Wide variety of ethnic foods offered locally

Grub-hunting IU students may flock to the nearest pizza place, but the array of ethnic restaurants in Bloomington still flourishes. In fact, out of the 253 restaurants in Bloomington, nearly 100 are independently owned -- a high ratio considering the conservative eating habits of Midwesterners who usually prefer restaurant chains. Food lovers looking for meals from any ethnicity, from Indian to Greek, Irish to Mediterranean, Mexican to Thai, can find it in Bloomington.\nAmong the plethora of ethnic restaurants dotting the local landscape, both the Esan Thai and Casablanca Café can provide tasty, authentic meals to their patrons. \nThe corner of Kirkwood Avenue and Lincoln Street possesses authenticity in Thai cuisine. Esan Thai, which opened in October, is gaining popularity among Asian food aficionados. \nHusband-and-wife owners Don and Aey Schoonover said the reason customers keep coming back is because of the style in which they prepare their food.\n"It's like you get in Thailand," Aey said.\nWhether it involves pounding fresh herbs with a mortar and pestle, steaming rice in a traditional "sticky rice basket" or making fresh spring rolls by hand to order, everything at Esan Thai tastes authentic.\n"We use all fresh ingredients and a lot of them we import, even though it costs more," Don said.\nItems such as the Durian fruit, Kaffir lime leaves and galangal root, which are common in Thai cooking, are shipped from overseas. \nThe Schoonovers said they were drawn to Bloomington because there is a greater availability of Oriental food items here than in most places in the Midwest. \nOriginally from Thailand, Aey learned to cook from her mother, who had seven sons and two daughters to feed. Aey said she quickly grew accustomed to cooking for a crowd. When she married Don and moved to the United States, she dreamed of opening a restaurant. The couple traveled around the country looking for a good place to raise their children and eventually settled in Bloomington.\nEsan Thai has a tranquil ambience and specializes in curries, stir fries and noodle dishes. Don and Aey recommended their Thai iced tea -- a heavily sweetened tea topped with half-and-half. \nAnother restaurant unique to Bloomington is Casablanca Café at the corner of Fourth and Grant Streets. \nUnlike the relatively new Esan Thai, Casablanca Café has been in Bloomington for 11 years. The café serves Moroccan and Mediterranean food, including an array of pastas, salads and fresh daily seafood.\nChef and owner Sanae Sentissi explained the restaurant stays true to the style of the Mediterranean through the techniques she uses in her cooking. The recipes are simple, so technique and ingredients are important in maintaining the authenticity she learned from her mother in Morocco.\nSanae said customers are often surprisingly willing to try new and different menu items. Popular dishes include the honey chicken and the seafood kabobs.\nSanae said she spends almost all her time at the restaurant, as do her children. She moved from New York to settle in Bloomington and opened the restaurant out of her own house. She said it holds a special place in her heart. \n"It's not about the money, I just want to be happy," she said. "I feel like part of the community here." \n-- Contact staff writer Brittany Terwilliger at bterwill@indiana.edu.