Southern Japanese cuisine

In the former home of the short-lived Izakaya Katsu came a new restaurant in November with a similar concept, BASH Original Izakaya, at 5063 Trumbull Avenue near Warren in Detroit. Co-owner Harold Kim, who also co-owns Izakaya Sanpei in Canton, said the decor only needed a few changes but massive renovations were made to the kitchen – it now has two deep fryers, two larger grills, and a dishwasher – as well as the menu, with 100-150 small dishes to go with their Japanese craft beers. “Our flavors are going to be much more southern Japanese style, which is not as strong,” said Kim, who added the menu will be a mix of popular dishes from his Canton restaurant, new selections, and a few from the previous owner. Some favorite dishes include battered octopus as well as a wide variety of meats. In the spring, BASH will open a Japanese biergarten. The group has plans to expand as well, ideally in Royal Oak, Ann Arbor, and somewhere around Campus Martius. But that’s down the road. Metro Intelligencer is a monthly column devoted to news stories, tidbits and gossip items about what's happening on the restaurant scene in the metro Detroit area. Metro Intelligencer is reported/created each month by Dana Casadei who can be reached at DanaCasadei@DowntownPublications.com with news items or tips, on or off the record.