Immigrant-owned restaurants in metro Detroit you should have tried by now
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12930 W Warren Ave., Dearborn; 313-582-2927
Chamo Barakat, an Aleppian chef and immigrant, left his country in 2006 — mere years before a devastating war broke out. Should you crave the rich, complex dishes of Aleppo, Barakat’s shop, Al Chabab, in Dearborn, is the place to go. Aleppo is known for have regionally unmatched agricultural riches, and in the country's chefs have a deep appreciation and respect for longstanding techniques and processes.
Photo by Tom Perkins
Qahwah House
6655 Schaefer Rd., Dearborn; 313-908-4521
Owner Ibrahim Alhasbani's family grew and supplied Yemeni coffee for hundred years, and he flies the beans directly from the family farm, which allows him to keep the price down. "I want to give the people an education about the coffee from Yemen, tell them the story about the coffee, that mocha is not chocolate. It's a port in Yemen where the first coffee went out to the world," he tells us.
Photo via Instagram user @qahwah_house
Que Huong
30820 John R Rd., Madison Heights; 248-588-0998
A Vietnamese grub hub, Que Huong can be easy to look over in its plain surroundings. If one is lucky enough to spot it, they would be remiss to not give this eatery a try. Its rice noodle soup, sandwiches, and other rice dishes are what make this Asian restaurant standout.
Photo via Facebook
Remas
11444 Joseph Campau Ave., Hamtramck; 313-707-0920
Remas' menu includes some Mediterranean and Yemeni standards like ghallaba that Hamtramckans might be familiar with, while other dishes – lahsah, madfoon, and buram – aren't as common in metro Detroit. Owner Fahmi Alfarei, who is Yemeni, has lived in Hamtramck since 2005 and also runs a contracting business.
Photo by Tom Perkins
Reshmi Sweets & Cafe
12170 Conant St, Hamtramck; 313-366-2425
Reshmi Sweets & Cafe offers tasty Indian dining. Reshmi provides its customers with a contemporary interpretation of classic Indian cuisine.
Photo via Yelp user, Reyasmin K.
Sheeba
8752 Joseph Campau Ave, Hamtramck; 313-874-0299
Those who've been going to Yemen Cafe or Sheeba for a while are well aware of how different Yemeni cuisine is from the Lebanese fare we've grown up on. For one thing, Sheeba hasn't moved away from traditional lamb to the cheaper beef you find in many Lebanese restaurants. Sheeba serves a mainly Arabic-speaking clientele — it's that authentic.
Photo by Tom Perkins
Taqueria El Rey
4730 W. Vernor, Detroit; 313-357-3094
Taqueria El Rey is a family-owned Mexican restaurant, and chicken is the name of the game at this Southwest Detroit joint. The pollo is smoked low and slow over lump coal in an open-air grill pit, situated under an adjoining tent. The result, a wonderfully charred flavor, is punctuated with a mix of spices.
Photo via Instagram user @dinedrinkdet
Trizest
33170 Dequindre Rd., Sterling Heights; 586-268-1450
Owner Hsing Ming Wu says Trizest's customer base used to be almost exclusively Chinese, but more and more non-Chinese are hearing about the difference and, for many, experiencing their first bites of authentic Sichuan food. What rolls out of its kitchen, which opened in 2010, is closer to what you'll find in Sichuan. There's a balance of flavors and consideration for textural interplay that makes the cuisine exciting.
Photo via Instagram user @joefoodie
Yemen Cafe
8740 Joseph Campau Ave., Hamtramck; 313-871-4349
The Yemen Cafe in Hamtramck blends Arab, Turkish, and Indian flavors to create a unique menu. The influences of the various cultures can be seen on the menu. Different types of shawarma, gallaba, and chicken dishes can be purchased here.
Photo by Serena Maria Daniels
ZamZam
11917 Conant St., Hamtramck; 313-893-9902
The ZamZam Restaurant gives its visitors a chance to experience Indian and Pakistani food with classic dishes like curry, biryani, chicken tikka soup, and plenty more.
Photo via Facebook
