Not only is Downtown South Bend becoming a hotbed of dining excellence with two of Indiana’s top five restaurants when it comes to food, service, overall vibe and other factors, but it's also a great place to try a diversity of cuisines to reflect the region’s expanding demographics and tastes.
From limited international options just a few years ago, there are now more than a dozen places in downtown offering flavors from around the world. Here are seven restaurants to try that focus primarily on international cuisine:
Kate's Kitchen
It’s almost a certainty that you’d have to get in a car to try the authentic African cuisine offered at Kate’s Kitchen , which operates in leased space at 701 N. Niles Ave. Kate Joyo, a native of Malawi, opened in the space in January, having previously introduced her dishes at Fusion Fest, pop-up events and catering.
And depending on the area of Africa, the flavors, ingredients and cooking techniques are as diverse as the continent is large, though the goal is to provide some representation of each major region, says Kate, who gained her passion for cooking from her mother.
Cultural Bites
Another new cuisine trying to get a start in South Bend is provided by Cultural Bites , which shares space with Whistle Stop Ice Cream at 210 S. St. Louis Blvd., directly across from Howard Park.
Cultural Bites offers Afghani dumplings, which are prepared for special occasions similar to how Mexican households might make tamales, says Payman Oryakhail, one of several family members involved in the fledgling business.
“When we came to this country, we dreamed of having our own business,” Payman says. “We didn’t see that the area had any Afghani foods, so we were encouraged to test my mother’s dumplings at Fusion Fest last year.”
Of course, the dumplings proved to be a popular item and the Oryakhails slowly began developing a business through catering and other opportunities before opening in the current location with still limited hours.
“The first thing we’d like to do is expand the menu and the hours,” Payman says. “It would be great to eventually have our own location nearby.”
Cambodian Thai
Sonita Winston, manager at Cambodian Thai , says her mom learned to master Thai cuisine while living in a refugee camp in Thailand.
The business at 235 S. Michigan St. is easily one of the longest-lasting Asian restaurants in downtown, having just celebrated its 19th anniversary.
Island Fusion
Kerwin Huggins, co-owner of Island Fusion , got lucky enough to find space in the Emporium Building at 121 S. Niles Ave. and offers West Indian, Dominican and Jamaican foods along with his business partner, Lorna Guthrie.
An electrician by day, Kerwin jumped into the opportunity to open a restaurant space because of his love of making people happy through food, adding that he’s noticed South Bend’s restaurant scene becoming more diverse in recent years.
“I want to infuse the West Indies into South Bend in the same way Mexican, Italian and Polish food has become part of the culture,” Kerwin says, adding that like many would-be new business owners, he’d eventually like to have a more permanent home for his concept.
Woochi
Woochi at 119 N. Michigan St. is another long-time restaurant. It fuses Japanese cuisine with other Asian culinary influences to create unique dishes in a highly stylized manner that would be welcome in any large city in America.
“When we opened in 2013, we weren’t sure whether people would come downtown to support us,” says Jeremy Young, proprietor of the restaurant. “I think our success and others before us have helped boost confidence in downtown as a dining destination.”
Fiddler's Hearth
Carol and Terry Meehan have been aiming to provide the food, music and community of an authentic Celtic pub since they opened Fiddler's Hearth at 127 N. Main St. in downtown South Bend some 22 years ago . And that authenticity has helped "The Fid" maintain its popularity even as dozens of new restaurants have opened in downtown over the past decade.
Where else can you enjoy fish and chips, corned beef and cabbage, Molly Malone stew and other comfort foods in an environment that includes a fireplace and often-live Celtic music or take in a soccer or rugby match on TV while sipping a variety of Celtic beers and whiskeys? The Fid never strays too far from providing the community-gathering spot of an authentic pub.
Cinco 5 International
Since it opened 10 years ago, Cinco 5 International at 112 W. Colfax Ave. has focused on offering a wide variety of Mexican favorites with the added twist of Thai cuisine thanks to the experience that was gained running the kitchen at Siam Thai, which closed when the owner Nat Buraprateep decided to move back home to Thailand and offered his recipes as a parting gift to the city.
It's a unique restaurant that does a very good job with both types of cuisine while also offering some burger options and such for the less adventurous.
Email Tribune Market Basket columnist Ed Semmler at esemmler@sbtinfo.com with tips about retail and restaurant openings and closings.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: 7 South Bend restaurants specializing in international cuisine
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