Keeyoung Kim

Chingu founders, Mean Mule partner for KC’s first soju — a Korean nod to vodka, distilled with culture

Serial foodpreneurs Keeyoung Kim and David Son are launching the Midwest’s first locally distilled premium soju — a pays homage to the traditions of soju, but embraces a new era of cocktail culture. Through a partnership with Mean Mule Distilling Co., the first release of Chingu Soju will be just 15-20 cases of the product. …

Chingu Coffee blends ‘familiar with not-so-familiar’ in a shop that embraces its neighbors alongside Korean heritage

Keeyoung Kim’s latest concepts — Chingu and Chingu Coffee — revolve around community, the Sura Eats chef and owner shared. Chingu means “friend” in Korean, he explained, and friendship is the recurring theme between the restaurant — which debuted July 2022 in Westport — and the coffee shop — which soft opened in mid-May in…

Chicken Kalguksu; photo by Ashlin Wang

Limited run, limited risk: Sura Eats chef tests appetite for expansion with Korean noodle bar 

One of Crossroads-cooked Parlor’s longest serving tenants is getting an extra helping of success, launching a limited-run concept just feet away from its original counter.  Keeyoung Kim, chef and owner of Sura Eats, plans to formally open Sura Noodle Bar Thursday — the result of a growing hunger for his Korean cuisine and a strong partnership…

Open Belly

Open Belly podcast puts voices of immigrant chefs on the menu

Immigrant entrepreneurs have been quietly advancing Kansas City’s food scene for decades, said Danielle Lehman. “When I started hearing the stories of the chefs, I just felt like they were so compelling, and that food is really what connects us,” said Lehman, host of the “Open Belly” podcast and founder of marketing consultancy firm Boxer…