New Chef at Tigerlily

Hometown Restaurant Group has announced the appointment of Ivan Dalou as executive chef of Tigerlily in Ferndale. Dalou first came to Tigerlily in August of 2022 as Tigerlily’s opening sushi chef, then helped to lead the kitchen as their sous chef. After pursuing his own brand earlier this year, Dalou recently returned to Tigerlily, where he will oversee all kitchen operations and guide the menu program. Prior to coming to Tigerlily, Dalou served as head sushi chef at Adachi, and previously worked at Chen Chow in Birmingham. He got his taste for sushi at 14-years old when he landed his first job at Sakana in Ferndale. In addition to Asian cuisine, Dalou studied French cooking techniques in culinary school, landing him a position at The Lark, in West Bloomfield, and later at Craft Work, where he worked with his mentor, chef Matt Dalton. As executive chef at Tigerlily, Chef Ivan said he plans to explore where local influences and Japanese cuisine intersect in hopes to bridge the gap between different styles of cuisine with the potential for kosher, halal and vegan options. “That’s why I do sushi,” he said. “French food is good, Italian food is good – but sushi is the new kid on the block.” 231 W. Nine Mile Road, Ferndale tigerlilyferndale.com