Katoi

Mark and I went to Katoi at 2520 Michigan Ave in Corktown with our friends Sue and Colin McCoy. The restaurant is in a little white building that is easy to miss so watch for it on the north side of the street.There is no menu online but they refer to it as Thai-ish. I would call it amazing. We shared several dishes that were all extremely flavorful and can only be described as a taste explosion in your mouth.

My favorite dish was the Fried Squash Blossoms. They were lightly breaded and fried with a sweet coconut cream inside that oozes out if you don’t eat it in one bite. The chile lime dip on the side gave the blossom a little kick. The Blistered Corn was roasted corn off the cob with crispy shallots providing a nice crunch. Under the corn, a lime and avocado sauce added some heat. The Som Tum Thai was a refreshing mound of green papaya noodles with long beans and tomatoes. This was very spicy. We asked to have the spice turned down on our next dish, Boat Noodles, but the broth was still quite spicy. Among other things in the broth were some small, tasty meatballs, pork belly, and pork shank. We also had the Naem Khao Tod, which was crispy rice, ground pork, shallots, cilantro, and chiles - very tasty.

For dessert, we tried the Sweet Corn Fritters and the Blueberry Ice Cream Sundae. Both were delicious but the corn fritters were exceptional. They were deep fried then rolled in lime sugar accompanied by a coconut caramel dipping sauce. What could be better?

Katoi is not just a great dining experience it is an exciting place. The interior of the restaurant is a colorful blend of lights bouncing off white walls. Seating is communal so it was interesting to see what others ordered and get their take on what appealed to them. I think this is the most creative menu I have ever encountered so those who fear spice and unusual flavors shouldn’t try this place. For the rest of us, it is a must have experience.

#Katoi #Review #Thai