Review of Kum Gang San Restaurant in St. Paul, Minnesota

Kum Gang San is a Korean restaurant in St. Paul, Minnesota, one of the few Korean restaurants available in Minnesota. The ownership switched in 2007, which caused Kum Gang San to go under a huge renovation. Traditional hanboks were switched with hipster servers that didn't speak a word of Korean -- this upset some loyal Korean restauranters. Despite the renovation, people still flock to this restaurant for authentic Korean cuisine. Does the new Kum Gang San stack up to its predecessor though? Or did the renovation ruin everything plus the kimchee? Despite the move to modernism, Kum Gang San doesn't rack up in anything, especially authentic cuisine.

The History of Kum Gang San
Kum Gang San is a korean restaurant located in St. Paul, Minnesota, located on 694 North Snelling Ave. It's a very small, understated restaurant that a "Minnesota" expert from About.com said had authentic Korean food. I have a feeling this guy isn't Korean, though.

I've been to Kum Gang San before and after the renovation. The old owner quit in 2007 and switched it to a new, un-named owner. Apparently the owner had a vision of turning Kum Gang San into a hip restaurant you'd find in Uptown. Unfortunately this isn't Uptown. Kum Gang San is one of Minnesota's few restaurants that served authentic Korean cuisine, but the change dissolved that belief.

Kum Gang San before the renovation: waiters dressed in traditional hanboks, authentic Korean food and drink, traditional Korean decor, waiters knew everything about korean food
Kum Gang San after the renovation: non-Korean waiters that knew nothing about Korean cuisine, food and drink bored down, decor modernized to look like a nightclub, the addition of sushi to the menu

If you're a Korean looking for authentic cuisine, don't hold your breath.

Where Kum Gang San Fails
Kum Gang San fails to impress in several areas, namely food and service.

Kum Gang San's Food and Drink: 2/5 **
The owner wanted the restaurant to morph into modernism, and so did the food. I could taste an immediate difference with my bi bim naeng myun. The old naeng myun was spicy and delicious. The new naeng myun is watered down and tastes slightly sweet and sour. Sweet and sour? I thought I went to a Korean restaurant, not a Chinese restaurant!

They also have a buffet and sushi bar, two new additions to this restaurant. I think it was to attract Minnesota folk, and it did work -- unfortunately, that's not even great either. The best sushi I had was at Fujiya; the worst sushi I had was here, Kum Gang San. The sushi was falling apart and tasted dry. It was a very disappointing experience.

The rest of their menu isn't impressive either. I've tried their bulgogi and chap-chae and it tastes un-authentic and too salty. It didn't taste that way before, so I'm assuming they got new chefs. The restaurant's move to modernism and attracting Minnesota folk wasn't a good move, and the food isn't very thrilling. The only redemption for them is their kalbi, which still tastes good (just not authentically good).

Kum Gang San's Service: 3/5 ***
Now I'm being generous here, mostly because of the waiters.

Although the waiters are mostly non-Korean, they are very accommodating. The only downside is that they don't a thing about Korean cuisine. They couldn't answer any questions about certain dishes, which should be common sense for most Koreans.

I also wasn't seated for 5 minutes when I arrived. The front desk person was doing something -- writing or something like that -- and didn't have anyone seat us for 5 whole minutes. The waiters were very dis-interested also.

Kum Gang San's Decor: 4/5 ****
Although I loved the Korean decor before the change, this is just as better.

Kum Gang San is very modern-esque now. The restaurant has a very nightclubish feel that appeals to young adults (not so much for older ones). The sushi bar is a pretty accent, although it doesn't compare to the sushi bar at Fujiya. All in all, the decor has improved for the better, and it's very attractive to 'hipsters' or younger folk.

The only downside is that it's still dark. I don't know why they didn't bother to make it lighter (this was a problem even before the renovation) but you can barely make it to your food because it's so dark! I don't particularly like trying to feel for my food either, and some more light would have cheered things right up, unlike this review.

Kum Gang San's Prices: 5/5 *****
The other redeeming part of Kum Gang San is that although it's a very non-authentic Korean restaurant, the prices are cheap. With the exception of a few things, you can get everything for under $15.00. Including bulgogi. Traditional Korean side dishes come free with your entree, including kimchee, sliced potatoes, cucumber kimchee, and bean sprouts. The appetizers -- mahn-du and kimbap -- are a bit pricey (almost costing as much as the entrees) and very small-portioned, which I didn't like. No complaints here, though, since it's reasonably priced. You usually don't see prices like that in Minnesota, especially for Asian cuisine.

Is Kum Gang San for You?
I suppose if you're from Minnesota and want to 'change things up', you want to try something else. Being that Kum Gang San is one of the few Korean restaurants in Minnesota, you don't have much of a choice.

If you're looking for authentic Korean food in Minnesota, the answer here is aniyo. In German, it's nein, It's not authentic, despite what others claim.

If you're looking for a different restaurant in Minnesota, however, give this place a try. It's cheap enough, palatable for American tastes. The only gripe is that it's not authentic Korean food. Compare it to eating at a Chinese restaurant to one in China. I've tasted that too, and Chinese food isn't that salty or greasy either. It's still good though, and you won't lose a leg paying for it.

So if you're looking for a somewhat decent Korean restaurant in Minnesota, why don't you give it a try? It's a decent restaurant, but if you're from Minnesota, you might find it great. I just didn't.