Detroit is a town that lacks in terms of excellent high-end options — they exist, but often the dishes don’t live up to the price. With that in mind, skepticism is my default mode when a new spot opens where I can drop several bills on a meal.
Basan has been serving up Asian-inspired fare next to Little Caesars Arena for about a year now, in a dimly lit, contemporary space in the former Hotel Eddystone. It’s a product of the same group behind Detroit’s Grey Ghost and Second Best Bar, and the kitchen is now helmed by chef Eric Lees, who moved here from Chicago for the job.
His menu and delivery vanquished my skepticism. Basan’s busy dishes harmonize, and are texturally interesting. Japanese language holds far more descriptives for texture than English, and that seems to be reflected in many of Basan’s plates. The menu is divided into four sections — “buns,” “skewers,” “small,” and “large” — but don’t be fooled, the small is not that small, and the large is very large.
The best of the bunch was the scallop motoyaki with buttery, smoky scallops, miso mayo, lemon, smoked salt, olive oil, smoked trout roe, and garlic chips. The scallops are torched on the grill, imparting even more smokiness — one of the top dishes we’ve tried this year so far.
The Thai lamb wraps came requiring some assembly with ground lamb that was pleasantly funky from the addition of “tons” of fish sauce, providing a substantial umami dose. It benefits from a purée of chopped garlic, ginger, and lemongrass, and is further enhanced with lime juice and brown sugar with pops from pickles and green onions, while the bib lettuce provides a nice crunch and backdrop.
The kung pao cauliflower comes with deep fried nuggets that are a bit sweet, savory, and a smidge sour, while the peanut adds textural and flavor depth, but it was advertised with Sichuan peppercorns that I couldn’t detect. If I see the mouth-numbing spice on a menu, I want my mouth to tingle, like it does at Trizest in Sterling Heights.
Basan’s short list of skewers includes a smoky octopus doused in a sweet, garlicky gochujang sauce and textural contrast from fried garlic chips — if gochujang is your thing, then don’t pass on this. I preferred the chicken thigh skewer, smokey and briney after marinating in a flavorful shio koji marinade which Lees says helps break down the meat a bit. It takes a run on the robata grill and once charred it’s slathered in a pickled plum barbecue sauce that is black pepper-forward with cardamom, star anise, and a long list of other spices, though the final effect is flavorful, not spicy. The skin is taken off, cooked to a chicharron texture before being re-added to the skewer.
Perhaps the only bummer of the meal was the hamachi kama,or yellowtail collar. It wasn’t bad, but the collar is a fatty, flavorful, slightly rich cut that’s pulled from behind the gills, and I want to savor that. Basan’s version came in a rice dish and the fish got lost in all the flavors from the orange-yuzu kosho, pickles, kimchi, carrots, citrus barbecue sauce, etc.
The bao buns were solid versions of this Chinese staple. There’s a dearth in Detroit — I go out to Ann Arbor’s Bao Boys or Slurping Turtle to itch that scratch. Basan’s is up there with the best. The twice-fried chicken is buttermilk-marinated, fried once in a batter with corn flakes, oyster crackers, and more to enhance the texture, then sits over night, then is fried again for the order and served with a simple yellow curry and pickled carrots. That thick, crunchy crag pops against the soft buns.
The pulled pork is a barbecue dish made with fermented kumquats, pickled plum barbecue sauce, and gochujang. It’s smoked then braised, leaving it super tender. Napa cabbage and fried potato sticks provide the contrasting crunch, and aioli provides a creamy counterpoint. Excellent.
The branzino was perhaps the most pleasant surprise — the seared slab is light and flaky and hit with a Thai curry sauce, and served with pineapple and a salad of watercress, raw turnips, and pickled snap peas.
On the drink menu is a solid sake selection and a cocktail menu developed by Will Lee — especially the Bangarang Spritz with Chinese five spice in support of Aperol, blanco tequila, yuzu umeshu, grapefruit, lime, cava and rose water.
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