Little Kim Eight Months In
Ji Hye Kim's fast-casual vegetarian Korean cafe in Kerrytown has found its rhythm. Here's what the menu looks like now.
The opening brief described Ji Hye Kim's fast-casual, all-vegetarian Korean cafe and mini-mart in Kerrytown. Little Kim extends the restaurant group with a more casual format alongside Miss Kim.
Little Kim is at 403 North Fifth Avenue, near Miss Kim in Kerrytown. It is a counter-service format with a small market component; current entrance, hours, and service details belong to the official site.
The Bowls
The build-your-own bowls are the center of the menu. You pick a base (jasmine rice, greens, or French fries), a protein (panko-fried tofu, paneer, or smoked tempeh), vegetables (kimchi, pickled radishes, charred broccolini, and others that rotate), and a sauce (gochujang mayo, sesame garlic vinaigrette, spicy mayo).
The build-your-own bowls can combine rice, fried tofu, kimchi, charred broccolini, and gochujang mayo, subject to the current menu. The cafe also sells kimbap and other vegetarian Korean options.
The bowl format provides an accessible lunch option; preparation and portions should be assessed from a documented visit rather than assumed from the menu.
Beyond the Bowls
The menu has included jjajjangbap, eggs in gochujang purgatory, and a fried tofu sandwich. Current dishes and ingredients should be confirmed from the live menu.
Kimbap rounds out the prepared items. The restaurant presents the rice rolls as portable prepared food, a useful fit for the nearby market and Kerrytown errands. Check the current menu for availability.
The Mini-Mart
The grocery counter stocks Korean and Asian pantry staples: gochugaru, sesame oil, rice vinegar, noodles, sauces, and prepared items like kimchi. It is not a full grocery store. It is a focused selection chosen by someone who knows what these ingredients should taste like and where to source them. For Ann Arbor, which has limited Asian grocery options downtown, this fills a real gap.
The mini-mart extends the restaurant's offering into take-home pantry items such as kimchi and sesame oil. Current products and prices should be confirmed in the shop or ordering page.
Kim's Ecosystem
Little Kim is the third piece of Ji Hye Kim's operation. Miss Kim (415 N Fifth Ave) is the sit-down Korean restaurant, a Zingerman's Community of Businesses member, and the place where Kim's seasonal-Korean-meets-Michigan-agriculture approach started. The Ji Hye Kim profile we published covers her background and philosophy. Little Kim is the fast-casual extension: same sourcing principles, same commitment to vegetarian cooking, lower price, quicker format.
Together, they form a corridor. You can eat a composed bibimbap at Miss Kim, grab a fried tofu sandwich at Little Kim, and buy kimchi for the week from the mini-mart. All within a block. That's not a restaurant. That's a neighborhood food identity built by one chef.
The Details
Little Kim is open Tuesday through Sunday, 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Closed Mondays. The menu changes seasonally. The bowls are the reason to come. The mini-mart is the reason to come back.
Little Kim is at 403 N Fifth Ave, Ann Arbor. Check the official site for current hours, menu, and service details. All vegetarian.