People line up to get a table, not sure if that's because the place is so small or the food is that good. I want this place to do well since it's in an area that doesn't get much traffic as far as restaurants go and it's a small/local business. It could have been an off night so I don't want to rip on it too hard. A couple suggestions? The music was WAY TOO LOUD. Like I'm not at a dance party, I actually want to have a conversation with my friend. And no one really waited on us. We got our order taken, food brought out but that's it. Had to flag down the server a few times for a missing napkin, the check and forget about anyone asking how the food was or how we were doing during our meal. It's something that I don't really feel inclined to want to leave a big tip for. Maybe that's just me.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 2
Domini Brown
Still thinking about the “Trust Me” and L.A.V. drink. Great service, fun atmosphere, and really freakin’ delicious food. If this were in my neighborhood I’d be a local barfly.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Bruce Linn
Vegetarian options: There aren't a ton of vegetarian options, but the mac-n-chi and kimchi fried rice with tofu were outstanding. Their fries also were really good and we had them topped with kimchi
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Maria Linn-Evans
Fantastic Korean and Korean fusion - so many fun combos of crunchy/spicy/tangy/umami/sweet. Everyone in our group loved what they ordered and can't wait to come back. The drink menu was also fun! Ambience is a K-pop party. We did get there right at 5:30 and there was a bit of a line, but we were seated right away.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Bibimbap, Fries
Nathan Sullivan
The mapo fries are worth the trip themselves.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
It's a Me
Really chic spot with a good vibe and excellent staff playing the newest of kpop, the place is pretty small and likely seats 40 people at capacity which adds instead of takes away from its charm. We waited 45 minutes for a 3 seater but once seated the food came out very fast.In all the restaurant vibe, staff, and service are great but hindered by the inconsistency of the food.We'll give it another go but it will likely be for take out since they don't do side dishes.Juche may be a nice place to just grab drinks as you can be seated a little faster (Bar has 6 stools)The details;The 1999 cocktail was okay, mainly because it was much too sweet. The Little Orphan Amy was tasty but also suffered from being much too sweet.The Sweet Ginger Wings were delicious and about right for the price, I'd order these for take out any time.The Mapo Tofu was so salty that it took away from what should be a nice umami heat, I'm not quite sure how to explain this one. We drank a lot of water to get through it.I'd recommend skipping the Spicy Pork Belly dish for the price.The good amount of pork belly was tender and served with a few leaves of very limp romaine, 7 slices of cucumber kimchi, and rice. I am very likely spoiled by normally having side dishes with the pork belly but also assumed there would at least be something else to make the wrap in the form of veggies or some ssamjang.The Chris Her burger was fantastic and an easy recommendation.I don't like bbq sauce on my burgers but this one wasn't so overly sweet or tangy that it took over the burger and had a little spice to it. The burnt bacon ends and garlic mayo melded well with the patty while still being able to be appreciated separately. Shallots added a nice crunch to the burger that was rounded out by jalapenos and gooey cheddar on a slightly sweet brioche bun.The Bibimbap is a hard pass.Made mostly of romaine lettuce it lacked any of the banchan that makes this dish a Korean staple. The bibimbap had a small amount of veggies and kimchi and comes with steamed or crispy rice, this was topped by a nice sunny side up egg and a bottle of gochujang on the side.The taste, texture, and consistency left us feeling like it was a waste to get a gochujang salad.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Zach Toedter
Hidden gem in Saint Paul. The 1999 cocktail was amazing. The Bulgogi Nachos were a hit. The ice cream with cinnamon pear caramel topped everything. Can’t wait to come back and try the rest of the menu.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Nachos
Lena Al-Hadif
I’ve never felt inclined to write a review for a restaurant, let alone, a local upcoming spot in St. Paul but I’m honestly astonished by the mistreatment, disregard, and clear alienation from the owners of this establishment.Our small group arrived to this restaurant with the prior knowledge that space/square footage would be tight, so a longer wait time would be likely. We were greeted by a man who would later identify himself as the owner’s husband. He signed us up for a text alert after numbering off our group, and informed us it would be a 15 minute wait time to be seated. Let’s keep in mind that at this moment there were visibly 2 seats near the window, a small table that seats 2 on the main floor, and multiple seats at the bar open, but we didn’t inquire about them because he insinuated with his hand gestures that he would seat us somewhere in the main dining room…We happily obliged.We waited a whopping 26+ mins in our car for an alert. We get into the restaurant to be checked in, to only be welcomed by a woman who asks if we received a message, and to our surprise states, “Great, we’ll be seating you at the bar!” We shared, that we clearly see a space on the floor/main dining area available and that this wasn’t what we were expecting.Also, noting due to religious practices, we would prefer to not be seated in that area. She completely disregarded that statement noting, it’s just a “name” and isn’t a full bar (I have yet to witness a restaurant that serves alcoholic beverages not use a built in bar outside of its central purpose).At this moment, she continues to double down although we told her that we wouldn’t have waited for bar seating that was available prior if that’s what were being offered…She then offered to call on the man who initially signed us up to speak with him further…LOL and this is when it truly got hilarious. A response that is la crème de la crème #chefskiss, he shares “my wife and co-owner has already SAVED those seats in the main dining room for an employee and her friends…so all we have is the bar available ?!”Haha, at this point I’ve had it up to my head because, you know at what moment it would’ve been good to know this information?:1) First encounter when pointing to the main dining area as the space you would be seating us after the 15 mins2) First encounter when there was CLEARLY bar seating available and it wasn’t mentioned3) First encounter when we were informed that we were 1st party and there was NO one/group ahead of usSo, ultimately I’m disappointed that this was the experience of me and my loved ones. I would hope that the front house of this business can be better established, so it intentionally and effectively serves its diverse existing and potential client base.When working in the service business, the market is tough, the ecosystem is an unknown often BUT customers are always the truth. I have no plans recommending this place, and will go out of my way to share my shitty experience with the owners. Good behavior and reflective leadership starts from the top, and it’s EVIDENT this is a place where that is already starting off shaky.
Service: 1
Lena A.
I've never felt inclined to write a review for a restaurant, let alone, a local upcoming spot in St. Paul but I'm honestly astonished by the mistreatment, disregard, and clear alienation from the owners of this establishment. Our small group arrived to this restaurant with the prior knowledge that space/square footage would be tight, so a longer wait time would be likely. We were greeted by a man who would later identify himself as the owner's husband. He signed us up for a text alert after numbering off our group, and informed us it would be a 15 minute wait time to be seated. Let's keep in mind that at this moment there were visibly 2 seats near the window, a small table that seats 2 on the main floor, and multiple seats at the bar open, but we didn't inquire about them because he insinuated with his hand gestures that he would seat us somewhere in the main dining room...We happily obliged. We waited a whopping 26+ mins in our car for an alert. We get into the restaurant to be checked in, to only be welcomed by a woman who asks if we received a message, and to our surprise states, "Great, we'll be seating you at the bar!" We shared, that we clearly see a space on the floor/main dining area available and that this wasn't what we were expecting. Also, noting due to religious practices, we would prefer to not be seated in that area. She completely disregarded that statement noting, it's just a "name" and isn't a full bar (I have yet to witness a restaurant that serves alcoholic beverages not use a built in bar outside of its central purpose). At this moment, she continues to double down although we told her that we wouldn't have waited for bar seating that was available prior if that's what were being offered...She then offered to call on the man who initially signed us up to speak with him further...LOL and this is when it truly got hilarious. A response that is la crème de la crème #chefskiss, he shares "my wife and co-owner has already SAVED those seats in the main dining room for an employee and her friends...so all we have is the bar available !" Haha, at this point I've had it up to my head because, you know at what moment it would've been good to know this information?: 1) First encounter when pointing to the main dining area as the space you would be seating us after the 15 mins 2) First encounter when there was CLEARLY bar seating available and it wasn't mentioned 3) First encounter when we were informed that we were 1st party and there was NO one/group ahead of us So, ultimately I'm disappointed that this was the experience of me and my loved ones. I would hope that the front house of this business can be better established, so it intentionally and effectively serves its diverse existing and potential client base. When working in the service business, the market is tough, the ecosystem is an unknown often BUT customers are always the truth. I have no plans recommending this place, and will go out of my way to share my shitty experience with the owners. Good behavior and reflective leadership starts from the top, and it's EVIDENT this is a place where that is already starting off shaky.
Amy X
Solid place to get food with your friends or family. We felt like we did have to wait quite a while to get our food even though we arrived right when they opened. The spicy pork belly was thicker than we thought but it was good. I personally loved the fish and tteokbokki!
Incredible food! Loved the vibe of the restaurant and the decor. Chef Chris and Chef Eddie whip up some delicious food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Bibimbap, Fries
Fionn Mallon
What a gem. Go there.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Nick S.
Back again to try some different items. The Mapo Fries were outstanding. The cheese sauce was silky and delicious, and the Mapo sauce was such a nice swap for chili. The kimchi here is fire. I can't get enough of it. You have to try one of the Wu lemonades. They're both so unexpected and I can't stop drinking them. Vibes are dark and fun. Must try.
Joe Mama
Stopped by Sunday night with my coworkers and we had the best experience ever! Food was out of this world with taste ,the drinks are amazing and the ice cream was the best. Best food experience I had in a while!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Cody Flaherty
Everything here is good. Highly recommend the Mac n Chi and fries with cheese and bulgogi. Their cocktails are also A+. Fun place to introduce people to. Only thing I’d mention is it can get loud with the music and crowds.
People line up to get a table, not sure if that's because the place is so small or the food is that good. I want this place to do well since it's in an area that doesn't get much traffic as far as restaurants go and it's a small/local business. It could have been an off night so I don't want to rip on it too hard. A couple suggestions? The music was WAY TOO LOUD. Like I'm not at a dance party, I actually want to have a conversation with my friend. And no one really waited on us. We got our order taken, food brought out but that's it. Had to flag down the server a few times for a missing napkin, the check and forget about anyone asking how the food was or how we were doing during our meal. It's something that I don't really feel inclined to want to leave a big tip for. Maybe that's just me.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 2
Still thinking about the “Trust Me” and L.A.V. drink. Great service, fun atmosphere, and really freakin’ delicious food. If this were in my neighborhood I’d be a local barfly.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Vegetarian options: There aren't a ton of vegetarian options, but the mac-n-chi and kimchi fried rice with tofu were outstanding. Their fries also were really good and we had them topped with kimchi
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Fantastic Korean and Korean fusion - so many fun combos of crunchy/spicy/tangy/umami/sweet. Everyone in our group loved what they ordered and can't wait to come back. The drink menu was also fun! Ambience is a K-pop party. We did get there right at 5:30 and there was a bit of a line, but we were seated right away.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Bibimbap, Fries
The mapo fries are worth the trip themselves.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Really chic spot with a good vibe and excellent staff playing the newest of kpop, the place is pretty small and likely seats 40 people at capacity which adds instead of takes away from its charm. We waited 45 minutes for a 3 seater but once seated the food came out very fast.In all the restaurant vibe, staff, and service are great but hindered by the inconsistency of the food.We'll give it another go but it will likely be for take out since they don't do side dishes.Juche may be a nice place to just grab drinks as you can be seated a little faster (Bar has 6 stools)The details;The 1999 cocktail was okay, mainly because it was much too sweet. The Little Orphan Amy was tasty but also suffered from being much too sweet.The Sweet Ginger Wings were delicious and about right for the price, I'd order these for take out any time.The Mapo Tofu was so salty that it took away from what should be a nice umami heat, I'm not quite sure how to explain this one. We drank a lot of water to get through it.I'd recommend skipping the Spicy Pork Belly dish for the price.The good amount of pork belly was tender and served with a few leaves of very limp romaine, 7 slices of cucumber kimchi, and rice. I am very likely spoiled by normally having side dishes with the pork belly but also assumed there would at least be something else to make the wrap in the form of veggies or some ssamjang.The Chris Her burger was fantastic and an easy recommendation.I don't like bbq sauce on my burgers but this one wasn't so overly sweet or tangy that it took over the burger and had a little spice to it. The burnt bacon ends and garlic mayo melded well with the patty while still being able to be appreciated separately. Shallots added a nice crunch to the burger that was rounded out by jalapenos and gooey cheddar on a slightly sweet brioche bun.The Bibimbap is a hard pass.Made mostly of romaine lettuce it lacked any of the banchan that makes this dish a Korean staple. The bibimbap had a small amount of veggies and kimchi and comes with steamed or crispy rice, this was topped by a nice sunny side up egg and a bottle of gochujang on the side.The taste, texture, and consistency left us feeling like it was a waste to get a gochujang salad.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Hidden gem in Saint Paul. The 1999 cocktail was amazing. The Bulgogi Nachos were a hit. The ice cream with cinnamon pear caramel topped everything. Can’t wait to come back and try the rest of the menu.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Nachos
I’ve never felt inclined to write a review for a restaurant, let alone, a local upcoming spot in St. Paul but I’m honestly astonished by the mistreatment, disregard, and clear alienation from the owners of this establishment.Our small group arrived to this restaurant with the prior knowledge that space/square footage would be tight, so a longer wait time would be likely. We were greeted by a man who would later identify himself as the owner’s husband. He signed us up for a text alert after numbering off our group, and informed us it would be a 15 minute wait time to be seated. Let’s keep in mind that at this moment there were visibly 2 seats near the window, a small table that seats 2 on the main floor, and multiple seats at the bar open, but we didn’t inquire about them because he insinuated with his hand gestures that he would seat us somewhere in the main dining room…We happily obliged.We waited a whopping 26+ mins in our car for an alert. We get into the restaurant to be checked in, to only be welcomed by a woman who asks if we received a message, and to our surprise states, “Great, we’ll be seating you at the bar!” We shared, that we clearly see a space on the floor/main dining area available and that this wasn’t what we were expecting.Also, noting due to religious practices, we would prefer to not be seated in that area. She completely disregarded that statement noting, it’s just a “name” and isn’t a full bar (I have yet to witness a restaurant that serves alcoholic beverages not use a built in bar outside of its central purpose).At this moment, she continues to double down although we told her that we wouldn’t have waited for bar seating that was available prior if that’s what were being offered…She then offered to call on the man who initially signed us up to speak with him further…LOL and this is when it truly got hilarious. A response that is la crème de la crème #chefskiss, he shares “my wife and co-owner has already SAVED those seats in the main dining room for an employee and her friends…so all we have is the bar available ?!”Haha, at this point I’ve had it up to my head because, you know at what moment it would’ve been good to know this information?:1) First encounter when pointing to the main dining area as the space you would be seating us after the 15 mins2) First encounter when there was CLEARLY bar seating available and it wasn’t mentioned3) First encounter when we were informed that we were 1st party and there was NO one/group ahead of usSo, ultimately I’m disappointed that this was the experience of me and my loved ones. I would hope that the front house of this business can be better established, so it intentionally and effectively serves its diverse existing and potential client base.When working in the service business, the market is tough, the ecosystem is an unknown often BUT customers are always the truth. I have no plans recommending this place, and will go out of my way to share my shitty experience with the owners. Good behavior and reflective leadership starts from the top, and it’s EVIDENT this is a place where that is already starting off shaky.
Service: 1
I've never felt inclined to write a review for a restaurant, let alone, a local upcoming spot in St. Paul but I'm honestly astonished by the mistreatment, disregard, and clear alienation from the owners of this establishment. Our small group arrived to this restaurant with the prior knowledge that space/square footage would be tight, so a longer wait time would be likely. We were greeted by a man who would later identify himself as the owner's husband. He signed us up for a text alert after numbering off our group, and informed us it would be a 15 minute wait time to be seated. Let's keep in mind that at this moment there were visibly 2 seats near the window, a small table that seats 2 on the main floor, and multiple seats at the bar open, but we didn't inquire about them because he insinuated with his hand gestures that he would seat us somewhere in the main dining room...We happily obliged. We waited a whopping 26+ mins in our car for an alert. We get into the restaurant to be checked in, to only be welcomed by a woman who asks if we received a message, and to our surprise states, "Great, we'll be seating you at the bar!" We shared, that we clearly see a space on the floor/main dining area available and that this wasn't what we were expecting. Also, noting due to religious practices, we would prefer to not be seated in that area. She completely disregarded that statement noting, it's just a "name" and isn't a full bar (I have yet to witness a restaurant that serves alcoholic beverages not use a built in bar outside of its central purpose). At this moment, she continues to double down although we told her that we wouldn't have waited for bar seating that was available prior if that's what were being offered...She then offered to call on the man who initially signed us up to speak with him further...LOL and this is when it truly got hilarious. A response that is la crème de la crème #chefskiss, he shares "my wife and co-owner has already SAVED those seats in the main dining room for an employee and her friends...so all we have is the bar available !" Haha, at this point I've had it up to my head because, you know at what moment it would've been good to know this information?: 1) First encounter when pointing to the main dining area as the space you would be seating us after the 15 mins 2) First encounter when there was CLEARLY bar seating available and it wasn't mentioned 3) First encounter when we were informed that we were 1st party and there was NO one/group ahead of us So, ultimately I'm disappointed that this was the experience of me and my loved ones. I would hope that the front house of this business can be better established, so it intentionally and effectively serves its diverse existing and potential client base. When working in the service business, the market is tough, the ecosystem is an unknown often BUT customers are always the truth. I have no plans recommending this place, and will go out of my way to share my shitty experience with the owners. Good behavior and reflective leadership starts from the top, and it's EVIDENT this is a place where that is already starting off shaky.
Solid place to get food with your friends or family. We felt like we did have to wait quite a while to get our food even though we arrived right when they opened. The spicy pork belly was thicker than we thought but it was good. I personally loved the fish and tteokbokki!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Restaurantji Recommends
Incredible food! Loved the vibe of the restaurant and the decor. Chef Chris and Chef Eddie whip up some delicious food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Bibimbap, Fries
What a gem. Go there.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Back again to try some different items. The Mapo Fries were outstanding. The cheese sauce was silky and delicious, and the Mapo sauce was such a nice swap for chili. The kimchi here is fire. I can't get enough of it. You have to try one of the Wu lemonades. They're both so unexpected and I can't stop drinking them. Vibes are dark and fun. Must try.
Stopped by Sunday night with my coworkers and we had the best experience ever! Food was out of this world with taste ,the drinks are amazing and the ice cream was the best. Best food experience I had in a while!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Everything here is good. Highly recommend the Mac n Chi and fries with cheese and bulgogi. Their cocktails are also A+. Fun place to introduce people to. Only thing I’d mention is it can get loud with the music and crowds.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5