Korean-American street food has arrived on St. Paul’s Grand Avenue.
Bap and Chicken opened this week, easing into things by offering dinner service, from 5 to 10 p.m., for now. The eatery will eventually add lunch hours and delivery down the line.
“Bap” means rice in Korean. And as the name Bap and Chicken implies, there will be rice and chicken dishes among the offerings. That includes Korean fried chicken, the twice-fried cooking method that lends itself to chicken with uber crisp coating and minimum greasiness. The chicken is then tossed in sauce. Dishes are served in bowls and range from signature items to build-your-own.
The restaurant in the former Grand Shanghai space on Grand near Hamline Avenue is the brainchild of John Gleason, who was born in Seoul, raised in the Twin Cities and wanted to pay tribute to his Korean and American roots.
That’s reflected in the menu’s East meets West offerings, such as Korean fried bacon-wrapped Spam, bulgogi steak and onions, a Korean barbecue jackfruit quinoa bowl and a Korean beef burger on a house-made rice cake bun/crispy rice patty with fried kimchi and brie. Beer and wine service is also part of the lineup.
“I’ve wanted to open my own restaurant since high school,” said Gleason, who has been a general manager at several restaurants, including Masu at the Mall of America and, most recently, Can Can Wonderland. “It was, one, finding the right concept that was unique, original and fun that I think could be lasting. And, two, really finding the right location.”
Bap and Chicken: 1328 Grand Ave., St. Paul; 651-333-0929; bapandchicken.com
