TigerLily — Restaurant in Ferndale

I booked a birthday dinner reservation for ten 17 days in advance, but increased the guest list by 12 the day before (total 22). The manager advised that as a result, the tables may not be together, but he would do his best.

Upon arrival, it was confirmed that the 2 tables needed for my party could not be placed together. However the tables selected were on opposite ends of the restaurant. I shared my displeasure with the logistics. Especially since there was a long table available next to one of the tables selected. I was told that the available table was for a party of 15 and was not available, but they could make it work for my party by combining with a smaller nearby table. It was a super tight fit with two chairs at both ends but I accepted the seating arrangement because it was better than splitting my dinner party up on opposite ends of the restaurant. I also accepted because my party had been waiting 30 minutes to be seated. The party of 15 next to my table never showed and we were never offered more comfortable arrangements. Instead, they broke the table for the party of 15 up and served new guests.

From there, we were given a very rude waitress. One who did not care to explain menu options which can be overwhelming for first time guests. She was snappy with several guests and forgot to bring my mothers plate out- so she didn’t eat her own meal. During the reservation process, I was advised that there was a maximum four way bill split per table, but my waitress didn’t ask for a billing preference, she instead brought one bill, was unable to explain cost by guest and told me that I was advised that this is the way it would be. She also refused to process a four way split. After requesting a manager for bill explanation, due to the fact that the bill was not itemized by guest and the waitress could not speak to the breakdown, the manager was able to provide one ( not sure why the waitress did not do this). The waitress was sent back to collect payment. I gave her the payment and talked to a guest while she processed the payment, however, she rudely interrupted my conversation by saying I need you to pay attention while I process your payment. I don’t know why this was a requirement and was more confused by her lack of service approach. We left immediately after.

The food was good. The highlight of the dinner were the sparkler candles and the cake cutting service provided. However, I was deeply disappointed with the overall service received and discourage large party bookings. I can’t speak for all wait staff, but at a 20% gratuity, I was appalled at the treatment of my dinner party by the waitress who served us. I was also disappointed in our table setting and the lack of attention given to our party to make us comfortable. There was more care given to the setup of a table for a party that never showed than my present birthday dinner party and I’m not sure...

What a beautiful, vibey restaurant in Ferndale. Love it! We went at prime time on a Saturday and were seated pretty much right away for our 7:30 reservation. The ambiance is lively and fun without being too loud, the service was great even though they were short-staffed, and the food and cocktails were top-notch.

Our handsome waiter took the time to answer all of our questions and make suggestions, and even though he gave us a heads up that they were short that night, I don't think we would have even noticed. I really loved the 'mist over kanto' cocktail - made with mezcal and citrus - it's so pretty and tasty without being too smoky or too sweet - perfectly balanced. The 3 of us split 2 sushi rolls and each had an entree. The sushi was so good and fresh - I highly recommend both rolls - the Tigerlily and the Kani roll. The Tigerlily is made with beautiful salmon and the Kani with the most delicious fresh snow crab - I want to go back just for that one. It's so sweet and delicious. My 2 friends went with the waiter's suggestion of the Katsucurry - it looked and smelled divine. I definitely want to try that one next time. I ordered the Suzuki, which is Japanese sea bass in a miso buerre blanc - it was surprisingly sweet, but tasted really good with the fish, which was cooked perfectly with crispy skin. Tender, moist and flavorful. It is served with a pretty salad, but that part needed seasoning - I added soy sauce, and it was pretty good. I didn't love the amount of strong onions on it though - I'd suggest that they soak those first - they were fairly overpowering, and I just pushed them to the side. Still a good dish.

I am already looking forward to returning.

Returned November 2024 to great vibes, cocktails, apps & 'serts. The entrees were a bit hit or miss this time, unfortunately, but we'd all still definitely return. The lettuce wraps and tempura shrimp started our meal quite deliciously, and the lychee martinis were so tasty and not too sweet. Perfectly balanced. Service was also excellent on a packed Saturday night. As for the entrees, mine was great - chicken katsu curry. Very flavorful, crispy chicken, delectable sauce and little perfectly cooked vegetables. On point. My friend reported that the pepper steak was a little bland, and the octopus, while cooked perfectly, had quite an odd flavor - I'm not sure what it was, but it almost had a chemical like taste. Maybe too much kefir lime or something...not sure. They were very gracious about it though, and took it off the bill, and my friend enjoyed the sushi roll she ordered instead. The chocolate citrus cake we had for dessert was so perfect, so we ended on a high note. Creamy, chocolat-ey goodness with kumquats and little citrus fruit segments. Pretty and delicious. Overall, a very nice meal with friends in a...

Really wanted to love this place, as the menu is full of great-sounding dishes. Unfortunately we had a pretty bad experience- our server completely forgot to put in our order. After an hour of sitting there without him checking in(minus dropping off drinks one time), and no food arriving, I had to flag him down ask what was up. After another couple minutes he came back to say he didn't put the order in, and he did apologize, and said he would comp our drinks. We were very cool about it, because mistakes happen(we both have worked in the service industry so we understand), whatever, but asked if we could have some food expedited as we were really hungry.

Unfortunately, the service recovery was what was not good. No food came out for another 25 minutes, which meant he likely didn't ask the kitchen to prioritize our meal. No drink refills were offered either. He came over later and said rather than comp our drinks , his manager wanted to give us dessert(which was said like he was doing us a favor). We were like, uh..okay. We did say we didn't really want dessert, but he was insistant. It ended up being two little slices of cheesecake slapped in to-go boxes with nothing on them. The drinks were never taken off the bill, which was pretty steep ($172 for a couple apps, once drink each and a sando).

The food was pretty tasty and well-seasoned, but there were some issues there as well, like the tiny piece of lobster tail ($28) that was in its shell. Since all the table had was chopsticks, we had to rip out the lobster with our hands. Same with street corn that was just served on the cobb, but with sauce all over it, so very messy to eat. It made us wonder if the staff ever tried to eat the food, as the presentation and setup was not exactly the sort of elevated dining experience the vibe and pricing suggest they are going for.

When we were heading out to leave, some other people were complaining as they were waiting for a table at the bar, and nobody came and got them for an hour, even though there were many tables open. So obviously this place needs some polish or staff training.

The whole experience really soured this place for us, which sucks as it looked so promising, and could have been a place we dine...