40 March 7 • 2019
jn

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F

oodies, hipsters 
and others are 
drawn to the 
creativity on display 
at Flowers of Vietnam 
restaurant in south-
west Detroit.
The area is best 
known for its notable 
Mexican eateries, but 
Flowers chef George Azar, 30, is nei-
ther Vietnamese nor Mexican. He’
s 
a Palestinian-American born in the 
same Mexicantown neighborhood 
as his restaurant, about two miles 
from the Ambassador Bridge. Azar’
s 
longtime mentor and the restaurant 
co-owner is Paul Saginaw, the Jewish 
co-founder of Zingerman’
s Deli and 
other Ann Arbor-based businesses.
“I always ate 
Vietnamese food 
and didn’
t want 
to keep driving to 
Madison Heights 
to get it,” explained 
Azar, referring to 
the notable Asian 
restaurants based 
in this Oakland 
County suburb.
A culinary arts graduate of 
Schoolcraft College in Livonia, Azar 
cooked at prominent restaurants that 
included Alinea in Chicago. Back in 
Detroit, he decided to start Flowers 
of Vietnam after people flocked to 
the weekend pop-up dinners he host-
ed in his father’
s “intimate” Vernor 
Coney Island. After opening there 
to great acclaim in 2017, including 
being named to several “Best” restau-
rant lists, Flowers closed for reno-
vation during most of the following 
year.
An estimated $750,000 improved 
the kitchen and brought the entire 
100-year-old building up to code. 
Since reopening on Jan. 10, 2018, 
Flowers is back to its honor-winning 
ways, most recently described as 
“Best Pop-Up Turned Full-Service 
Restaurant” in Hour Detroit’
s March 
2019 issue.

Flowers now takes up three store-
fronts. Guests enter through the orig-
inal luncheonette space, where they 
can eat at the counter or proceed to 
the unpretentious adjoining dining 
room. A bar area is on the farthest 
side. 
Azar researched extensively, 
including travels to Vietnam, to 
develop his recipes, but takes pride 
that his place is not a “mom-and-
pop-type restaurant. We are progres-
sive for Vietnamese food. I do what I 
feel is appropriate for me.”
Azar said his favorite menu items 
are also customer favorites, including 
caramel chicken wings, “broken” 
rice with Chinese sausage, “shaky 
beef” — prime 30-day dry-aged rib-
eye cap, fried tofu, papaya salad and 
Vietnamese-style fried 
whole fish.
Dining recently with 
my friend Diane, we 
were smitten with our 
shared wings appetizer. 
Red Boat-brand fish 
sauce is mixed with 
palm sugar and cara-
melized for the thick, 
crunchy batter. The 
taste is sweet, with a pleasant kick. 
Herb aioli, light green and fragrant 
from Thai basil, accompanies the 
wings.
The whole fish we were brought 
to eat with eyes and tail intact was 
somewhat daunting, but Diane and 
I were up to the challenge. After 
removing the vertebrae, our mighty 
forks scooped up white fish flesh, 
banana blossoms, black “Chinese 
forbidden rice,” spicy-sweet tomato 
sauce and cilantro. The flavors were 
complex and satisfying.
“The fish has been on our menu 
since Day One,” Azar said “We serve 
bream, a species that’
s not overly 
fished.” Supplies might come from 
Australia or Oregon.
Flowers is open only 5-11 p.m. 
Wednesday-Sunday, but weekend 
brunch is coming. ■

Esther Allweiss
Ingber
Contributing Writer

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PHOTO CREDIT: ESTHER INGBER

FLOWERS OF VIETNAM
4430 Vernor Highway
Detroit, MI 48209
Phone: (313) 554-2084
www.flowersofvietnam.com
$$$ out of $$$$

Fried bream
Fried bream

Flowers of Vietnam

dining around the d
nosh

FINE CHINESE DINING

“A wonderful adventure in fine dining” ~ Danny Raskin

Open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner
Catering and carryout available
Gift certificates 

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Our philosophy is simple... Mangia Bene” (Eat well).

JOIN OUR MAILING LIST I NEVER MISS AN UPDATE 

Hours: Monday - Thursday 11am - 10pm I Friday 11am - 11pm 
Saturday 12pm - 11pm I Sunday 12pm - 9pm

Please Inquire About Banquets and Private Parties.

CIAO Italian Bistro & Wine Bar

6199 Orchard Lake Road,
West Bloomfield, MI 48324
T / 248-862-6374 F / 248-862-6389
www.ciaoitalianbistro.com

20% OFF

Food only.
Not valid with any other offer. 
Max discount $20.
Expires 3-31-19

040RDB.030719_NOSH Dining Around D .indd 40
040RDB.030719_NOSH Dining Around D .indd 40
3/5/19 7:59 AM
3/5/19 7:59 AM

