Miss Kim owner opens new Ann Arbor restaurant focused on vegetarian Asian food and affordable prices

Little Kim, the latest dining venture from the team behind Ann Arbor Korean restaurant Miss Kim, has opened its doors at 407 N. Fifth Ave. in Ann Arbor. Featuring fresh and flexible vegetarian-focused fare in a welcoming, casual setting, the new restaurant is a fun and easy way to experience the talents of a five-time James Beard Award-nominated chef. 

“I wanted a place where people can afford to come three to four times a week," says Chef Ji Hye Kim, the driving force behind Miss Kim and now Little Kim. She has been a James Beard Award nominee four times for Best Chef: Great Lakes and once for Best Chef: National.

Kim adds, "My favorite compliment so far since opening has been, 'I’m going to be here every day.'" 

The menu is both creative and customizable with a focus on "Make Your Own Bowls." Think jasmine rice, greens, french fries, tofu crumble, tempeh, kidney beans, smashed cucumbers, roasted peppers, carrot salad, yellow daikon pickles, toasted seaweed, and chopped herbs. Other highlights are housemade hot sauces such as gochujang and sambal, a daily kimbap, and vegan kimchi.

Gerard + BelevenderA rice bowl at Little Kim.
"I wanted to make sure that everything is not only really tasty, but also healthy and nutritious,” Kim says. "And, if you just ask your server for options, we can make your dish vegan." 

Kim was raised in Seoul, South Korea; moved to New Jersey when she was a teenager; and later pursued studies in political science and economics at the University of Michigan. She learned a lot about cooking from her mother, who was known for preparing generous amounts of kimchi each autumn and making rice cakes for the Mid-Autumn Harvest Festival celebrated in many Asian cultures. Little Kim's menu melds Asian vegetarian traditions with the best offerings from Michigan farmers and producers. Diners can expect a revolving menu that reflects the best local ingredients as they peak each season. 

"Ann Arbor has one of the most beautiful farmers markets in the country and my favorite time is the first, second, [and] third weeks of September," Kim says. "Tomatoes are fully coming in, corn is so sweet, we have fruits like green apples, and we may still have Concord grapes that I might want to use."

She is also looking forward to expanding the mini-mart located in Little Kim, which offers unique Korean snacks and convenient grab-and-go options.

"A popular item that people are buying right now is called Milkis. It's sort of like a Korean flavored cream soda," Kim says."I used to have it as a kid on picnics or school trips, so it just tickles me that customers also love it."