A James Beard-nominated chef is opening another restaurant in Ann Arbor.
Chef Ji Hye Kim, who earned a James Beard Award nomination last year for her Korean restaurant Miss Kim in Ann Arbor’s Kerrytown, is opening a sister restaurant across the street.
Located at 407 N. 5th Ave., Ann Arbor, Little Kim is being billed as a fast-casual restaurant with an emphasis on build-your-own-bowls. The store also includes an Asian-themed mini-mart with grocery items.
In a press release, the restaurant says its menu is all-vegetarian, and many dishes can also be made vegan. Diners can choose from ingredients like rice, tofu, and a variety of veggies, with toppings including housemade gochujang sauce.
Other menu items include dishes like a “Daily Kimbap,” a fried tofu sandwich served on Zingerman’s bread, Vietnamese coffee, and housemade sodas.
The mini-mart includes sauces and other Asian and Asian American products.
Ji Hye was born and raised in Seoul, South Korea, and says she learned to cook from her mother. She wound up studying political science and economics at the University of Michigan and opened Miss Kim in 2016. She was most recently a James Beard semifinalist in the “Best Chef: Great Lakes” category in 2024.
Little Kim
407 N. 5th Ave., Ann Arbor, MI
This article appears in Jul 23 – Aug 5, 2025.
