The ethnic variety of restaurants around Kalamazoo has really grown. In nearby Mattawan we now have Nonla Vietnamese Street Food. Located downtown in a building that used to be Kazoopy's. The space is small but does have an outdoor patio in good weather. They also seemed to do a good carryout business. Street food is mostly pho or "noodle soup" and banh mi which means wheat bread and refers to sandwiches. These sandwiches use a bread much like baguettes due to the French influence in Vietnam. They then spread mayonnaise on the bread and add meat, pickles, cucumbers, jalapenos and other veggies. It seems most street food is in one dish. We tried the braised ginger chicken in a clay pot, which is a rice dish all in one bowl. It was very good and featured a marinade including star anise, cloves, cinnamon, pepper, jalapenos and fennel. This was served on jasmine rice with a fried egg on top. They do have a dessert of the day as well as a variety of soft drinks. Great addition to the food scene in this area! Check out the guide for more details.

Oshtemo is home to a new African restaurant called Jambo African Cuisine. This place is very unique and I have never heard of anything on the menu. However, when I read the detail, many dishes sounded very good. I tried the Samosas which are deep fried pastry dough filled with ground beef, spices, garlic, ginger and lentils. The spicy sauce served with them also helped make the dish. I tried a side dish called Dengu which was chickpeas sautéed with red onion, olive oil, coconut milk, tomatoes and salt. My main dish was called Pilau which was beef cooked with chopped onion and spices such as cardamom, cinnamon, black pepper and coriander seed served over brown rice. All were very tasty. Only soft drinks here, but try the juice of the day. My visit they offered pineapple and ginger juice. They have lots of other dishes I will try on future visits. I will try the warm dessert of the day sometime when I order less food. The lady that owns this place is from Tanzania and speaks Swahili. This is order at the counter food, but that allows you to see the food and ask questions. Plenty of comfortable seating. Great addition to the ethnic food scene offered in the Kalamazoo area. Check out the guide for more details.

New Dutch place added in Holland

I finally found a real Dutch restaurant! I always wondered if there was such a thing. deBoer's Bakkerij & Dutch Brothers Restaurant finally does the trick. This place has been around since 1956 and at the current location since 1998. A real mix of old and new with old world Dutch treats and baked goods mixed with modern popular items. From old world Dutch croquettes & pea soup to mahi mahi fish tacos. From the Amsterdamage to the barefoot hippy this menu is very unique. My favorite breakfast places are those with a bakery attached and this is one of the best. Don't miss the banket almond stick, the pig in a blanket, the dulce banana rhumba french toast, klompen cakes or the lekkerbekje for dessert. They will be roasting and grinding their own coffee real soon as well. This place is worth a trip for breakfast or lunch. Plan on taking something home from the bakery. Check the guide for all the details.

Thai Restaurant added in Kalamazoo

This cozy place is located in a strip mall, however once inside the Bangkok Flavor Thai Restaurant it has a surprisingly nice atmosphere. The menu is large and filled with your Thai favorites like Pad Thai or spring rolls.
I have just recently become a fan of Thai food and like most I expected it to be similar to Chinese food. Not so. Thai food uses lots of herbs which make their food have combination flavors like sweet, sour, spicy and bitter. These flavors run thru most of their dishes. Lots of Thai dishes are coconut based and they use lots of curries. Green, red and yellow curries are commonly used. They also use lemon grass, galangel(gingery, peppery root) and green chilis. Chinese food uses more soy sauces along with ginger, garlic and red chilies. Thai food much more resembles Indian food than Chinese. Most Thai restaurants will allow you to "adjust" the heat used. I like it very hot and they never fail to come thru. In the U.S. the menus may be separated by appetizers, soups, entrees etc. However, there is no concept of courses in a Thai meal. Soups, salads, curries and noodles are eaten together to create a combination of flavors. A common starting point to the new Thai patron is Phad Thai which are flat rice noodles. They are made of rice sticks that look almost translucent. The noodles are soaked (not boiled), then placed in a pan and fried. Phad means fried. The noodles are then served with peanut sprouts, chopped chillies, dash of sugar, lime juice and chilli powder giving it the sweet, sour & spicy flavor. Add curry of choice. Many other chicken, pork, beef, fish and duck items cooked in the Thai style. Bangkok flavor can offer you this experience for your taste buds. They have some unique offerings like flamed duck or coconut juice to drink. Speaking of drinks they have a Thai beer called Singha that is good along with several other choices including Bell's or Taj Mahal from India. This place is very good.