Look Inside Ima’s New Noodle Bar in Madison Heights

Corktown noodle house Ima is one of those spots that’s in a continuous state of evolution. Over the last two years, the restaurant has slowly built on its solid lineup of udon and curry, introducing fast favorites like lobster udon, building out a patio dining area, and branching out into sake and shochu. With the addition of the Madison Heights location late last month, chef Mike Ransom is once again pushing the menu farther.

Compared to other parts of the country, metro Detroit has long had a dearth of ramen shops. However, in the past 12 months a handful of noodle bar have opened in the area to the rousing cheers of ramen fans. Ima is the latest to enter the fray with four different styles of ramen on the menu in Madison Heights. Other items on Ima’s fall menu include smoked salmon potato salad with a generous helping of salmon roe and yaki udon with noodles coated in creamy sesame butter rather than broth. Where the Corktown restaurant was somewhat limited by kitchen space, the Madison Heights location is large enough to allow for experimentation. Ransom intends to use the restaurant as a testing ground for new recipes, conveniently located near some of metro Detroit’s biggest Asian markets.

Photographers Michell and Chris Gerard dropped by Ima’s new suburban sibling to scope out space. Take a look around the modern, casual noodle bar and some of the items on the new menu in the gallery below.

GB in Detroit

Ima in Madison Heights is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

• Ima Adds Ramen to the Mix at New Madison Heights Noodle Bar [ED]
• All Openings Coverage [ED]
• All Eater Inside Coverage [ED]