There’s a new place to get a taste of the streets of Seoul in Plymouth Township.
Those hungry for dishes such as Korean street tacos have a new place to head to: Kimchi Box, a restaurant that opened in July at 47249 Five Mile, east of Beck Road. Having such a restaurant is a good opportunity to expand its reach.
“He just said he wanted to open a casual, street Korean food style restaurants around this area, so that’s what he did,” said Sean Park, manager at the Plymouth Township restaurant and friends with owner Min Kyu.
The restaurant, which occupies the space that formerly held various restaurants, including Tomo Korean and Japanese Cuisine, looks very similar inside as it did from the previous restaurant, Park said. While they’ve added some plants and their own branding, guests who visited the space’s previous iteration will find themselves right at home.
“The whole layout is pretty much the same as before,” Park said.
What’s different is the menu. Park — who moved to Michigan from New York City — said it’s a unique combination not found on many menus in the area, which includes tacos, chicken and much more.
Park said bento boxes have been popular, along with the popcorn chicken and chicken wings. As many other restaurants can attest, the chicken sandwich has also brought in plenty of customers.
Unlike Popeyes or Chick-fil-A, Kimchi Box’s chicken sandwich uses Korean sauces to go with their entrees, making them a unique offering.
“I feel like it has a little bit of everything in the chicken sandwich,” he said. “I think our sauce is what makes it the best here.”
Bubble tea has also been a popular addition to the menu, with guests stopping in just to order a glass.
The Plymouth Township restaurant is the second location for the eatery: it opened its first location near Lakeside Mall in Sterling Heights earlier this year, Park said. The Plymouth Township space isn’t the last of the expansion either: Kimchi Box restaurants are also expected to open soon in Novi and Auburn Hills.
Park said they’ve seen plenty of customers line up to try the food, especially younger people who may be more familiar with the cuisine. He said it’s also attracting plenty of businesspeople, who stop by for lunch during the week.
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“Dinner is still busy, but at lunchtime, whenever we open we have people lined up,” he said.
With its unique menu, Park said the hope is to bring a new flavor that many guests many not be as familiar with to the region.
“Especially around this area, there’s not a lot of Korean street food,” he said. “We’re looking to open them up and have people enjoy the food here, definitely.”
The restaurant is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. during the week and noon to 9 p.m. on weekends. More information, including a menu, can be found at kimchiboxusa.com.
Contact reporter David Veselenak at [email protected] or 734-678-6728. Follow him on Twitter @davidveselenak.
https://www.hometownlife.com/story/life/food/2021/08/24/new-korean-street-food-restaurant-opens-plymouth-township/8178971002/