If Korean soft tofu soup is your love language, this new opening might just be your next go-to!
A new Korean restaurant has opened up in Vancouver’s Marpole Granville neighbourhood and it’s already a busy one.
We had to go take a look (anonymously as usual) as soondubu lovers.
Called Keumsan, the cozy eatery made its grand opening on July 10 and takes over the former Ming Tak Hong Kong Style Restaurant unit on Granville Street.
While it’s a brand-new name to locals, one of the owners is no stranger to the area.
He’s also the sushi chef and owner behind Sushi Bar Shu, the highly rated omakase spot just two blocks away.
But Keumsan is a very different vibe.
It’s all about warm, comforting Korean home-style dishes, with a strong focus on two main specialties: soondubu (soft tofu stew) and sot bap (pot rice).
The soondubu menu offers rich soft tofu stews packed with options like beef, shrimp, mandu, baby cuttlefish, or mixed seafood.
Each one arrives sizzling hot and includes rice and a separate bowl of rice tea, traditionally enjoyed at the end of the meal to help with digestion.
The latter is something you don’t see often or available at any other Korean restaurant in Vancouver.
The only time we’ve seen it locally was in Burnaby’s K-Town area.
There are only two spice levels available – non-spicy and regular – and trust us, the regular already brings the heat.
If you’re weak like us, definitely go regular. Anything more spicy we’d be donezo.
Then there’s the sot bap, or sizzling pot rice, which is where Keumsan really stands out.
Each order is made using individual pressurized rice cookers, which the staff nicely showed how they are stacked in a dedicated cooking station inside the kitchen.
The result is fluffy, slightly crispy rice with toppings like grilled chicken, thin-sliced beef, braised abalone, or BBQ eel.
Everything is brought to the table in its own metal pot set atop a wooden cradle, giving you that sizzling drama and aroma when the lid comes off.
The interior is simple and modern, with clean lines, dark wood furnishings, and bright orchids that add some warmth.
It’s a decently sized space, and you’ll likely experience a wait for your food to come.
The good thing is that they do give you the ban chan (Korean side dishes) for you to munch on while you wait.
And they’re refillable!
The only downside is that they’ve just stopped lunch service for the foreseeable future.
So you’ll have to opt for dinner service if you want to get your hands on that tofu soup and pot rice.
And while Marpole isn’t always top of mind when it comes to new food openings, Keumsan is a solid reason to change that.
Keumsan now joins other recent food openings in Vancouver like Yum Yai and Sai.
For more new and upcoming food spots in Metro Vancouver, take a peek at our tracker here, and subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.
Address: 8363 Granville St, Vancouver, BC V6P 4Z8