Basil Babe

fYPSILANTI, MI ans of Basil Babe’s popup events can now find the Thai restaurant at its permanent location in Ypsilanti.

Basil Babe opened in January at 701 W. Cross St., which was previously home to Hamburger Mary’s and Tower Inn.

“It’s pretty much like a full circle (moment) being born and raised in Ypsi and going to Eastern (Michigan University),” Basil Babe Owner Haluthai Inhmathong said. “Now I’m taking over this place, and hopefully it becomes an Eastern staple.”

Basil Babe operates on a rotating weekly menu which includes appetizers, curries, noodles, stir fries, desserts and Thai tea and coffee. The menu also offers vegan and glutenfree options.

Basil Babe’s dumplings are “filled with love” and are a very popular item with customers, Inhmathong said. The restaurant’s menu features one meat and one vegan option that often rotate weekly.

Other popular items include the Crabby Rangoons and the OG Basil Stir-Fry, which features minced pork, garlic, Thai Bird’s Eye chili, bell peppers, green beans and Thai basil served with jasmine rice and side of Prik Nam Pla, which is fish sauce and Thai chili.

The Thai food restaurant began in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic when Inhmathong and her mother, Vasanna, began making dumplings and delivering them to friends and family.

However, as interest grew for these dumplings, local Ann Arbor restaurants reached out to the mother-daughter duo. They then began pop-up events traveling to Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, Detroit and Hazel Park.

Inhmathong eventually quit her job and fully committed to Basil Babe with the help of family members and her mother, who formerly owned her own Thai restaurant called Siam for more than 20 years. Being surrounded by her mother’s business throughout most of her life has impacted what Basil Babe is now, Inhmathong said.

“I was raised on (my mom’s) kitchen floor at the restaurant, and I learned as much as I could. But then as I grew older, I found my own flavor,” she said. “(Basil Babe serves) dishes that I grew up eating, but they are the best versions of themselves.”

Inhmathong said she and her motivate each other, while finding “the perfect balance” of both of their ideas.

Inhmathong has some plans for the future of the business, including opening during lunch, hosting live music and block parties, as well as having late night hours accompanied by cocktails, local beers and wines, she said. Her favorite part, Inhmathong said, is seeing the faces of people trying Basil Babe’s food for the first time, as well as connecting with her customers. While it may not always be easy, she said the support from her customers and family makes it “all worth it.”