Opened in 2015, this Boise restaurant gets compared to L.A. dining. It’s closing soon

A locally owned restaurant that serves authentic Asian cuisine is preparing to say goodbye.

Gangnam Korean Cuisine, 303 N. Orchard St., will shutter soon, the restaurant announced Wednesday on social media.

“We will be closing permanently after Jan. 30,” Gangnam told customers. “Thank you for your support.”

No reason was provided.

Focusing on traditional dishes, husband-and-wife owners Hee and Sukie Cheong launched Gangnam Korean Food in 2015. They previously had operated Wasabi, a sushi joint, in the space.

Shortly after Gangnam opened, an Idaho Statesman review called it “the most traditional Korean food Boise has seen in a long time.”

Crowd-source review website Yelp rates it 4 out of 5 stars.

What’s notable is that recent reviewers have compared it to the kind of Korean food served in Los Angeles — or in Seoul, South Korea.

“Stopped by here for dinner a few weeks ago and really loved it!” wrote one. “It reminded us of some of our favorite Korean spots in L.A. Really impressed!”

“This place is a hidden gem of authentic Korean food!” says another. “I’m from Los Angeles, which has a lot of Korean food places, and to be honest this place is on the top of my favorite Korean spots. If this place was in K-town, Los Angeles, it would thrive to the locals.”

This story was originally published January 11, 2023 at 7:06 PM.