G H UA
N
O
H
F INE C HINESE D INING
Find An Oyster
Bounty At Voyager
“A wonderful adventure in fine dining” ~ Danny Raskin
O
pened for just one month, Voyager in Ferndale has
already hit its stride. Owner and general manager Eli
Boyer, together with chefs Justin Tootla and Jennifer
Jackson, are bringing seafood — and particularly oysters — to
the forefront in the Metro Detroit area, and customers are
showing up to try it out.
“We didn’t see anybody doing oysters and seafood in a way
that other restaurants around the country inspired us, so we
Mary Meldrum saw an opportunity.”
Even with the light-colored walls and decor, this is an
extraordinary hideaway seafood hotspot with an almost “speak
easy” feel to the location and venue. Several blocks away from
the main-street bustle of downtown Ferndale, Voyager enjoys
an almost secret spot on Vester Street with its own parking lot
— a treat for the growing number of Ferndale revelers who are
weary of circling blocks to find adequate parking in this trendy
town.
A raw bar complements the nimble kitchen in the
1,400-square-foot renovated garage space one block off of
Nine Mile Road in Ferndale. The space is cozy, but with a new
patio planned for the warmer weather, the seating for 39 will
increase.
“We found this cool location. For a restaurant like this, it
doesn’t necessarily require foot traffic; it is more of a destina-
tion,” says Boyer with a smile.
There is a steak entree as well as steak tartare, but the menu
is decidedly fish-centered, and oysters are the star of the show.
Featured are oysters from the East, West and South, each with
their own distinct flavor. You can get them fried, grilled, etc., at
the raw bar, which has its own menu. Demand from patrons
keeps the restaurant’s shuckers quite busy most nights.
With the advent of highly technological controlled oyster and
fish farms, coupled with the wonders of supply chain manage-
ment and a speedy transportation industry, the old fears about
consuming seafood in certain months or seasons have all but
disappeared.
“In many cases now, these oysters are harvested and at our
doorstep within 24 hours,” Boyer said.
With a happy hour that features $1 oysters, Voyager is devel-
oping a loyal oyster-noshing following. They do have a tight
selection of sparkling, rose, white and red wines as well as sig-
nature cocktails and an interesting beer menu.
Boyer shared that the menu will be evolving with the chang-
ing season, so you can kiss the chowder goodbye for a couple
of months. The plan is to shift the focus to fresh vegetable addi-
tions with the springtime weather.
“We have some interesting combinations
that people haven’t seen before. We have inter-
esting takes on surf and turf; we have a dish
that has scallops and sweet breads,” Boyer
said. “Our menu is rooted in coastal cuisine,
but it takes cues from the experiences and
travels of our chefs, Jenn and Justin, who have
traveled all around the world.”
What is clear is that Voyager has discovered
a need for a coastal American seafood restau-
rant and oyster bar, and filled it.
“I believe in hyper-focused restaurant con-
cepts,” Boyer said. “Creatively, you give yourself
some constraints to operate within, and I
VOYAGER firmly believe that it is more fun to try to be
600 Vester St., Ferndale something for a specific group of people rather
(248) 658-4999 than be something for everybody. We want to
facebook.com/voyagerferndale embody who we claim to be.” •
Open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner
Catering and carryout available
Gift certificates
27925 Orchard Lake Rd., North of 12 Mile, Farmington Hills
248-489-2280
www.honghuafinedining.com
STAR
DELI
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OFF
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Prices subject to change
jn
May 4 • 2017
2140950
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