ORAM

Lucky to have an asian tapas bar around here! Their crispy rice and hand rolls are signature and I would definitely order again. I visited during their soft opening and excited to visit again after grand opening. I love nibbles so I liked the small plates with various selections. They even have arcades to enjoy. It’s suitable place to have a party and gatherings. I look forward to their drinks!

I enjoyed my meal here. Was here for restaurant week, and the braised Kalbi short rib was fall-off -the-bone to die for! Expect to find Asian fusion. Food was tasty. The atmo was rather noisy.

I stopped for an early dinner with a friend on Friday and we had a great time and amazing food. We had over 8 items from the menu and everything was very delicious. The miso cod and kalbi short ribs were excellent. Highly recommend ORAM for special occasions and date nights!

After rebranding and management change I am giving a five star to Azalea. Service was excellent and food was much better than oram. My recent visit was very disappointing. When we were seated, we noticed table was sticky. The food was not good at all it felt like it was heated in microwave rather than cooked after order was taken.

Had an amazing experience here One of the best dinners i had in michigan Chicken was amazing Tried a bunch of different menus and overall everything tasted really good (Ribs, kimchi pasta & paella were also my favorite) Price was reasonable the ambience and service was really nice too. Would definitely recommend this place for a nice dinner or drink

The main menu tasted good. I can feel they try to mix with multiple textures and creative flavors. Good quality of food.

I went to this place with a friend about 2 weeks ago. We wanted to try something new.. I will say the restaurant and vibes are nice but the food isn’t so much. It’s just okay, nothing too special especially for the prices. We got the spring rolls as appetizer and they were good. As for Entrées we got the curried fish, this one was good. We asked for their salt & pepper fried shrimp and it was not good at all, we ended up asking for a replacement as the shrimp had a very odd taste. Instead of this, we got their lobster tail entree which was also okay.. we asked for sushi and we never gotten it. The drinks were okay. Overall we paid over $100 for the experience rather than the food. I wouldn’t personally go back.

Delicious flavorful food. Claudine our server was so personable and attentive throughout the evening. Hoping to come back for tasting the duck delicacy next visit Another delicious evening … this time with our wonderful server Morgan . Very knowledgeable and attentive . Food is so delicious and so flavorful . Every dish has so many levels of flavor …, so above ordinary oriental fusion restaurants. Their chef creates amazing dishes . A cold soba noodle dish can have such delicious flavor profile …, it’s unbelievable !!

We just moved into the area a few months ago and were looking for a spot to dine-in for Asian cuisine (I am pregnant with very specific cravings)... found ORAM on Google Maps to be nearby... called in and they said there was no wait time! We were pleasantly surprised to see that they had a totally different vibe and menu from whatever was posted online... that's right, the restaurant has undergone yet another rebranding, now called Azalea! The vibe was classy, too classy for how we were dressed, but the staff was super friendly and accommodating. Apparently yesterday was their second or third day with a new menu and rebrand! The menu had some of the old items like the Truffle Rice Cakes, but basically was entirely redone and very vegetable-focused! I would call the menu Asian fusion, mostly Korean inspired. Every item we ordered was delicious, even though it was an experimental period for the chef, and we got to try a couple things off the menu/our order as well. Being vegetarian, they also modified a lot of existing menu items for us, such as the Lobster Egg Noodles served "sans Lobster", which was super nice. Might I say, the egg noodles with the yuzu sauce were SUPER yummy and I have never tasted a flavor quite so balanced between citrus and savory with such amazing umami undertones... don't even know how else to describe it! As a few warnings: 1) restaurant is all the way downstairs with no current outdoor signage besides a doormat on the sidewalk that says ORAM 2) portion sizes are large so recommend under-ordering even if waiter pushes for more items 3) no liquor license, but can serve beer and wine The Truffle rice cakes were divine and a hit with both us and our toddler, The Tempura sweet potato was unlike any other tempura dish I've had and very tasty, but a bit spicy for our toddler though we loved the spice, The Sunchokes were my favorite dish with a predominant umami flavor and nice crunch, The Dashi maki was good but somewhat sweet intrinsically which tasted odd with the soy sauce provided, The Amuse bouche was served a bit later than our first items, probably because we were one of their first customers on the new menu/rebrand, but had nice crunch and flavor... portion size a bit large, The Mushroom dolsot arrived last but we were already too full by then, and it was such a huge portion!! Honestly we didn't need 2-3 of the other dishes given how huge this single dish was. It was a bit too oily for a rice dish, but very rich and the variety of mushrooms was yummy. The Corn cake was rich and appealing to our toddler who thought it was a "pizza", but we enjoyed it by topping it with sliced green chili peppers for spice/flavor, otherwise found it a bit bland. Was very heavy and too large for an appetizer, could honestly be a bit amplified in flavor and cut down in portion size to about 1/2-1/3. Overall, we loved our experience here and would definitely come again!!!! And will order less next time!!

Pretty disappointing experience here. My husband and I had an extremely rare date night while grandma and grandpa babysat, so we wanted a nice, adult dinner... which includes drinks. At a place with izakaya (Japanese for "bar w/snacks") in its literal name, it's a safe bet they have drinks, right? Nope. Our server explained that they only opened 2-3 months ago so they don't have their liquor license yet. I guess I can't fault them for that, but you'd think they'd at least put that info on their website, given it's an izakaya. I also see from other reviews that you can BYOB, which we would have done, had we known that they don't serve drinks and that BYOB was even an option. The food was good, but the portions were HUGE. I guess I'd rather have that than super small portions, but our server told us to order "2 or 3 dishes per person, depending on how hungry you are." We were both starving so we ordered 6 dishes between us, and yikes, it would have been enough for 4 hungry people.

The ambiance in this restaurant is very nice and contemporary. The menu isn't large so you're kind of limited and it's a bit pricey which is why i knocked off one star. The hand roll set was delicious but I wish it came with more fish options instead of coconut shrimp. The sake salmon roll was also great. You have to try the butter miso cod. it comes with a side of rice and the fish was soo soft. Told them it was my birthday and they gave me a free honey pancakes (no candle tho). It was delicious!

Located downstairs. No liquor license, yet. Just found out online Of Rice and Men closed back in October, but the new place uses the letters for the previous spot. Ordered ginger tea, mushroom medley, house salad, 2 dak ganjung, rose Tteokboki less bacon, regular Tteokboki no bacon and no redskin potatoes, calamari tempura, 2 crab California hand roll. $117.13 The ginger tea is sweetened with honey. It reminds me of the Korean honey ginger we buy from the Korean market. The salad is okay, some rotten green leaves in the salad. The ginger dressing is better with the salad, but still not special. The kiwi dressing was quite bland and flavorless to me. The crab California roll is a bit awkward to eat since it's open faced and piled high. Dak ganjung is good, breading is light and airy, despite it looking thicker. Needed more sauce or more kick to the sauce. We dipped the chicken bites into their Sambal sauce. The rose Tteokbokki is good, like the little barbell rice cakes, those are less soft and mushy to me. The rice cake cylinders are softer. Not sure why there aren't more of the cylinder rice cake. The standard red Tteokbokki is good, nice and spicy and red too. Some Korean Kimbap would be great with this right about now. Both tteokbokis seem too small of portions. The calamari is good, cut into shell shaped, that's different. Tempura batter is light as well. The mushroom medley is simple, but good. The service here is good, everyone takes care of you. Food is good, prices are a bit high for their portions.

We were here on a Saturday evening at 6:15 PM. happy hour was going on until seven which is 50% off all sushi sashimi and Nigiri. And somehow we got 50% off a bottle of sake too! We ordered the edamame, a bowl of miso soup, the seven piece, sashimi dinner, the rainbow roll, and the, white fish roll. The white fish roll came with very thin slices of lime on top. Oh my God it was amazing. Wagu nagiri which is brûlées with a blow torch omg Espresso martini! Our server David did not steer us wrong Total bill $122 plus tip

Their food was really good but a bit expensive and had smaller portions. Their bar is still closed at the moment due to not currently having their alcohol license, but they let you BYOB. It was my friend's birthday and they gave her a free dessert. Their service was good and this place is really great for pictures. I really loved the aesthetic of this place and it was definitely perfect for a fancy dinner.

We went here for dinner during Art Fair and once we ordered our food arrived quickly. Our waitress was very nice and helpful. We had the soft shell crab which was very good, a sushi roll, two skewers, and the mango custard dessert. Everything was good but the Mango Custard was outstanding! This restaurant is down a flight of stairs from street level. There is an elevator that goes to The Ark lobby.

My daughter loves Asian food and we love trying new places in AA, so we had to give this place a try. When I heard that it was in a basement, I was a little concerned, but the atmosphere was a pleasant surprise. High ceilings, bright colors and a creative decor made for a very pleasant dining experience. We started with the bao buns and dumplings and they were both very yummy! We followed that with Teriyaki Udon and vegetable Fried Rice and enjoyed both of those too! All of the staff members we encountered were very friendly and helpful...a great experience overall. We'll definitely be back!

Of Rice and Men offers artisanal dim sum and sushi, along with select Asian dishes. And on Sundays, they serve a dim sum brunch, which was what I enjoyed recently. I'm a huge dim sum fan and have missed some visits due to the pandemic. The restaurant is located in the downtown area, next to Blue Llama, replacing Dessous. The restaurant is elegantly decorated but loud; the sound system was set to high with an eclectic playlist. I ordered a number of items from the brunch menu. The har gow, 6 per order, featured firm and snappy shrimp steamed in a tender wrapper. I liked the sauce that accompanied this dish. The shu mai, 4 per order, included a pork and shrimp mixture with mushrooms (I saw thinly sliced pieces in the meatball) and ginger. They were served in a tasty gravy. However, I found the shu mai to be a bit overcooked. The spring rolls, 4 per order, were crispy goodness, including shiitake mushrooms, noodles, and cabbage. The hot and sweet chili sauce was quite good. I loved the duck dumplings, 4 per order, were deep fried and served with a hoisin aioli. I like them a lot but thought they were small. I also had the lotus-wrapped sticky rice, 2 per order, which I did not enjoy at all. Dry shrimp (which was cool) and chicken were cooked in a nutty brown rice. Finally, I had the steamed custard baos, 2 per order. While the custard was not as smooth as I was expecting, I enjoyed both the bun and the filling. Different is always appreciated. Service was amazing. My server answered my many, many questions - and I am grateful. I found the prices to be quite high - much more than what you can find in a dim sum house - even taking into account the Ann Arbor downtown real estate prices. Therefore, this is more of a special occasion meal rather than the atypical weekend brunch. I do plan to return to try some of the items on the dinner menu, including sushi, short ribs, and tom yum.

Of rice and men is a cute basement restaurant with cool vibes... Service is good food is ehh ok ... So this is what was ordered.. Spicy Tuna Nigiri which is a spicy tuna with a spicy mayonnaise, sesame, served on crispy sushi rice.. the tuna was nice and creamy and the crispy rice added a nice extra texture which is a good combination . Fried spring roll filled with Shiitake Mushrooms, Cabbage, Glass Noodle, Carrot, and served with Sweet Chili Sauce dipping sauce... nothing really to rave about .. it's your typical egg roll Cucumber Salad which is tossed in sesame & thai chili.. nice refreshing side dish .. Crispy Rice Salad Which a combination of Cucumber, Mango, Nam Pla, and Citrus vinaigrette.. nice mix of textures and flavors .. the crispy rice with ripe mangos and crunchy cucumber and lots of spice... prepare for some kick from the heat.. Grilled Pork Belly Which is a pear marinated pork belly, with a Spicy Honey, and Shiso.. good combination of sweet and salty. This on it's own with a bowl of rice would be a delicious meal.. Spicy Cod Thai Curry a pan fried Icelandic Cod, with a spicy Thai Coconut Curry, and side of Jasmine rice... not bad but simple dish and no thrills or frills .. Spicy Tofu Thai Curry fried tofu with some eggplant in Thai Coconut Curry, and side of Jasmine rice also a basic and simple dish just like the cod .. its ehh ok .. Finished it off with a Ho Chi Minh Escape Is Roasted Vietnamese Coffee Sabayon filled Dark Chocolate Tart, Cinnamon White Chocolate Cream, Caramel Fleur de Sel Sauce, with a Brown Sugar Tuile... small tart and not bad... Overall dishes are ok .. but everything is a bit overpriced for what you get...

Seems like I missed the version Of Rice and Men that was Asian Fusion that all these positive reviews are about as the menu is completely different than what I had been anticipating, and I'm hearing that there has been a change in chef. The menu is now described as an izakaya, which is supposed to be small, inexpensive Japanese drinking food. The food was good and the fish was really fresh, but the prices for the portion sizes are kind of outrageous, I compared it even to my favorite high end sushi restaurant back in Chicago (Momotaro) and Of Rice and Men was on par or sometimes more expensive than that. From the 10 pieces of nigiri plus the tiny cup of tuna tartare and two cocktails , our total came out to $150. I'm not sure I would come back given my sticker shock, but at least I know where I can get decent nigiri if I feel like burning through a ton of cash real fast, which could happen when I'm desperate for just a few good pieces of fresh sushi.

Walked in on a Friday night with no reservation and it was packedddd but we got lucky and got seated right away at the bar! Loved the ambiance and food was amazing. Would love to try some of their dim sum next time.

Their deep fryer smells really bad You can smell it as soon as you walk in Won't eat here until they resolve this Please filter and change your oil regularly. Thanks

Met up with some friends at Of Rice & Men recently for happy hour and dinner and had a great time! We couldn't find the restaurant for a minute, but look for the Blue Llama next door, then next to it there's another door with some stairs down to ORAM. The menu is "modern Asian cuisine" and includes dim sum, dumplings, sushi and nigiri, noodles and rice dishes, and their signature whole Peking duck that has to be ordered in advance. Our server Morgan led us through the menu and gave great suggestions - she was super helpful throughout the meal. We ordered a bunch of dumplings and starters: Grilled pork belly: A favorite of the table - super crispy, sweet and savory. Spicy tuna nigiri: I loved the crispy rice and spicy mayo. Chive dumplings: I was surprised at these - I was thinking they'd be more like chive pancakes for some reason but they were soft dumplings covered in chives. I liked them but wouldn't order again. Char siu bao buns: Fluffy buns filled with BBQ ground pork - comes two to an order but we split them easily amongst four people. Crispy duck dumplings: Another crowd favorite - SUPER crispy and full of ground duck. I would order these just for myself next time! Xiao long bao: They were beautiful but didn't quite hit the mark for me versus some other XLB I've had. A little thick and a bit too big. They come three to an order which made it tough to split for our group of four. Before our food started coming out, someone brought over a steamer basket of shumai - compliments of the chef! Then we got a dish of tasty marinated cucumbers as well. The shumai were tender and packed full of shrimp and pork. I loved the crunchy cucumbers with the sesame oil. Overall we really liked the food and atmosphere of Of Rice and Men, and service was really spot on - attentive and helpful. We ordered a couple cocktails throughout dinner, too. The soju highball is a low ABV, fruity and refreshing drink, and I loved the East India, which is like their take on a Moscow mule. I would love to go back to this spot again soon for more dim sum and dumplings. They take reservations on Open Table.

Oh this place is so good. Started with the happy hour rosé which was perfect on this hot early summer evening. For dinner had a roll with a little piece of foie gras. Yum

Honestly, very disappointed with the food here at of rice and men. I came here for my birthday with someone very special to me and was a bit disappointed with both the service and food. At the beginning, we asked to waiter if we could order a few things from the menu. The waiter was laughing and told us that they were out of the items in an unnerving manner. I would have preferred a more professional approach to the situation. The steak katsu was extremely rubbery and was chewy to the taste. Additionally, the chicken skewers were undercooked and did not have much flavor. Finally, the sushi rice was cold and the meat quality (tuna) was subpar at best. Though I will say the ambience was not bad at all and the Asian inspired decor was interesting. It is needless to say that I will not be coming here again.

Interesting and creative high quality Asian fusion food with modern Rock 'n' roll atmosphere. The waiter Coy (sorry if I mis-spelled) was very nice. He made us feel welcomed and was very knowledgeable about each dish as we asked a lot of questions. Thank you for everything. I will definitely go back.

I want to rave about this place!!! It's tough to get a reservation, but we went around 7 PM and asked if we could put our name in for 10 PM. The host happily agreed. We were running late and ended up arriving at 10:30 not expecting to be seated. They sat us anyway! And the restaurant was still crowded so we enjoyed the atmosphere. The sushi was one of the best rolls I've ordered form a restaurant. Soup dumplings were good, but nothing special. We also ordered spicy noodles and duck fried rice - truly to die for. We had the best experience here and will be back!!!

Look, if you're trying to impress your date, take them here. It feels like an underground bar and the food is SPECTACTULAR. We ordered a roll, lobster Tom yum, and some noodz. Definitely coming back!

FYI - Your first check in on Yelp will get you 25% off on sushi and dim sum items! Overall, 3.5/5, but will bump it up to a 4/5 for the ambiance - definitely gives off the "big city fine dining" vibe that you wouldn't expect Ann Arbor to have. It's also a different vibe compared to the other fancy Main Street restaurants. The interior is elegant and classy - dim lighting with a warm orange glow. The restaurant is in the "basement" level so the reception down here is practically nonexistent. Sadly, the WiFi didn't seem to be working either. My friend and I decided to grab dinner here early Thursday evening. We were super excited to try elevated Asian fusion food since you don't see a lot of these kinds of restaurants in the area. Fortunately, there weren't too many people here, so we got all our food and drinks pretty quickly. Instead of ordering an entree each, my friend and I decided to family style the sushi and dim sum plates. XIAO LONG BAO - 15 There were only three soup dumplings (a nice circus tent pattern of orange and black), each with a speck of gold on top for aesthetics. I was extremely excited for these since they supposed mixed in foie gras with the pork? In general, I love XLB so I wanted to try an "elevated" version of it. When I bit into the skin, I expected hot soup to spill into my spoon but was disappointed to see that there wasn't much soup and it was lukewarm. The pork was flavorful, but I couldn't really taste the foie gras. I also didn't like how thick and soggy the skin was. Sadly, I've definitely had better XLBs at a much, much cheaper price. There was nothing special about these (in terms of taste), so $5 per dumpling was definitely not worth it. UNAGI NIGIRI - 7 Only two bite sized pieces and they were SUPER SAUCY. It was a little overwhelming, but the eel was tasty and soft. For the price point and quality, I'd recommend it. BRULEED SALMON NIGIRI - 12 This was our favorite! I'm so glad we ordered two plates of these so we could both enjoy more than one piece each (since there are two pieces per order). The slightly seared salmon was super flavorful and went well with the teriyaki sauce. It was so tender and we were really impressed how delicious this was. The tobiko on top was a nice touch to give it a bit more of a crunch. I would highly recommend trying this and would get it again if I come back. SPICY TUNA NIGIRI - 16 There's four pieces of these per order. The rice wasn't your regular sushi rice. It was shaped in a rectangular box where each side was seared with a small piece of tuna on top and drizzled with a generous amount of spicy mayo. I'd say this was a unique take, but my friend and I were not a fan of texture of the rice. It was crispy but it stuck to our teeth and made it hard to chew. The tuna was a bit mushy and underwhelming. Overall, I wouldn't recommend this dish. My friend and I weren't full, but we were satisfied by the amount of food we got (maybe because we've been eating around town all day). The subtotal was $62 prior to the Yelp discount. It's an expensive experience, but definitely one worth checking out since it's pretty unique. They seem to change their menu depending on the season which is neat. Not sure if I'll come back, though.

The service, atmosphere, and cleanliness of this place truly deserve five stars! Our waiter Brian truly went above and beyond for us. We celebrated a birthday here during art fair craziness and he and the other staff at this restaurant did a great job making us feel welcomed. Everyone at this restaurant is thoughtful, laid back, quick and great communicators. The bathrooms are sparkling clean. The restaurant atmosphere was really relaxing with a touch of fine dining. I even peeped and saw a private room for diners. Let's talk food. Yall. Do. NOT. Sleep. On. The. Crispy. Duck. Dumplings!!!! Omg I was shocked how delightful these were. We tried them at the recommendation of another couple who was here before us and honestly I wasn't expecting the perfect medley of textures. Crispy outside. Warm sauce directly underneath the skin. Savory duck immediately after. I'd come back just for this. Amazing inspiration and I highly recommend. We ordered the new to the menu salt and pepper shrimp. They were wonderfully cooked but a tad on the salty side. The meal would be more complete with rice berry rice on the side (their version of purple rice). The hen on a skewer, Korean short ribs, sushi, and other sides we had weren't bad. I'd come back and try other dishes outside of these just to see what else tasted good on the menu. Careful with the hen on a skewer! Watch for splinters in your meat! I urge the restaurant to rethink their chive dumplings. It tasted like bland boiled spinach both in texture and taste. We had five out of seven people try to finish a chive dumpling and none of us could get past a bite. This was the only thing on the menu I caution anyone to order! Other than that I definitely will come back. This place is pleasant and I'll give it a strong recommendation to everyone!

I have been wanting to try this place out for a while now. It happened to be restaurant week and my cousins, husband and I decided to do their tasting menu. It located downtown, so you would need to find street parking or a nearby lot or structure for a fee. The restaurant was hard to find because the sign is placed high and is mostly blocked by the Blue Llama Jazz Club. The interior is very upbeat and trendy. It's a great place to hangout with friends, but definitely not a quiet dinner. The food is very inventive and the fusion twists really throw your tastebuds for a loop. I'm not sure how I feel about the chive dumpling because of the after taste (this is coming from someone who loves chives). The pork belly was good, but they could have been lighter with the spicy honey. The sweetness was overpowering the savory taste of the pork belly in my opinion. The teriyaki udon and yuzu creme brûlée was, to my surprise, my favorite dishes of the night. The udon was cooked perfectly and had a nice chewiness and texture. The flavor was there and definitely hit the spot!

Definitely a unique place in Ann Arbor, if you can find it! (Find the blue arrow and walk downstairs) They applied twists to traditional Asian food to make it indicative of the Asian American cuisine they promote. Their decors is also very colorful and eclectic. My favorite dish was the crispy duck dumplings. If I could, I would take home a whole bag of these!

Decided to give Of Rice and Men another try. It was the best decision I've made, food wise My mom and kiddos were in a festive mood walking into the restaurant, enthralled with all the lights and the atmosphere of Ann Arbor downtown When walking in, again, the lighting, lanterns, simple yet well throught out interior design was esthtically soothing. We ordered a slew of appetizers (my family is small-plate peeps), and enjoyed them all. Doubled on the char-ahi bao, clams and xiao long bao. Pork belly was fluffy and cooked to perfection with melt in mouth texture. This curry cod was cooked to perfection. Peking duck had crispy skin - par none in metro detroit, and tender meat. Of course, the girls are rice buckets so we got duck fried rice and pineapple fried rice. The service was impeccable with attentive staff and friendly suggestions and sake pairings to food. At the end of dinner, I asked for a recommendation on dessert house. Since all are closed, Josh brought out mochi for the table. Above and beyond. Thank you, Louis and Jose, for making this dining experience an outstanding memory!

My favorite restaurant in Ann Arbor! I came here early 2023 for restaurant week and everything was gorgeous. I like the pork belly the most along with everything else, and I can't wait to come back to try their Peking duck.

I met up with some friends for dim sum happy hour. I guess they are no longer doing weekend discount dim sum. Pro's: Spicy tuna on fried rice cakes. Yum! Mocktail that was tasty and thoughtful Pork belly (sweet and carmelized) Excellent service Soup dumplings (not available for happy hour prices tho) Con's: High prices Chive dumplings (I never complain about too much garlic but omg there was sooo much garlic and the green leaf wrapping was too bitter with all the garlic)

New ownership- Went here on a date The service was great, and very friendly from all staff members The music was good ~vibey~ Food was A1. They do have entrees, most items are tapas style Just no liquor license yet, but they said it was in the works

A little hard to find... discreet entrance that leads downstairs to the actual restaurant. Outdoor street seating was also available at the time. Most dishes were small plates (felt like an Asian tapas restaurant). We were 2 couples and came hungry so we just kept ordering plate after plate after plate. EVERYTHING tasted amazing. Zero disappointments. We would have ordered the duck in advance but didn't know about it until after we arrived and they were already sold out. Drinks were great as well. Everything was a little pricey but the flavor of the food, the quality of ingredients, the atmosphere, the drinks, etc... all made it worth it. I would definitely return in a group or for a date night. ** Would have given 5 stars but one of the servers in training had horrible B.O. Normally, would overlook but it was so bad it became a distraction that even the table next to us (different server) even commented about.

Please bring back old oram i want my lobster tum yum and beef teriyaki udon i got 6 pieces gimbap for $25 a true tragedy. they are trying to rebrand into a japanese restaurant, but we ordered 2 sushi rolls but got korean style gimbap instead. one star added cuz drinks were pretty good though.

Disastrous Transformation: From Fusion Asian to Sushi Nightmare! Rating: I have always been a loyal customer of Rice and Men, drawn in by their unique and tantalizing fusion Asian cuisine that used to leave my taste buds dancing with delight. However, my recent dining experience at the revamped restaurant, now offering sushi, was nothing short of a culinary catastrophe. First and foremost, the abrupt switch to an all-sushi menu was a major disappointment. Gone were the diverse and innovative flavors that once made this place shine. Instead, we were greeted with a dull, monotonous selection of typical sushi options that can be found at any run-of-the-mill sushi joint. The creativity that once made this restaurant exceptional was replaced with mediocrity. The quality of the sushi itself was abysmal. The fish tasted like it had been sitting around for hours, devoid of any freshness or vibrant taste. I've had sushi at many places, and this was by far the worst I've ever encountered. The rice was overcooked and mushy, completely destroying the delicate balance that defines good sushi. To add insult to injury, the service was completely lacking. The new staff seemed clueless about the menu and the proper way to serve sushi. Our orders were mixed up, and we had to wait an eternity for our food to arrive. It was as if the entire restaurant was caught off guard by this sudden transformation, leaving customers like me to suffer the consequences. Moreover, the ambiance of the restaurant took a nosedive. The once warm and inviting atmosphere that complemented the fusion Asian theme has been replaced with a generic, sterile sushi bar setup. It felt like eating at a chain restaurant rather than the unique gem it used to be. I understand that restaurants may evolve, but this overhaul was a complete disaster. I miss the old [Restaurant Name] that made dining an experience to cherish. If I wanted mediocre sushi, I could have gone to any nearby takeout place at a fraction of the price. Regrettably, I won't be returning to this establishment in its current state, and I strongly advise others to steer clear until they revert to their previous fusion Asian glory. This change was an epic failure, and I can't fathom how anyone thought it was a good idea.

Very solid Asian food for my home state. The crispy duck dumplings were easily my favorite and I'll order it every time I visit. The teriyaki udon was probably my next favorite, followed by the pork belly, crab fried rice, lobster curry, and veggie fried rice. Did not like the Hiro Red sake.

We have been enjoying Chef Nori's omakase pop ups for awhile and we couldn't be more excited that he has a permanent menu now. Amazing sushi if you are looking for a departure from the tuna/salmon based maki that dominates other area sushi spots. Try the other izakaya offerings! Everything is amazing and something we've been waiting for in Ann Arbor for some time.

Went here 4/14/2023 for dinner with my wife. It's easy to miss but is downstairs roomy and great atmosphere. Food taste and presentation was excellent as well as the service. Would highly recommend going here and we will be coming back again.

So much delicious food! My friend Rachael has been coming here since they first opened and has been talking about it forever, so I'm glad I finally got to try it. I love all of the different Asian influences in the menu, mixed with some really unique dishes. The service was amazing, quick and attentive. We got a bunch of dishes to share but I'd say my favorites were the crispy rice salad and the beef udon noodles - so flavorful! Also recommend the Singapore sling as a cocktail to be transported on a tropical vacation. Will definitely be back.

This restaurant is so cute! It has an amazing atmosphere and the staff was very friendly and helpful. We got the spring rolls and the fish which were both absolutely delicious! I would definitely recommend checking it out if you're looking for a nicer sit down restaurant.

This is a great upscale Asian fusion restaurant with dramatic interior and delicious food. The underground setting gives it a bit of a mysterious feel, entering a realm of unexpected. It's definitely a different vibe than any of the Main Street restaurants. We ordered a couple of mocktails and I have to say, they were super tasty. We then continued with summer rolls with mango and tamarind sauce, and crispy duck dumplings as apps. These were a perfect pair. The cod curry was pretty delicious, but my typical go to is the consistently fantastic lobster tom yum. The sauce is bright and lemongrassy, and the decadent lobster adds to the overall perfection of the dish. We finished our dinner with mochi and a creme brulee. I also want to applaud the service team, our waitress was excellent and attentive.

While it is a very nice and eclectic basement atmosphere the food was absolutely embarrassing. Sushi is a NO GO. Rolls lack any creativity and or flavor. They also fell apart when you attempted to eat them. Not to mention overpriced for the skimpy amount of fish in the rolls. Kroger rolls would dominate anything on the menu. Ordered the breaded and deep fried salmon as well. If you want a brick of overcooked fish this is must try. Also ordered a noodle dish that never showed up to the table. I would visit here again but only for drinks at the bar. On second though even the drinks were terrible. All in all this is a great spot to avoid!

Of rice and men was awesome. All of the sushi we got was so fresh. My favorite was the spicy tuna nigiri (we ended up getting 2 orders of them)! The tempura shrimp roll was crunchy and light. I could not eat meat (Friday during lent), so I had the udon noodles with tofu and they were perfectly sweet and yummy. My friends loved the grilled pork belly and the crispy duck dumplings. So great. Survive was great, as well-- will be returning again!

I loved this place. The ambiance is so Zen & still decently lit. The service was so kind & professional. (I want to hug each person that helped us, as we were a party of 7 & a lot of work), but I didn't for many reasons, but mostly because of respecting people's space. But they definitely deserved at least that. The food was so delicious I almost cried. From scratch cooking is sooooo good. The Charsiu Bao buns were fantastic & huge that we had to split an order of 2. My husband didn't know what a bai bun was (he's very white. Haha), so when he took a bite he said, "This tastes like a Manwich." I promptly took his portion of the bun away because clearly he couldn't appreciate it. Haha. Yes, many cultures have foods that have a lot in common but don't compare an professional work of art to a drawing you made as a kid, if you catch my drift. I loved the Lobster Tom Yum. It was (hands down!) the best entree on the menu. My only disappointment was the dish is shown on the menu with a whole lobster. I only got a tail and it wasn't really enough for all that delicious Tom Yum broth. It was served with rice so I could soak it all up. I was very tempted to lick the bowl but people say that's déclassé. I feel sorry for these people. They've never had spectacular food. The crispy duck dumplings are revelatory as are the wonton dumpling. I wasn't too impressed with the fried Udon noodle but the other in my party thought they were great. The sushi was fantastic as well. Spicy tuna on crispy rice was such a lovely surprise on an old favorite. The chef imprint is all over the food & it's a wonderful one. I highly recommend this restaurant...if you can get in. It's small & in the basement of the Blue Llama Jazz club but has an entrance of its own right next door & easy parking behind the building. Plus, you can hit the jazz club after dinner if that's your thing or just walk around beautiful downtown Ann Arbor. Definitely worth the effort & travel.

I've ordered from Of Rice & Men earlier in the year when Blue Llama's three concepts just rolled out. I had just ordered sushi rolls then, which were tasty and high quality. California Rolls - which are my guilty pleasure - are made of top notch ingredients here with real snow crab! Most recently, with their updated menu -- I went for the Tang Yuan dessert as it's the Winter Solstice today (12/21/20). For Winter Solstice, one of the key foods to eat & celebrate is tang yuan - a glutinous rice ball filled with various fillings but my favorite is black sesame & that's what they have here. Truthfully, I can find tang yuan frozen at the grocery store, but it's something you must eat in one-go (not great the next day) and my husband isn't a fan. So, I was so pleased to find that Of Rice & Men had it! You get 4 nicely plump ones for $7. I love that it comes with a really nice sweetened ginger broth. The hazelnut pieces are nice for texture. Definitely a more foodie way to eat it than I had growing up! I'll definitely be back to try the rest of their menu - hoping there's a Lunar New Year menu so I can celebrate while being away from my family & friends during these pandemic times.

UNGODLY MID as someone who has been dining at some of the best Japanese restaurants that this country has to offer I have to say the prices of this place are outrageous for the actual food that you get. I'm not talking about portion sizes as they were pretty adequate, I'm talking about the literal quality of food you get. For starters we ordered two pieces of the A5 Wagyu which tasted like somebody literally put them on a grill that has been used for an entire decade that has never been cleaned once....... then smothered the rest of it with way too much wasabi!!!!! for $15 a piece I would expect better..... The duck dumplings were honestly pretty decent, right up until you tasted 15g of ungodly amounts of sugar laying right ahead...... They hit every single mark perfectly,crispiness, and a adequate amount of duck but Jesus Christ why do you have to add so much sugar to your entire menu..... The spicy tuna roll was pretty good and in all honesty that was my favorite thing that was on the entire menu and was the only thing that didn't give me a head ache from the sugar :) Honey glaze pork.... Where do I begin..... when I say the pork was literally sitting in a pool of honey it was literally sitting in a pool of honey!!!!!! If you wanted to try some really good honey and maybe have a couple pork bites on the side give them an order because you're only going to taste honey!!!!! It should be named honey tasting menu because that's what it tasted like, just honey!!!!!!! I ordered the duck fried rice and once again I will have to give credit where credit is due the duck was crispy juicy and well seasoned. That's where the good news ends (sadly) The rice was once again for some reason really really sweet I do not understand this restaurants fetish with making everything so sweet. At this point in this review my fingers are tired and I am done with trying to tell the people who are reading this how much sugar is in their food...... if you would like a sugary sweet over priced $200 bill meal where you will leave wondering if you have diabetes or not please go here......if not I recommend some other place, perhaps if you're in the mood for sushi check out Totoro!!! Service was great that's why it's two stars! Don't blame your servers ever it's not their fault the Chef can't figure out the difference between salty and sweet!!!

So disappointed. This place used to be fantastic! Only place in town with tremendously well crafted Dim Sum and the Peking Duck was out of this world. Now it appears they took them all off the menu. Also gone are many other amazing dishes like their crab and duck fried rice. Seems like it's an entirely new place....why keep the same name? This used to be a great destination...but unfortunately none of the great dishes we loved here remain. I've never heard a bad thing about their food. Service was spotty in past at our multiple visits, but food always made it still worth it. Sadly all those dishes seem gone.

The service was amazing and the ambiance was great. Also very nice bathroom! However, I found it a bit overpriced. Especially coming from California where you can get each of these dim sum plates (also handmade) for way less, these two items and a mocktail ran me $43 plus tip. Also - the main reason they're getting a star off is I was surprised when I got my bill to see an additional 3% credit card charge?! With a place like this and the prices they charge, they just have to eat the cost. This isn't a mom and pop shop or a gas station. Come on. It was worth trying one time for a special occasion but I don't think I need the experience again.

Came here for a birthday dinner during happy hour (5pm-6:30pm) and I had an amazing experience! [Food] -Grilled Pork Belly: my absolute favorite. The pork belly is cooked so soft and tender with crisp edges, making the texture EXQUISITE. The flavor is a perfect blend of savory umami with sweet honey. -Chive Dumpling: not what I'm used to; it comes out like a deconstructed dumpling,/"meatball" (without meat) of chive, but tasted great! The chives really shine through and the hot sauce paired with it adds sweet and spicy hints to it. -Shumai: shumai is already delicious, but somehow this place makes it even better! -Crispy duck dumpling: a fan favorite, and I can see why. It's also not in the usual dumpling form, rather a ball with crispy outside and duck filling on the inside. The crisp outside has the most satisfying CRONCH when you bite into it and coupled with the warm duck filling is 10/10! [Service] Excellent! Servers came to check in on us and everyone was incredibly friendly and helpful [Environment] You have to enter a door to the left of Blue Llama (when facing Blue Llama from the outside). When you enter, the restaurant has this nice mood neon lighting vibe thing going on. There's a bedazzled baby statue with a spiky mohawk in the middle of the restaurant that's pretty gnarly. Candles at every table. Very cool. Don't forget if you check in on yelp, you get 20% off!

A good, modern take on pan-Asian food The soup dumplings were merely OK - too much dumpling and not enough soup and filling. It was doughy and the the flavors didn't really "pop" out. However, the short ribs were absolutely divine. So tender and full of flavor in every bite. The glaze and meatiness shined through with every bite. Cooked perfectly rare. An absolute standout.

Overall pleasant experience. The ambience is nice and dark. The menu was limited but had some unique options. The crispy dumplings and beef upon noodles were so good. We also got the duck fried rice and shrimp which were ok.

What a special, fun place! It's new, vibrant, different, and most importantly, has amazing food! Pro tips: -make a reservation if it's the weekend! Makes it less stressful -order many different things and share! Instead of one big entree, my friend and I ordered a bunch of items and split it! There were some things I liked more than others, so it made it more worthwhile for me too -get the Korean Fried Chicken! It's the best I definitely recommend checking this new place out!

Fantastic! The Prawn Tom Kha, the sushi (especially the foie gras, wagyu, and salmon nigiri) were exceptional! The stir fried walleye, the Dim sum and bao were also amazing! Looking forward to coming back for the Peking Duck.

You could easily miss this place, you enter the restaurant down a flight of stairs. Menu is Asian fusion - chinese + japanese with some korean and vietnamese - lots of wonderful dishes to pick from. Beautiful inside, not too noisy, staff were friendly and attentive. Worth coming back to, next time in town.

I would rate the ambience of this restaurant a 5 stars, foods a 3 stars, services a 4 stars. Overall it was good experience. The restaurant serves Asian Fusion type of foods. Don't expect to be anywhere authentic.