Kim's Korean Restaurant

Kim's is already one of our favorite places to eat and probably one of the best little-known secrets of ethnic food in Spokane.  We recommend this place to anyone who either likes to try something new to them or likes Korean food, and we go here often because we like it so much.  We have been visiting Kim's for years. Not only is the food exotic and yummy, but Kim is the cook herself and is always very sweet. There is something special about knowing a little bit about the people who make your food and we like to frequent this little "mom and pop" type of place.

 We used to buy kimchi from the Korean food store next to Kim's restaurant. The kimchi was made by a little ol' white- haired Korean woman who spoke little or no English. We did this for a long time before we decided to try the little diner next door. I do not know exactly why we waited so long, but we have been going ever since!  At first we thought the two businesses must be related, but they are not specifically related, just both Korean and friends.

One fun thing about Korean food is the little trays of various side dishes that comes to your table. There are all sorts of strange looking things to try. It is not always the same combination of things set before you, but there are usually several. You may be served any combination of fish cakes, radish salad, pickled cucumbers, bean sprouts, black beans, an egg foo young sort of dish, spinach, tofu, potatoes, anchovies, salted seaweed sheets, and usually the famous Korean kimchi. Also meals are served with rice.

Kimchi is a spicy pepper, pickled types of dish made mostly with cabbage, although garlic, radish and onions with cabbage is sometimes added. It's a nutritious and delicious food, high in vitamin C and fiber. It is, for most people that I know, a food that one must acquire a taste for. Like Limburger cheese, it has a reputation for it's odor.

I like to order Bulgogi or Daeji Bulgogi. Geo likes a seafood soup. Sometimes we order other things like barbecue mackrel, or spicy chicken.

One of the most interesting things to me is the soup Geo likes. It comes in a little black pot and it is bubbling and steaming all over the place. I do not order it, and I only taste it because it is filled with a variety of things. Geo likes soup and orders it often. I think Kim would be very surprized if he ordered something different.

I get a kick out of watching Geo eat his soup because I think he has as much fun with it as he did snorkeling when we went on our trip to Hawaii. In fact, he first ordered this particular soup after we went on a trip to Hawaii. I was so surprised at the variety of things in this soup; there are all kinds of treasure in there. Geo will put his spoon into his bowl and out comes something exotic... shrimp, clam, ouster, squid, octopus...tofu.. and then he delights in eating it, or grossing me out as I am stuck watching him eat it. (The little suction cups get me!) It's fun though. I enjoy watching him have a good time with it all. It's a little like watching him snorkel.

I am still not quite brave enough to "snorkle" in my soup... like Geo does... finding all those little treasures that he enjoys so much, but every so often he offers me a sip.

If you go here, please say "hi" for me, to my lovely friend, Kim!

 Here are some tasty treats, bolgogi and noodle soup.

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