Azalea Brings Nikkei Cooking to South Main Street
The restaurant beneath the Blue Llama combines Japanese and Peruvian traditions in a contemporary dinner format.
The space at 312 South Main has had a few lives. Before Azalea, it was Of Rice and Men, a sushi-and-lounge concept that occupied the lower level beneath the Blue Llama Jazz Club. The room is the same: dimly lit, below street level, the kind of space that either feels intimate or invisible depending on whether you know it's there. What changed is the food.
Min Kyu Kim purchased the space after operating it as ORAM and later relaunched it as Azalea.1Azalea's background and Kim's restaurant portfolio are documented by the Ann Arbor Observer, which reported Kim's purchase and operation of the former Of Rice and Men space. Kim is also behind Hola Seoul on North University. Azalea is a different register: a sit-down dinner restaurant centered on contemporary Nikkei cooking.
What Nikkei Actually Means
Nikkei is the culinary tradition that grew from Japanese immigration to Peru. Japanese technique meets Peruvian ingredients, including aji peppers and citrus-driven dressings. Azalea uses that tradition as the restaurant's organizing idea.
The restaurant's current site describes the concept as contemporary Nikkei. Tiradito, ceviche, sashimi, and small plates are common expressions of that tradition, but Azalea's live menu is the source for what the kitchen is serving now.
The Room
The Michigan Daily, reviewing an early visit in February 2025, described the atmosphere as "museum-like."2Michigan Daily, "Dinner at the museum: An evening at Azalea," February 19, 2025. The lower-level address gives the restaurant less street visibility than its neighbors.
That basement location is part of the practical story. Tabe Fusion is nearby with a more visible Main Street presence.
What Kim Is Building
Kim's restaurant portfolio spans multiple formats, from counter service at Hola Seoul to sit-down Nikkei cooking at Azalea.1Azalea's background and Kim's restaurant portfolio are documented by the Ann Arbor Observer, which reported Kim's purchase and operation of the former Of Rice and Men space. The concepts are distinct rather than copies of one another.
The South Main Corridor
Ann Arbor's South Main stretch includes several Japanese and Japanese-adjacent formats. Tabe Fusion is a few blocks north, Slurping Turtle is on East Liberty, and Black Pearl runs a seafood-focused menu on South Main. Azalea adds the Nikkei dimension.
The formats serve different occasions. Azalea's Japanese-Peruvian framing is the clearest reason to distinguish it from the surrounding restaurants.
Azalea is at 312 S Main St, Ann Arbor, beneath the Blue Llama Jazz Club. Check azaleami.com for the current menu, hours, and reservations.