This popular Boise restaurant ‘maxed out.’ So a 2nd one opens soon in Meridian
When James and Mina Kwak opened Seoul Street Cafe in Boise two years ago, the Korean-born couple brought a certain naivete to the corner space at 624 W. Idaho St.
“We didn’t know any better,” James Kwak admits, “but we were hearing things like, ‘Oh, that place is cursed. So many restaurants come in and out of there.’ Now we understand why.
“Our kitchen literally is, like, tiny.”
Seoul Street Cafe’s team makes it work, dazzling customers up front while rubbing elbows in back. Offering quick-service Korean food and drinks, the restaurant has earned an impressive 4.8 out of 5 stars on Google and 4.5 out of 5 on Yelp.
But stretched to capacity, the Kwaks are on track to officially open a second location Friday in a standalone building at 3030 E. Magic View Drive in Meridian. The seating area isn’t much larger than in Boise — enough for perhaps 50 customers. But the kitchen is gargantuan in comparison. “I would say maybe even four times the size,” Kwak says.
Expanding to Meridian, he explains, was “more out of necessity. ... We just maxed out.”
The new Seoul Street Cafe offers a nearly identical food menu: favorites such as kimbap, bulgogi, tteokbokki and Korean fried chicken, plus milk teas and other drinks. But the better-equipped kitchen also will allow for a few extra seasonal items, Kwak said.
The building, a former Gyro Shack, also has a drive-thru that should be up and running relatively soon after opening.
Operating two restaurants is a natural next step for the Kwaks, who relocated to Boise from California four years ago. Seoul Street Cafe’s online ordering continues to grow, James Kwak said, as does the catering aspect of the business.
“We’re very thankful,” he said. “People in Idaho have embraced us right from the get-go. That’s one of the reasons why we continually work so hard, because we don’t want to let everyone down. We try to maintain the quality as best as possible. We try to provide the best service. Hopefully, it kind of shows through.”
