  Detroitstar Member Username: Detroitstar Post Number: 1077 Registered: 01-2006 |
I noticed while walking by this aftermoon that some of the windows ere covered and the storefront appeared empty. Has one of the places already gone under? Is there anything that can be done to make this a viable entertainment destination? | ||
401don Member Username: 401don Post Number: 397 Registered: 11-2007 |
I just think trying to market upscale Asian dining in a parking garage in an isolated riverfront area was a tad risky. | ||
Dbc Member Username: Dbc Post Number: 118 Registered: 09-2006 |
They closed the former Asian Marketplace - the part of the building closest to the RenCen - and now use that part for rented functions. Maybe that is what you saw. As far as I know, the restaurant, Fusia, is still open. (The Metro Times wrote them up just last week.) I ate there before the change, and the food, decor, and view were excellent. Supposedly, though, they have since tweaked the menu to Americanize the food a bit. Kind of sad, but they have to do what they need to do. Also, the bar becomes some sort of invite-only type deal after dinner on the weekends. According to their website, www.myasianvillage.com, it's called Sutra. Anyway, I think they did a great job for the first floor of a parking garage, as we really enjoyed our food and the view. If they can hang on until the real estate market turns around, I would imagine they're perfectly located to take advantage of all the proposed development for the area immediately to the east of the RenCen. | ||
Fishtoes2000 Member Username: Fishtoes2000 Post Number: 504 Registered: 06-2005 |
If I owned the Village, I'd have planters all along that Atwater frontage to bring some attention to it from passerbys and make it look open. | ||
Iddude313 Member Username: Iddude313 Post Number: 174 Registered: 07-2005 |
I walked by it this Sunday. There were cigarette butts and upturned chairs and tables. Very sad. I always thought there needed to be more visual cues to draw people (outdoor chairs, plants, open doors, etc.) It needs to be ungaraged. | ||
Viziondetroit Member Username: Viziondetroit Post Number: 1644 Registered: 11-2003 |
I photograph events there often. Fusia is still open and it's open during the day as well. On the weekends the attention shifts to a more lounge crowd atmosphere and they close off the larger portion. For some events they open the larger section to accommodate the crowd. It's a nice venue and I am glad they changed things up a bit in there. I like the lounge section. Detroit has an audience for more lounges and not more clubs... visit Asian Village, Pulse, Ignite to see examples. | ||
Danny Member Username: Danny Post Number: 7316 Registered: 02-2004 |
If Mr. Pangborn wants to open up ethnic Asian restaurant and retail, he should do it along Capital Park, Washington Blvd area. So far Asian Village isn't kicking up steam and the location by the Detroit River is not heard of from other folks around Detroit and suburbs. I don't want to see his million dollar investment risk going down the drain. Let's go out and tell Metro-Detroiters that Asian Village is here and waiting for customers. | ||
Matt Member Username: Matt Post Number: 1260 Registered: 10-2003 |
Detroit has an audience for more lounges and not more clubs... visit Asian Village, Pulse, Ignite to see examples. Well, it would help to be open past 8pm, too. | ||
Gotdetroit Member Username: Gotdetroit Post Number: 146 Registered: 12-2005 |
I went by there with my kids this weekend (my kids want to try sushi), and it was closed. The sign said "Open 11AM to 2PM". Sure, I could have taken them to the Fishbones, but we were on the Riverwalk at the time. Which leads to my biggest frustration living downtown: I want to spend money, but everyone who IS there, always appear to be closed. | ||
Midtowng Member Username: Midtowng Post Number: 5 Registered: 04-2008 |
i worked there and it was prolly the worst managed and owned company i'd ever been a part of... poorly planned and poorly run... in the first month, we were having problems bringing in business... instead of putting ads in relevent publications, or doing something about the ridiculous parking problem (that there is none) one of the ideas to bring more people in was to hire models as hosts and waitresses... pretty dumb, and thankfully that never went through... but why would anyone think that's more important than the other stuff... i was really excited about AV, but it doesn't surprise me that its where it's at (having to close more than half it's space), only because of how poorly it was run... | ||
Spiritofdetroit Member Username: Spiritofdetroit Post Number: 927 Registered: 11-2006 |
theres no parking? Umm, isnt this the ground floor of a parking structure? Do they not have any parking rights to the building? | ||
Wood Member Username: Wood Post Number: 41 Registered: 05-2006 |
I really wanted to like this place. I went time and time again hoping they would finally figure it out. I don't think it was specifically location, cuisine, parking, or advertising that was the downfall here. The place was simply poorly planned and poorly managed. It's like when a business downtown fails because the owner has a cocaine problem (I won't mention any names). Everyone sees it and says "see, it's impossible to succeed with a cool business downtown" when in reality businesses often fail here just because the owner wasn't very smart. | ||
Gotdetroit Member Username: Gotdetroit Post Number: 147 Registered: 12-2005 |
Even my young kids, who have been to Chinatown in San Francisco, think the "Asian Village" concept is a joke. They think it looks generic. I think this concept might have worked in a different setting (the Capitol Park suggestion to name one) but not in a parking garage. The idea behind an "Asian Village" (if that's what you insist on marketing/calling it) begs for, at the very least, some measure of authenticity. Then you see this sitting on the ground floor of parking garage. I think this was said all along. Too bad the owner had to realize it the hard way. Just somebody rushing an idea without ever, it appears, putting much thought behind it. | ||
Iheartthed Member Username: Iheartthed Post Number: 3054 Registered: 04-2006 |
quote: Isn't there also a big surface lot next to it? | ||
Andylinn Member Username: Andylinn Post Number: 836 Registered: 04-2006 |
sushi @ oslo. it's good. | ||
Swingline Member Username: Swingline Post Number: 1106 Registered: 11-2003 |
quote:The name is/was only intended to collectively denote three Asian themed food establishment located under the same roof. It was not an attempt to create some kind of Chinatown. | ||
Gotdetroit Member Username: Gotdetroit Post Number: 148 Registered: 12-2005 |
Andylinn: Thanks, Oslo was closed when we walked by too. Swingline: I realize this. But then why not call it Asian Market, or thereabouts. The name Asian Village just lends itself to unfulfillable expectations. | ||
Jams Member Username: Jams Post Number: 8532 Registered: 10-2003 |
Gotta love bitcin about parking garages without ground floor retail, and than bitchin about a restaurant that is. | ||
Midtowng Member Username: Midtowng Post Number: 6 Registered: 04-2008 |
poor planning and poor management = poor parking, advertising, cuisine, etc... yeah, you'd think they'd resolve the parking situation quickly, but they didn't, at least not while i was there... i agree that it's not that a business downtown can't do well (i can think of several examples to prove this point) but that it's people running it that kill it... | ||
Rax Member Username: Rax Post Number: 239 Registered: 11-2007 |
Plus it was in a terrible location next to the Ren Cen. There's only about 10,000 people working next door, who already have their fucking cars parked. | ||
Downtownguy Member Username: Downtownguy Post Number: 135 Registered: 07-2004 |
Amen, Jams. | ||
Gotdetroit Member Username: Gotdetroit Post Number: 149 Registered: 12-2005 |
Jams: I'm not "bitchin" about a business being located in a parking garage. I'm "bitchin" about the ideas and/or the image/notion conjured by the unaptly named "Asian Village" - and the whole marketing strategy that comes with it - being located in a parking garage. There is a difference. (Message edited by gotdetroit on April 29, 2008) | ||
Detroitmaybe Member Username: Detroitmaybe Post Number: 104 Registered: 03-2008 |
It is so interesting that someone else noticed the peculiarity of this place besides me. When they were constructing it i thought it was weird that it was located beneath a parking garage, but I still went to support it and check it out. I went to an event on a Saturday night back when they first opened that was hosted by an urban promotions company,...bad move! When we got there I was instantly turned off by the ambiance for some reason. It looks like an Americans version of what an Asian themed restaurant.lounge should look like....there was noting authentic about it at all.The crowd was not sexy, the food was just ok, and the music selection was way off. But, I guess as someone mentioned...the place is not being managed well and that is definitely reflected. I really do hope they survive, or at the very least they partner with someone that is familiar with the restaurant/lounge business that can help them get it right. Most restaurants fail in the first yeat...and it's about that time!! AV has so much potential!! | ||
Jams Member Username: Jams Post Number: 8538 Registered: 10-2003 |
So, shall we also tell the owners of Roman Village, on Dix and Polish Village Cafe, in Hamtramck they are misnamed as well? I've never been confused by those names either. | ||
Downriviera Member Username: Downriviera Post Number: 314 Registered: 02-2008 |
Can I get Indian food in Indian Village? | ||
Jams Member Username: Jams Post Number: 8539 Registered: 10-2003 |
And Indian Village Cleaners is not in Indian Village. | ||
Viziondetroit Member Username: Viziondetroit Post Number: 1646 Registered: 11-2003 |
AV is open during the day and you can still eat during the lounge hours which are AFTER 8PM. You can have your parking validated (2hrs) | ||
Jt1 Member Username: Jt1 Post Number: 11568 Registered: 10-2003 |
Too bad that these places don't have a patio setting and serve drinks. Maybe the city should set up a Biergarten style place for adults only along the riverwalk. I know it is supposed to be a family environment but having some drinks aling the river downtown would be pretty appealing and probably bring in a fair amount of money. | ||
401don Member Username: 401don Post Number: 400 Registered: 11-2007 |
I agree Jt. Chicago has the Pier. Toronto has Harbourfront. Meanwhile Detroit and Windsor have casinos but neither city allows a beer on the riverfront. | ||
Jt1 Member Username: Jt1 Post Number: 11569 Registered: 10-2003 |
^^Was supposed to be about the new cafes on the riverwalk | ||
Gotdetroit Member Username: Gotdetroit Post Number: 150 Registered: 12-2005 |
I would think Polish Village Cafe, in Hamtramck is aptly named. No such take on Roman Village. As for Indian Village serving Indian food, I get the impression there was a real Indian Village in the area in the early years. And I doubt very much when the area was getting settled later on, they were trying to use the name to suggest they were going to serve Indian food, or replicate an Indian environment. But nice try. (Message edited by gotdetroit on April 29, 2008) | ||
Detroitplanner Member Username: Detroitplanner Post Number: 1616 Registered: 04-2006 |
Unbelieveable, everyone is ready to jump all over Dominic Pangborn for trying to do something. Yet you all bitch about folks from the private sector not doing anything. If it does not fit your narrow minded interpretation of OZ you are ready to dismiss it. If you don't like it Dorthy's click your red slippers and go home to the suburbs. I am sure you will find what you want in and around the strip development. The fact is this guy has put a lot of money and time into this venture hoping for it to succeed only to have many of you rip his work to shreds. | ||
Deandub11 Member Username: Deandub11 Post Number: 244 Registered: 05-2006 |
One of the owners just recently said that they are not doing very well at all. He also said he had Kim Kardashian there one weekend (for those who know who she is) and that no one came out because "in Detroit, when you say a celebrity is going to be there, no one believes it." www.DetroitArmy.com | ||
Wood Member Username: Wood Post Number: 47 Registered: 05-2006 |
I don't care who owns the place or how much money he put into his idea. Like I said, I've eaten there 20+ . I wanted the place to succeed. I liked the food---it was the only place in the city with Okonomiyaki. I thought the place was well decorated and interesting. But the execution of everything: service, plating, portions, payment was inconsistent. The place was simply not being run well. | ||
Detroitstar Member Username: Detroitstar Post Number: 1080 Registered: 01-2006 |
RE: alcohol on the riverfront... My gf and I plan to park ourselves on the riverwalk all day for the fireworks in July...are we allowed to have adult beverages, or will they have to be secretly hidden? | ||
Fnemecek Member Username: Fnemecek Post Number: 2785 Registered: 12-2004 |
quote: Unfortunately, this is true. It's slowly starting to change - thanks to some photos of Ms. Kardashian in Detroit that are circulating on the web - and word of mouth from the folks who did see her. | ||
Dj_tom_t Member Username: Dj_tom_t Post Number: 8 Registered: 09-2005 |
does anyone know why they didn't go with "chinatown"? i know "asian village" is probably a more accurate description, but seriously - what city do you know of with an "asian village"? every vibrant asian district i know of is called "chinatown". i would think that would be better for marketing purposes. but then again...what do i know?? and by the way - kim kardashian was at v in the mgm grand during her only appearance in detroit. she was not at asian village. don't believe anyone who tells you otherwise. here are some photos for your amusement... http://detroit.metromix.com/ba rs-and-clubs/photogallery/kim- kardashian-at-v/351491/content perhaps it's just this particular location's track record with "celebrities" that causes its customers to disbelieve. (Message edited by dj tom t on April 30, 2008) (Message edited by dj tom t on April 30, 2008) | ||
Lmichigan Member Username: Lmichigan Post Number: 5978 Registered: 10-2003 |
Because not every Asian restaurant or store is Chinese. Because, perhaps, the developer wanted to attract everything from China to Japan and everything in between. Because the developer (Dominic Pangborn) is Korean. Really, the idea of calling something a Chinatown that isn't is silly, albeit calling a few stores and restaurants on the ground floor of a parking structure is equally ridiculous. | ||
Viziondetroit Member Username: Viziondetroit Post Number: 1647 Registered: 11-2003 |
Who cares if every other city has a chinatown... AV is not supposed to be a Chinatown. Why do we always try to compare Detroit to other cities etc? We should all know by now that we are a very unique case and leave it be. People in Detroit love to put three words on event flyers that kill their potential crowd, SPECIAL INVITED GUEST. That means they got an invite and they are about as likely to come as you are. Many of them don't even know they are on the flyer. Kim Kardashian came to MGM without much fanfare not because of the fact no one trusts when they here a "celeb" is going to be in town, but mainly because she is not a "celeb" noteworthy of anything people really care about. Yeah she did a porn with Ray Jay... yeah she has a horrible reality show, but she hasn't done anything worthwhile. | ||
Enduro Member Username: Enduro Post Number: 127 Registered: 11-2006 |
I went to Asian Village a couple weeks ago and although it was not what I expected, (I was looking forward to the market and what not) I had a great time. The food at the sushi bar was delicious and very fresh and all the plates I saw leaving the kitchen looked very good too. My only minor compliant was that the view to the outside was a bit odd. It looks out onto the street and a concrete wall... It would have been excellent to raise it just one floor to get a better view of the river but all in all an excellent night out. It would be awesome if this could help build a real Chinatown style district. | ||
Waymooreland Member Username: Waymooreland Post Number: 40 Registered: 11-2007 |
I still don't understand people's huge objection to AV's location on the ground floor of a parking structure. Sweet Georgia Brown is a great, classy restaurant located -- gasp -- on the ground floor of the old Greektown Casino parking structure. Orchid Thai is located in the Compuware parking structure. There may be many things about AV that need improvement, but I don't think its placement in a parking structure is the main problem. | ||
Detroitstar Member Username: Detroitstar Post Number: 1085 Registered: 01-2006 |
I think the obsession is more about it's location being isolated from any foot traffic. The parking ramp retail along Monroe works because it is a very active pedestian walk way. Atwater Street has little to foot traffic, and the fact that it is in a ramp just means there is no other reason for people to be in the immediate area. | ||
Viziondetroit Member Username: Viziondetroit Post Number: 1660 Registered: 11-2003 |
Is it that hard to park on Jefferson or the attached structure and visit AV? I mean it's what a 5 min walk thru the Ren Cen to get to it? I bet if it were a Cheese Cake Factory everyone would not have any gripes about it lol. | ||
Norwalk Member Username: Norwalk Post Number: 258 Registered: 11-2006 |
I'm sorry I 've heard of hard lemonade but who is Kim Kardasian? | ||
Downriviera Member Username: Downriviera Post Number: 319 Registered: 02-2008 |
Her dad was one of OJ's lawyers, which reminds me, is anyone still looking for the real killers? | ||
Fnemecek Member Username: Fnemecek Post Number: 2786 Registered: 12-2004 |
quote: I believe you inadvertently hit the proverbial nail on the head. Sweet Georgia Brown and the others are great, classy restaurants. The food and service are good enough that within 5 seconds, you forget about where it's located. AV, however, is neither great nor classy. It almost goes out of its way to remind you of its every inadequacy. | ||
Iheartthed Member Username: Iheartthed Post Number: 3060 Registered: 04-2006 |
quote: She's the one who makes the lemonade hard. | ||
Gianni Member Username: Gianni Post Number: 356 Registered: 05-2004 |
Enduro: I agree about the view. Apparently no one thought about it until too late but when you are sitting down in the restaurant you really don't have a view of the river, but of a concrete wall/berm. And it looks like it would be very difficult to get rid of the berm now. They should have raised the floor to improve the view. Detroitstar: Don't count on being able to have open drinks on the riverwalk during the fireworks. First, last year during the Freedom Festival fireworks the river walk was CLOSED. Apparently they did not think they could handle the security with that many people. It really sucked. Second, in the past there has been some effort to police open alcohol during the fireworks. BTW the fireworks on the river in Detroit are never in July or on the Fourth of July. They are usually near the end of June, during the week. It's a Detroit tradition, since we are celebrating with Canada, we don't do it on the Fourth. Jt1: I agree, a beer tent down there would be great, but it's not likely. Why not have a riverfront alfresco cafe, with food, drinks and a view? For some reason, this is an idea that is not understood in Detroit even though it is super obvious. Your only options are Rattlesnake, Andiamo, or Sindbad's, or DYC if you're a member. | ||
Detroitstar Member Username: Detroitstar Post Number: 1087 Registered: 01-2006 |
lol, yeah I know they are in June. I was a slip of the tongue. I usually camp out at the very tip of Belle Isle in my tent at 8am and grill and drink all day. I just figured it was time for a change of scenery. Okay, I'm done threadjacking my own thread! | ||
Detroitwhat Member Username: Detroitwhat Post Number: 15 Registered: 10-2007 |
I used to work at AV. It was sad, the place had so much potential and an AMAZING staff. We all had ideas but our ideas were shut down by an egotistical investor, not mentioning names. He comped everyone of his meals, his friends meals and potential investors without tipping his hard working staff. We tried booking Dwele there and it fell apart. There is much more to it than what people hear. After screwing a bunch of staff over, most notably an amazing sushi chef and head chef, I don't care what happens to the place. It was people who put their heart and soul into the place that were the ones who got screwed. MIDTOWNG is right, it was poor management, no advertising and too much worthless spending. MIDTOWN G who are you? | ||
Royce Member Username: Royce Post Number: 2617 Registered: 07-2004 |
There will be no view of the river at all once GM develops the land directly in front of AV into a residential high rise. Ironically, if the high rise succeeds, then the area will become more walkable. BTW, I think the concrete wall is there because the land south of it takes a steep drop. If a residential building with a parking structure under it is built there, then the parking structure will act as a barrier and the concrete wall won't be needed. However, there still won't be a river view from AV. | ||
Dtales Member Username: Dtales Post Number: 3 Registered: 02-2008 |
For those of you who bitched about the place, has any one of you actually been there? Or do you event know anyone who works there, or do you just feign to know what the hell you're talking about? Yes, Asian Village got off to a rocky start. It's only been open about a year now. ANY business in this city, or anywhere else for that matter, will be off to a rocky start in its first year. Well, here we are a year later, and yes, the Kawaiian Cafe closed. Asian Marketplace closed, but then reopened. In the meantime, Fusia got a new chef (Sean from Twingo's) and designed a new menu. AV brought on a new night manager and event planner, Scott Hummel, who is a brilliant marketing mind and can be held responsible for many of the several cool nightlife things that have been brought on board in the past few months, including but not limited to an official NAIAS Charity Preview after-party, the official Mary J. Blige/Jay Z. after party just last week, and the opening of Sutra Lounge promoted by Jay Noonchester, one of the most well-known and talented promoters in the city (he also handles Plan B on Saturdays and the Crave the Sunset summer series). Since then, AV is becoming the new Detroit nightlife hotspot, Sutra is performing phenomenally well, and Fusia is once again getting some solid press coverage as one of the top fine-dining establishments in the city. As far as the management goes, the general manager is Rick Jewell, former sommelier of Tribute, who then took a position at Zingerman's Cafe in which he utilized his som skills but also got more into management and events. He was brought on board to Fusia when it opened, and he's been working his ass off. Even when he was at Tribute, I found him very knowledgable, friendly, and professional. I got to know him fairly well there and was thrilled when I saw him at Fusia. I recently put together an event there, and I found the entire staff easy to work with, very accommodating, and willing to please. Michelle Semrau was extremely helpful and worked with me every step of the way. They had the entire 56-person event flawlessly organized and those 56 attendees were thrilled with the place by the end of the night. THAT'S what's going on at Asian Village. Oh, and for those of you bitching about parking...hi, suburbanite, isn't that the excuse you all ALWAYS use to not come down to the city. There's valet available for $5.00 or you can pay $10.00 in the Ren Cen parking structure. Or you can just continue having your fun sitting in a Starbucks in Birmingham on your laptop bitching on the Detroit Yes forum. And MATTHEW, they are open past 8:00. :* | ||
Crawford Member Username: Crawford Post Number: 221 Registered: 10-2006 |
^ Dtales is obviously an Asian Village owner or investor. Sorry, you wasted your money. Probably a six-figure loss to Pangborn and his cohorts. Maybe trying to create an faux Asiantown in a parking garage was not the world's most intelligent allocation of resources. Charging the highest prices in the city of Detroit, especially for skimpy portions of unpopular food in a meat-and-potatoes kind of town was the icing on the cake. A cheesy, wanna-be "hip" lounge (nightlife in a parking garage?•• is the final indignity and insult to everyone's intelligence. Convert the site to a New American place, a tapas lounge and a steakhouse and you may make some money. Detroit is not a sushi town (unless you're talking Orchard Lake Road) and high prices + small portions + Asian food is the kiss of death in the Downtown D. | ||
Supergay Member Username: Supergay Post Number: 139 Registered: 05-2006 |
^^^ D-tales is obviously an Asian Village owner or investor! | ||
Deteamster Member Username: Deteamster Post Number: 114 Registered: 07-2007 |
Sure I know who worked there, I worked there. First, everyone's hours got cut after they were promised a certain amount. Then, everyone stopped getting paid. Then everyone got let go. Except for one gal I know, they asked her to stay and work...without pay. Too bad she had to pay rent. Meanwhile, two of the higher-ups spent most of their time drunk, comping their friends' meals and looking for models to work there instead of their dedicated, albeit non-supermodel staff. Every week they would come up with some hair-brained, money-pit idea, instead of, say, paying for advertising, upping the quality and lowering the prices, or paying employees. Re: being in a parking garage, you could actually hear the cars barreling overhead. Real classy. Shit breaking and not getting fixed and lack of inventory were constant issues. Lower management went without pay for a long time. Criticism from the Metro Times, employees, or anyone for that matter was dismissed. As for the hip parties...one big event, a Belvedere Party as I recall, ran out of Belvedere. What does a hip, classy place like AV do? Pours Stoli into Belvedere bottles, of course. Call them for your next party...sure it tastes like Five O' Clock, but the bottle still says Grey Goose. For real Asian cuisine, prepared by actual Asians, aren't there places on John R up there some place? Windsor too. Or, why pay out your ass for glorified Chinese take-out at AV anyway? There's that place in the plaza with the Carpenter's union building and the Comerica, or countless others throughout the city. Besides all that, it should be pretty obvious that any place that has to shove down your throat how cool they are probably isn't. | ||
Crawford Member Username: Crawford Post Number: 224 Registered: 10-2006 |
By this time next year (probably sooner), Asian Village will be closed. Investors, take note: look at the successful restaurants in the D; places like Small Plates or Tom's. There's already a template for success. | ||
Atwater Member Username: Atwater Post Number: 195 Registered: 09-2007 |
Yes, "Asian Village" is a joke. I did in fact go there to eat once last summer.. the service was horrible and the prices were way too high for the portions served. So why would I go back? | ||
Fnemecek Member Username: Fnemecek Post Number: 2789 Registered: 12-2004 |
quote: Sorry, but no. Dtales is just someone who like restaurants in a way that most people like air. quote: Really? Sushi doesn't work in Detroit? I'll be sure to let the folks at Oslo know that, seeing as how they're a sushi place as well and aren't making any efforts to convert their menu. Ditto for Fishbones, which is also nearby and added sushi to their menu. Crave, Nami and Sakana also specialize in sushi - although they are outside of Detroit proper by one whole mile. Sushi can and does work in Detroit. However, as the management of AV is at least starting to discover, you still have to do all of the other things that are required of running any restaurant like offer your customers good food and service. BTW - going back to one of the things that started this whole conversation - the windows are simply "covered over"; they're frosted. That part of AV has been converted into a nightclub in the evenings. The window change was part of the conversion. |
