Katoi Thai, Corktown Detroit [DTW]

I had a chance to try Katoi this eve on the way back from the airport (With apologies to Aron, as we’ve been planning to meet there some time…Can we do lunch or dinner somewhere tomorrow, Sir?). Wow, I had been under a mistaken impression about this place: small?, janky?, obscure?, an embarrassing Michigan take on a NYC or Portland original?

No. According to the fire marshal, the dining room can seat 80 and the bar can seat 20. Of course, let’s just hope there isn’t actually a fire, when 100 patrons are eating. The décor is chic. The Saturday night crowd was smartly dressed in expensive ‘deep-urban’ attire, accenting their well-bred looks. The many service folks also were very hip, but warm, competent and hard-working, as well.

I felt under-dressed and insufficiently cool, but I had money in my pocket and was just there for some discrete eating. Yet, that almost wasn’t enough. The bar was packed and the hostess said the wait would be “two hours, to forever, even considering that we close at 2am...just tryin' to be open with you.” I said, “Lesson learned; guess I’ll get takeout.” She sympathetically said, “We don’t allow takeout.” Perfect.

During this dialog, others also coincidentally had given up and just walked away, but then right at the ideal second, a seat opened at the bar, where nobody had a better angle to reach it, with dignity, than did I. The waning hours of a long, bad week, and finally something good happened to me!

Okay, I’ll get down to business: For $11 or whatever, really ingenious craft cocktails / lab experiments are on offer. I was intrigued, but had a beer, to save money. The menu length was just the right size (though maybe could have benefited from a third dessert offering, considering the plethora of ladies). About seven appetizers, seven noodle/veggie entrees and seven pork/chicken/seafood entrees.

I had red curry soup noodles with a chicken leg in it, for about $11 (one of the cheapest items on offer). The chicken wasn’t quite as good as the pictures shown on Facebook, but the noodles and broth exceeded my expectations. Not from a paste, all a homemade concoction. Beautiful. Served with a side of homemade fried chili paste, which was dangerously spicy.

I also had seemingly high quality pork ribs, that were smoked out back and then marinated and deep fried, such that the fishy sweet marinade caramelized and the fatty meat surface became crispy. Delicious! The seafood on offer sounded interesting-- skate wing, softshell crab, etc.. BTW, did I mention the place has a necessary aroma of fermented fish sauce? Don’t fear the funk.

The ribs came with fresh brined papaya and apple. The taste of this salad was the biggest thing that convinced me the chef is beyond ordinary. Simple and flawless. I did struggle with the menu a bit at first, since I was in a nostalgic mood for authentic Thai recipes. But, I suppose all dishes beyond boiled rice and plain grilled meat once were a “fusion” of different families’, towns’, provinces’, ingredients, even in Thailand.

Thus, I can’t hold reservations over Katoi’s use of fresh Michigan/American ramps, mustard greens, fiddlehead fern, etc., given that people in Isan, Thailand would surely have made their dishes with those veggies, if that’s what was growing there. Katoi generally was true to the essence of Thai cuisine, at least as far as I know it. Looking forward to a return visit.