When beloved Korean restaurant Chingu closed in Westport last year, Kansas Citians had reason to mourn. Korean food remains relatively scarce in the city, and owner Keeyoung Kim helped fill an important gap with a growing brand that includes Chingu Coffee and Chingu Soju, the first soju distilled in the Midwest.
But there’s good news: Kim is back. This time, he has partnered with friends Jesus and Gil Zavala to create what they call a “Korean-Mexican mashup.”
Tucked behind Sagebrush cocktail bar and Garden House coffee shop, Casita de Lil’ Chingu serves a weekend menu that blends the flavors of both cuisines. Burritos, wrapped in Lawrence-based Caramelo Sonoran flour tortillas, come stuffed with gochujang bacon, bulgogi ribeye and housemade vegan kimchi.
“Two main things I love about Mexican and Korean food are the wide use of different types of chiles and the balance of citrus and acidity in both cultures’ dishes,” says Kim. “We’re keeping it simple, but there’s a lot of heart in the ingredients and process.”
As for that vegan kimchi, Kim says he first began serving it as banchan (the small Korean side dishes that accompany a meal) at his former Westport restaurant as a challenge to himself. While it was difficult to imagine making kimchi without staple ingredients like fermented salted shrimp and fish sauce, he’s managed to develop a recipe that even his parents approve of.
Eventually, he hopes to sell the kimchi. For now, it appears throughout the menu in dishes like a deviled egg sandwich, infused into pico de gallo and crema over street tacos, even caramelized in a quesadilla where it’s mashed with gooey mozzarella.
Kim says the KorMex burrito is quickly becoming one of the menu’s most popular items. It resembles a quesarito, starting with melted cheese on the tortilla and packed with many of the same ingredients found in the menu’s rice bowl, like garlic rice, kimchi pico, pickled red cabbage and carrots, avocado and crema.
During its residency, Lil’ Chingu is designed to complement its neighboring businesses, so feel free to grab an espresso or drip coffee alongside one of the breakfast items. During evening hours, Kim says a cocktail is the perfect match for the dinner menu.
“For Sagebrush, I will sip on their margarita or daiquiri any day. Pair that with a doeji al pastor burrito and it’s going to be a good night.”
Go: chingukc.com, 1639 Southwest Blvd., KCMO. Casita de Lil’ Chingu is open Friday through Sunday, 8:30 am – 2 pm and 5 pm – 9 pm.
