more

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First time in since the rebranding. The menu looks interesting. No happy hour on Fridays. The place as empty. I sat at the bar, order a peach tea whiskey drink and a roll. I was very surprised that the roll was nearly tasteless. It looked great. Seemed fresh. Just no taste. The drink was fine but should have been a full glass for $14. Staff was great. Just boring. No one else there. $50 for a roll and drink with tip. I'll try them again and hope for better next time. read more

Azalea - Japanese Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

The ambiance was great! The new transition to new ownership resulted in a better menu for sure for the price. Our server was also awesome and was super helpful. However, the food was not the greatest. To start with the drink, the Azalea (pink drink) wasn't too bad although I wasn't a fan of the dried coconut flake on top. The Tokyo peach drink though tasted pretty much like diluted orange juice. I didn't really get much else in it as it was overpowered. All of their seafood didn't really taste fresh, from the tuna to salmon. The seafood paella was pretty good, although the seafood in there was ok and the mussels tasted weird. The quality just didn't seem right for the price, but I hope it will get better! read more

Azalea - Sushi rolls - Japanese Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

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Chose Azalea for my birthday dinner with six friends. The experience was a letdown on every level. We were seated 20 minutes past our reservation into a dining room so cold (due to a broken heater) we wore our coats all night. Service was inattentive. The Restaurant Week fixed menu was mishandled: they were out of the included drink without telling us, served a single cold appetizer (meant for each of us), and then brought entrees before the rest of the appetizers arrived. The manager offered no real apology or compensation. The final blow was a "complimentary" birthday dessert that was frozen solid with ice inside and had no candle. For the price and supposed caliber, this was unacceptable. Cannot recommend. Won't be coming back. read more

Best Asian ribs in town! Loved that soy sauce-y sauce they came with. The food was flavorful, but be aware it's $$$$ level expensive here. This seems like a good new spot in town for a fancy date or special occasion, not somewhere you would go regularly to eat. Main complaint is the place is difficult to find! It's a one door entrance and the logo is kind of difficult to see on it...the restaurant name needs to be bigger at least. Didn't mind that the restaurant was a basement restaurant, it fit the eclectic, dark ambiance. read more

Azalea - Pork Ribs starter - Japanese Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

Very good sushi. Excellent service. Very cool ambiance. A hidden gem in downtown Ann Arbor. read more

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This is a new place in the spot that used to be Of Rice and Men. Showed up around opening time on a Saturday. The place was overall pretty quiet and had a nice ambiance. It was pretty cold temperature-wise initially--bring a sweater! I thought the drinks were tasty, and we all got a second round of drinks! Food was pretty good. Compared to other asian restaurants in AA, this felt more fusion (like gochujang rigatoni, which weirdly worked!). But I think my favorite was actually the sushi! Large portions, creative rolls. I would come back! read more

Came here a while ago when it was "Of Rice and Men" and I guess they rebranded? Menu and decor is completely different, but they kept the bedazzled Buddha! Anyways, we were greeted when we walked in and seated instantly. Service was fast and friendly. In terms of food, the Pork Ribs were good but could be better; a little dry and needed a bit more seasoning/salt. Crispy rice with spicy tuna was good! Midori Verde had a bit too much sauce. read more

Came for an early Wednesday dinner and the place was pretty empty. It took us a minute to figure out that the main restaurant is in the basement before we headed down the stairs to get to the reception desk. SERVICE was excellent with food coming from the kitchen quickly and frequent water refills and checkins from our waiter. They weren't offering their Japanese wagyu that day which was disappointing to find out only when we tried to order. For FOOD, we got the grilled angus short ribs, gochujang rigatoni, korean fried chicken, salmon on the beach roll, and fire cracker roll. My favorite was the short ribs and the chives they came on however I couldn't taste the shishito peppers and the smashed potatoes were bland and didn't contribute much to the dish. The gochujang rigatoni was flavorful with a medium amount of spice. The korean fried chicken was not what I expected in that the batter was a tempura batter and I would have liked a more traditional, heavier korean fried chicken batter. My fiance's favorite was the fire cracker roll. She found the salmon on the beach roll a little disappointing as it was just lukewarm when it's listed as a baked roll. AMBIANCE was somewhat cold, monotone, and dark which didn't seem to match the vibe of a early summer evening dinner. I would've given a 3.5 stars if that was an option but in lieu, overall I give Azalea 4 stars. read more

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Started off with Angus beef dumpling (very salty, some were pink inside but warm). We had both the fire cracker and tekka makki rolls - great presentation, nice portion and fresh seafood. Service - getting seated was an odd experience here. The guy was confused over what tables had been seated or cleared and there was a lot of back and forth/obvious frustration between staff on it. I'm going to jump to guess it's because servers were offering to move people who were sat in a portion of the dining room that was under super bright lights. Anyway, service itself was good, we were checked on regularly and I assume the manager/owner was greeting people, including us as we settled in. Still new and hopeful that they're working their kinks out to serve the community for some time. read more

Went during restaurant week. The decor is all over the place, but the food wasn't bad. The roll that I got was definitely premade which was really disappointing. It was cold on the inside like how grocery sushi is, not sure if they just add salmon and torch it when an order gets put it but premade sushi is premade sushi. read more

The ambiance was great and the food was fantastic. Couldn't be happier to have found such a great sushi spot! Highly recommend and will be back! read more

The chef is certainly talented, and the food is beautifully styled and presented. Unfortunately, the front of the house has serious management problems. To start with, almost everyone in the restaurant was wearing winter coats throughout dinner because the room was freezing, though a few space heaters were set up. I'd rate the ambiance dismal, though I might enjoy the temp in the summer. The servers had trouble keeping track of orders and frequently delivered to the wrong table or had to change course mid-room and check at a kiosk for the table. The order of service was off, and courses were not rationally spaced or delivered in order of people being seated. The general feel of the restaurant was hectic--staff were at points literally running, which suggests the level of disorganization and add nothing to the attempt at gracious dining. read more

Food: Dolsot: creative variety of mushrooms to bring slight different flavor profiles to the dish. Sizzling and crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside. Almost like a risotto. 7/10 Sea Bass: Sauce had almost zero flavor was totally botched. Bass was cooked decently well but a little dry. Radishes were just a weird addition. 5/10 Tteokbokki: Rich, creamy and cheesy. Truffle shavings obviously weren't fresh but a decent touch. Runny egg as well. 6.5/10 Fried Chicken: Really nice acidic sauce and a brilliantly brined tender chicken. Large chunks of meat perfectly tender. Could've done with more crisp. 8/10 Service: Untrained service members but good enough for Ann Arbor and give great effort to attentiveness. 7/10 Ambiance: good ambiance and lighting. Decoration is very dark and modern and is a fantastic foundation. Art choices, and other decor such has the attempted fountain and bonsai trees obviously lacked any taste and brought down the great skeleton. Great walkway into the restaurant. 7/10 read more

Azalea - Dolsot Mushroom Rice Bowl , Sea Bass - Japanese Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

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Worst experience ever with service. Waited over an hour to get served mediocre food. Could not recommend less

Fantastic dining experience at Azalea's! My dining partner and I shared 3 small plates and 2 specialty rolls, all of which were delicious. The Midori Cauliflower, Wok Fried Edamame, and Sunchokes small plates were incredibly tasty- so many layers of flavors! Not to mention beautifully presented. We also enjoyed two very sizable sushi rolls- the Wagyu Beef roll and the Sweet Potato Roll. Ray, our server, was so friendly and helpful in guiding our choices. Turns out that he's also the master bartender and he mixed up two delicious Aperol Spritz- like cocktails with an Asian twist. We dined outside, along Main Street, on a beautiful fall evening. Perfect setting for a perfect meal! We'd go back in a heart beat- this place is not to miss! read more

Azalea - Beef Wagyu Roll and Sweet Potato Tempura roll - Japanese Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

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Biggest "swing and a miss" in Ann Arbor for quite some time. Got the crispy rice, tekka maki (bluefin tuna roll), and chili fried chicken. Crispy rice was pretty decent. Liked the crunch and the portion size was big. Everything else was just fine and I think you'd be better off going to Pacific Rim for similar ambiance with better dishes for the price. Service was slow with an empty restaurant. Not sure if they have growing pains or staffing issues, but the server was still friendly. Gotta say it's tough to recommend Azalea when there are plenty of great options just around the corner. Hope they do well and keep improving. read more

Everything was so yummy and the service was great! The new drink menu is so good. My personally favorite is the short rib and picante tuna. read more

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It took 1.5 hours to receive all our food. we ordered an edamame starter, and that took 50 minutes to arrive. Also, you dishes will arrive in 20-minute increments. read more

A must-go spot in AA! Perfect for nice dinners with friends, birthdays, or dates! The food is amazinggg, the service is great/ the staff are all super sweet (shoutout Jei), and the ambiance is everything! My faves were the Gochujang Rigatoni and grilled angus short rib- both are soooo delicious and flavorful!!! Another must try dish is the spicy tuna crispy rice. Overall definitely check it out if you're in the area! read more

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This place is actually amazing. Way different than the previous dump. Many creative and exciting things on the menu. First time visiting was last week and will definitely be back. Give them a 8/10 only due to the overpriced wine and no draft beers available but food is spot on. read more

Azalea - Firecracker Roll - Japanese Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

Ray provided excellent service and recommendations. The food was delicious! Ambience was wonderful...we will be back. Thank you for making my birthday celebration memorable. read more

Delicious food, satisfying portions, and great low-light ambience. Recommend the cloud cake for dessert (not too sweet!, light and creamy). Top-tier service all around. Definitely recommend for a night out with friends and to share a bunch of different plates. read more

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Love this place! Delicious and freshest sushi in Ann Arbor! The appetizers are unique I love the cauliflower, and tofu! The ambiance is so nice comfortable seating and bonsai trees.. never too loud to have a nice dinner read more

Waygu beef dumplings, Spring salad, Firecracker roll and Mexican roll. Everything was fantastic! read more

Azalea - Firecracker roll and Mexican Roll. - Japanese Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

Azalea completely exceeded my expectations. There is zero storefront - literally a door that you pass through to descend a flight of stairs. I'm not a fan of basement restaurants but they have done a lovely job and created a very inviting space. Service was excellent, with several staff stopping by over the course of the meal and there wasn't an emptied plate or low glass at any point in the meal for more than a minute or two. My waitstaff did an excellent job explaining the concept (Asian fusion, small plates designed for sharing) and were spot on with recommendations. Per usual, I would mention two or three items and ask for their thoughts. With the signature cocktails there were two that held appeal; my server asked a couple questions and made a recommendation - and absolutely nailed it. Same experience with a starter and main, actually steering me to menu items that I wasn't initially considering. In both cases, they made excellent recommendations that I absolutely loved. Everything I ordered (a mescal based house cocktail, cauliflower al verde, pork belly rigatoni) was beautifully presented and had layers of flavor. Given the quality of the food and experience, Azalea is a steal and will definitely be my go to when I am in the area. read more

The food and service was EXCELLENT! The place is beautifully designed and serene. The menu to us looked odd but Ray, our server, brought it to life--so don't take the menu at face value. The CRISPY RICE ( we choose spicy tuna) were delicious--you get 3 and they are decent sized. We tried MUSHROOM DOLSOT and it comes in a huge bowl--it basically a gourmet sizzling mushroom fried rice. The bowl come out sizzling --so don't touch it-- and the rice that hits the sides gets crispy ( yum) the flavor is excellent and I highly recommend. We had THE ORAM HAND ROLL SET -- which you get 3. They let us change them for allergy purposes to tuna cucumber and 2 salmon cucumber tobiko. Wow! There are three little open faced little taco-like hand rolls with incredibly fresh fish. It was filling but also light. Would absolutely get this again, and highly recommend. Last we had TEKKA MAKKI which was a large tuna roll, which you would find at any sushi spot. It was good and would order again, but it wasn't as unique as everything else we tried there. The bar is super cute too. We did not try any of their specialty drinks, but will do so the next time. This is such a great new restaurant. They serve food tapas style. They recommend ordering 1 to 3 items depending on how hungry you are. I would say if you're not very hungry The hand rolls and sushi are decent sized. My husband and I couldn't imagine eating more than two items each. Three total would have been perfect as we are taking much of the rice dish home. Can't wait to come back. Thank you Roy for making our first experience at Azalea a memorable one! read more

Azalea - Menu - Japanese Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

The short rib and crispy rice with salmon were exceptional . This place has awesome cocktails and a great environment . We come here regularly always try something different read more

Azalea isn't easy to see--you have to go down a flight of stairs. However, the food is excellent--as is the service and the atmosphere. We've been there numerous times, and every experience was perfect. This is not an ordinary Japanese place--the dishes are creative and the flavors keep drawing me back. read more

Food was good. Had the tempura, pot stickers and Korean fried chicken as appetizers along with the lobster roll and wagu beef entree. More than enough food for 3 people. Bit pricey but very tasty and well worth it. read more

Azalea - Lobster Roll - Japanese Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

I've been going here for my dinner dates, since the restaurant was still called Of Rice & Men until they changed their name! It's an Asian inspired restaurant, and the food is amazing. Menu: * Salmon on the beach 5/5 If you want to get 1 thing from the menu, get the salmon on the beach, especially if you love baked Sushi (it has cream cheese inside if you are a fan of that!) * Firecracker roll 4/5 The firecracker roll was also really good, it has a slight kick to it with the jalapeno on top. It's not as creamy as the salmon on the beach roll, more understated but still yummy! * Pork ribs 4/5 Very tender and juicy. My favorite part of the dish is the sauce! Would love it better if there was more sauce. * Miso aoli salmon 3/5 Still delicious but not as amazing as the other menus. If you like simple and homey food, this is perfect. The service was really good! I have come on a weekday when the place was not very full and on Valentine's day when it was packed. Both times, service was amazing. The place has a nice ambiance, perfect for dates. You can sit inside with the dim and romantic lighting or outside to get a good view of Main Street. Give it a try! read more

Azalea - Pork ribs, miso aoli salmon, firecracker roll, salmon by the beach - Japanese Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

Very good. Enjoyed a variety of plates. Nice atmosphere. Good stop before a show downtown.

I got a Philadelphia roll. This was a great sit down place with good vibes and ambiance. Price was pretty standard. Service was great and the food was also delectable. Overall I would give it a 8.5/10 and would definitely recommend for sushi in Ann Arbor. read more

Azalea - Japanese Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

Food was great, they had some AC issues and we arrived late... missed some items on the menu , which means our picks were good. They accommodated us with smiles and sparkling saki!! Try it, a little pricey but was worth it.!.!.!. read more