Katoi Is a 'Next-Level Experience'; Three Stars for La Rondinella

— Serena Maria Daniels embraces the hype around Katoi: "This buzz is beyond deserved," the critic writes. The northern Thai-inspired restaurant with "a Midwestern sensibility" has "managed to create something that Detroit has never really had before." She raves, "You're in for a next-level experience." The broth for the Chinese duck noodles "is loaded with intensity, thanks to a blend of wood ear, shiitake, bok choy, and five spice" and one "can't go wrong with the coconut milk ice cream, with a drizzle of dulce de leche, peanuts, mango, and puffed rice." [Metro Times]

— Molly Abraham visits La Rondinella in Eastern Market: "[Owner Dave] Mancini has the touch, whether it's with the pristine thin-crusted pizzas [at Supino] or the more elaborate dishes on the menu at La Rondinella." Servers are well-trained and come prepared with recommendations, the critic writes. The menu currently offers a scant few pasta dishes but "this is not a red sauce type of Italian restaurant." In terms of mains, Abraham suggest the "terrific skin-on chicken dish, chicken thighs paired with a swirl of cannellini beans, and another, braised lamb shoulder made from pasture-raised Michigan lamb atop a silky polenta." The arugula and watercress salad "is just right with both of these dishes, in fact, with virtually anything on the rustic Italian menu." Three stars. [Detroit News]