I always love checking out food spots when I'm in Ann Arbor for work. On my most recent visit, Nate and I stopped by Little Kim, Miss Kim's new fast-casual vegetarian outpost located in Kerrytown Market. We were welcomed in right away and I loved the friendly employees. The menu is completely vegetarian and many items can be made vegan. There is an Asian influence with lots of Korean flavors as well as Indian inspired dishes. We ordered the fried tofu sandwich with fries and the seaweed rolls (gimmari). Our food came out quickly and everything was hot and fresh. The fries were a large portion and super tasty (like McDonald's). I loved the seaweed mayo on the tofu sandwich as it does make it taste like a fish sandwich! The bread was a bit tough for eating as a sandwich but the flavors were great. The gimmari were a little mushy inside but the ssamjang mayo was savory and delicious. They have a cooler of interesting drinks -- I loved that some are labeled with descriptions. They also have other items for sale, like ramen pots, snacks, and stickers. I got a couple of packs of Oreos and some stickers and a postcard. I will definitely be back to try more food! The jjajangbap is calling my name, yum! read more

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Yummy lunch! Guest Chef Christian Lau was here for the week, so I tried the hot and sour soup, kimchi Gochujang Mushroom Rice Bowl, special Salt Pepper Tater Tots, and Rice Cakes. It was absolutely delicious! I'll definitely come back. read more

Little Kim - Korean Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

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Been a long time fan of Miss Kim and was so excited when they bought the space next door to make a vegetarian/vegan spot! The tofu sando is absolutely delicious and the fries are so crispy. I LOVE that there's vegan kimchi because I love kimchi and obviously traditional or most kimchi is not vegetarian-friendly. Also tried the chickpeas and the Bombay bhel. Love the fusion aspects with both Korean and Indian flavors. 10/10! read more

Little Kim - Fried Tofu Sandwich - Korean Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

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Little Kim is Miss Kim's vegetarian fast casual concept! You order at the counter and you get a number for your table & they bring your food. In true ZCOB fashion, the staff couldn't be more friendly. Honestly so nice and helpful. I was oogling at all the Korean snacks they had like Turtle Chips (yum!), mint herbal candy, whale shaped squid chips (?). I had the Jajjangbap (Korean Chinese Black Bean Sauce Over Rice, Brinery Tempeh, Zucchini - $15) I also added an egg for extra $. It was a plenty big portion that I ate half for lunch the next day. I thought it was pretty unique as I've only had jajjang NOODLES. With rice is different but I was into it. This version is super pungent and flavorful. Love it. I also didn't even realize there was tempeh in it! I also ordered the fries because I wanted to try the sauces: *Seaweed sauce - worth a try but I think would be better as a sandwich sauce! *ssamjang mayo - OBSESSED - my favorite. kinda funky from what ssamjang is (fermented) *curry mayo - I mean can't really go wrong. The only thing is that I like steak fries and these were super thin but not crispy enough. It was a HUGE portion so I took it home and airfried it to perfection! I'll be back when they have kimbap on the regular!! I'm so looking forward to being able to have this at a place on the regular. FYI there's some outdoor seating in the front & back courtyard. Otherwise, it's communal tables. read more

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There's a lot to love about Little Kim, but like all younger siblings it can be hard to escape the shadow of the firstborn. But these two places are different, and they should be treated as such. Little Kim is more casual, less expensive (which is not to be confused with cheap), and drumroll.... not exclusively Korean. The quick, counter service, luncheonette draws influences from Indian, Japan, and China in addition to Korea. And I might argue with the dish Egg in Purgatory, it's also drawing from Italian influences. And with sandwiches on sliced Farm bread from Zingerman's Bakehouse, one could argue other European influences too. Oh yeah, and one of my favorite dishes has a spicy tahini dressing, so also middle eastern maybe? It gets confusing. The food is all tasty. It looks beautiful, as does the physical space. The staff is friendly and accommodating, as one would expect from any place under the Zingerman's umbrella. I've been a few times, and the one dish that in my mind stands head and shoulders above the rest is the humble Crunchy Sesame Salad. It's $7 and has no leafy greens. Instead there's shredded red cabbage, chunks of celery, and shaved fennel. The dressing is a creamy and spicy tahini, which is balanced with a scattering of sweet and chewy golden raisins, with a sprinkling of sesame seeds for bit more toasty oomph. Seriously, I could eat this every day. The fried tofu is delightful, albeit in a different style from the fried tofu at Big Kim across the alleyway. While the fried tofu works well in the bowls, I've found the sandwiches to be just a little lacking. For me, it's the bread. Now I love the Farm Bread from Zingerman's Bakehouse. But it has never felt like a good fit for these really flavorful and beautiful sandwiches. It's just a bit too dry and stiff. Perhaps if it was grilled or pressed, we might be having a different conversation. As long as we're doing a cross cultural creative cuisine, I think some kind of Indian Pav would be lovely! Dare to dream. Fried chickpeas are magnificent. Even better than the french fries. The real trick to enjoying a meal at Little Kim is to go with a group and share. The fries are huge. While the chickpeas are smaller, they are denser and one order can be shared by several folks. The Egg in Purgatory is loved by so many folks, but also it's not for me. Maybe it's because I've had some great traditional eggs in purgatory and plenty of Shakshuka. While I love chickpeas, I find them out of place in this dish. I'm also still left scratching my head as to why the default is just one egg on this enormous plate of tomatoes and beans. That said, I've also enjoyed the chilled tofu noodle bowl and the Jjajangbap. And I'm looking forward to returning and trying the hot tofu rice bowl and the seaweed roll. Plus Little Kim is pretty darn new. I expect the menu will be evolving as the seasons chance, and I'm expecting more delicious items to emerge from the kitchen and additional personal favorites that rise to the level of that fantastic sesame salad. What a delightful way to eat your veggies and enjoy some of chef Ji Hye's flavors when you didn't have the foresight to make a reservation next door. read more

Wow. Where do I even begin?! Every single thing we had from Little Kim was incredible. Soooo much flavor in every dish! Even my non-vegetarian family members loved their dishes so much. The fried tofu sandwich is amazing, 10/10 I wouldn't change a single thing. And their fried chickpeas are too, I couldn't have loved them more. I could make the fried chickpeas an entire meal, they're that good! They're perfectly crispy and seasoned. Their fries are really great too! My brother loved the chilled tofu noodles too- he added egg on top and said it was perfect. I can't wait to explore more of their menu. The staff were extremely nice and welcoming and it was very clean and well organized inside. There is a small parking lot that we were able to get a spot in, too, which was really nice. Overall 10/10 experience which made me so excited to come back to try more. read more

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Tasty fast Korean food. This is a fantastic place for a quick healthy lunch. The service was fast, the flavors were good, and we got to sit outside and enjoy the sun. There isn't a lot of space inside so Im not sure how this will be in the winter. The food was tasty, but didnt blow me away. I would come back for lunch. read more

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작은 접시에 담긴 큰 행복. jageun jeopsie damgin keun haengbok. "Big happiness on a little plate." That phrase perfectly captures my experience at Little Kim. Nestled on North 5th Ave with its bright yellow awning, this spot delivers bold Korean flavors in a cozy, approachable way. We ordered the cold noodle bowl (refreshing and full of flavor) and a do-it-yourself bowl, which was both fun and delicious. On the side we shared cucumber mash, kimchee, and chickpeas--each small dish bringing its own personality and depth to the meal. Portions may look "little" at first, but every bite packs so much satisfaction that you leave feeling happy and full without being weighed down. The vibe is casual, with a welcoming patio that feels tucked away even though you're right in the heart of Kerrytown. It's the kind of place where you can linger with friends or stop by for a quick but memorable lunch. Service is warm, prices are reasonable, and everything tastes like it came from a kitchen that genuinely cares. Ann Arbor has plenty of dining options, but Little Kim lives up to its name--it may be "little," but the happiness it serves is truly big. read more

Little Kim - Korean Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

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Surprising amounts of umami, great textures, and very filling At 1:30pm on a sunday, Little Kim wasn't too busy so my gf and I decided to try it. We typically eat some kind of meat protein with meals, sometimes sweetgreen or chipotle if we want to eat healthy, but usually we shy away from vegetarian since most veg places don't fill in the meaty protein gap with fatty umami flavor or texture Little Kim proved that notion wrong The tofu bowl had this nutty and creamy tahini that balanced well with the acidic pickled daikon and the perfectly blanched broccolini. The toppings of fried chickpeas also provide this oily crunch in between bites of rice and egg as if I was eating chili crunch with my breakfast The fried tofu sandwich has this surprisingly spicy (but just a bit) chipotle mayo that pairs strangely well with seaweed mayo? My gf thought there might have been tuna or fish in it and it took us a minute to realize it utilized the umami from seaweed and it almost emulated like a fried fish sandwhich Also want to mention that the yuzu soda was perfectly sweet (typically it's over sweetened) I was so happy with my meal but when our server came and asked us to leave a survey it had me thinking about what I also didn't like about Little Kims First was the bread on the tofu sandwich. As much as I enjoy a zingermans pastrami, the bread shows to be very bland and stale here. There were perfect amounts of balance in the ingredients but the bread is overwhelmingly big in comparison and overshadows how much work went into everything in between. It has no flavor and the crust almost cuts into your gums if you bite it the wrong way. I would have much rather eaten this with a bun or a roll but it almost felt silly that the sandwich was served with zingermans bread and a dill pickle because it just didn't pair well to me Second the seating is pretty cramped inside. The seats and tables are aligned in a way that you have to squeeze through if other people are at the end of your table or at the next. Also the metal chairs are a little strange especially because mine was unbalanced and tipped anytime I would lean in for a bite Lastly, even though I enjoy all the available asian drinks and items, it was a bit distracting when I was coming up to the register to figure out what I wanted to eat. I get that it kind of emulates zingermans in that way of having other things available to purchase but the aesthetic of the shop feels like it wants to be a bit more minimalist Don't get me wrong though, I still loved lunch here and will be coming back a lot. I rarely leave reviews but because I was asked, it seems like this place wants to continue to improve and I hope this makes it to someone there who takes it into consideration I've avoided Miss Kim for a while because of how overly hyped and packed it seems to always be, but maybe I'll put a reservation sometime now that I've enjoyed this spot read more

Little Kim - Korean Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

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It's hard to do a good vegetarian only place, and little Kim accomplishes this! The meals were flavorful. Would recommend the paneer and tomato sandwich, the addition of curry paste added a great flavor. Would want the tofu bowl to have a little more spice. The service was quick, however the space itself is a little cramped. Additionally, it was fairly expensive read more

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Great concept and excited about this more grab and go casual option alongside Miss Kim! Stopped in for a to go order on a weekday, lunchtime. The menu is varied and everything sounds pretty yummy. For my first time, I got the fried tofu sandwich, and when prompted "would you like fries?", added those to my order as well. The sandwich was yummy! Super filling. Great option but I wouldn't say mind-blowingly phenomenal necessarily. I hear the thing to try next is the Mushroom Avocado bowl, and that that dish is really standout. The sandwich was so filling that I didn't really have any room left for the fries :D, which was a sizeable portion. The dip/sauce options here are SO fun. So many to try! Wait was around 15-20min, which works well for a lunch break from work. read more

I really enjoyed my quick lunch here. It's a grab and go addition to the main restaurant next door. It's in an area where there are several restaurants and shops but some communal seating outside. The inside was nearly empty but the rest of our group chose other places so we split up which was sad. It was very loud inside though nearly empty as it is all hard surfaces. The food was fine but we ate quickly to join the rest of our group outside where chairs and seating was scarce. The rice bowl was a little spicier than I had expected but the rest of the ingredients were fine. The purple rice was delicious. It's really just a take out space or to eat quickly and leave. They were processing a lot of orders. Next time I'd like to try their main restaurant next door with others who want to sit and enjoy the food. It just wasn't that sort of day. Specify when you want less of certain parts. It did hold up well for leftovers though so taking the rest to our just home was a good idea. Another lunch was easy to have it. read more

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Finally decided to try this place out of sheer curiosity and a want to eat more plant based meals. I've been to Miss Kim a handful of times and always thought the food was okay but insanely pricey compared to authentic spots serving larger portions that don't cater to rust belt taste buds. So, my expectations weren't very high but I gotta say...this was the most fraudulent sandwich I've ever eaten. The fact that I just spent $17 on a piece of unseasoned tofu between two pieces of dry (not even toasted!!!) sourdough bread just ruined the rest of my day, maybe even my whole week. Miss Kim, girl, enough is enough. My fault for thinking the sandwich was the way to go. My bad for not seeing the writing on the wall after spending entirely too much money on tteokbokki that tasted like a dry sponge at your sister establishment. I wanted to give you another chance, another shot, an opportunity to establish yourself as a staple of vegetarian cuisine in the mecca of plant-based alternatives. I gave you the benefit of the doubt and you betrayed me. You looked me in the eye and served me a dry tofu with dry sauce on dry bread. I don't know how you managed DRY SAUCE but congratulations. You really need to trademark it and contact the press about this culinary marvel. read more

The fries, by themselves, are quite good. But the sauces they have to dip the fries in are really different and something else! I didn't think I'd like the matcha seaweed mayo, but I was wrong. I really liked it! What a strange combo that turned out to be a favorite. This is a good place for a quick bite. They have ample outdoor seating, and indoor seating if you want that. It is a bit hard to find if you don't know the area. read more

Amazing food. The staff are super friendly, and the ambiance in the room is very cool and also zen.

I was very excited to try Little Kim. The food did not disappoint but the price of the bowls is certainly high for what you get. For a quick service restaurant paying $17+ for a mushroom and avocado bowl is too much. read more

Always incredible food and service. A really reliable place for a quality meal. So many great options and have never been disappointed.

The staff is extremely well tried, gracious, attentive. The food is a unique fusion of Korean with other cultures and food traditions. I always feel as though I am sampling a successful experiment by a gifted chef. Kim is the best, Miss Kims is the best in A2. read more

the tofu sandwich was good but quite small considering a price of $17. Photos of the sandwich in ads make it appear to be much more sizable.