As of early November, the new Korean-themed Zingerman’s venture, Miss Kim, was finishing up several months of remodeling in the Kerrytown space that was previously home to Zingerman’s Events on Fourth, eve, and the Kerrytown Bistro. Managing partner Ji Hye Kim expected to begin a soft opening process with a limited dinner menu and service hours by the end of November, with a full rollout a month later. In January, Kim plans to “take a few days off, regroup, and then introduce lunch service.”
Kim, who operated the San Street pan-Asian food cart in Ann Arbor for four years, says she’s taking it slow to get it right. “We’re doing a phased opening,” she says, “because we want to stay flexible and conduct thorough training.”
San Street fans will be happy that Kim is planning to include some old favorites, such as the hand-rolled steamed buns. “We want to honor our own history,” she says, “but we’ll balance this with some of the items from our new restaurant menu, which is more focused on Korean tradition.”
Among the new offerings are a pork trotter dish that she describes as “Korean, with Chinese influence”; a spicy rice cake served with pork belly and topped with a poached egg; and her own spin on dolsot bi bim bab, a popular dish served in a hot stone bowl with rice, bean sprouts, vegetables, beef, and an egg on top. The bi bim bab in particular will incorporate local, in-season ingredients. “We’re using dishes rooted in tradition as a basis but adapting them for what’s available here and now in Michigan.”
Miss Kim will offer beer, wine, and a full bar. Ji Hye brought in longtime Zingerman’s Roadhouse bartender Amos Arinda to be the bar manager. Arinda helped develop many of the house-made syrups and signature cocktails at Zingerman’s, and the beverage menu at Miss Kim will feature such classic Korean flavors as sesame syrup and banana milk.
Visitors to Miss Kim will be familiar with the layout, but there are some noticeable differences. “We knocked down some of the non-load-bearing walls to open the space up,” says Kim. “Because of our location, and the fact that our biggest window looks onto an alley, we felt we need to bring in more light. We wanted the space to feel clean and fresh.” The old rough bricks have been painted white, and Kim added sound-dampening tiles.
The bar and kitchen will remain as they were in the old space, and the dining rooms will feature built-in banquettes around the perimeters. A large cherry wood table that seats twelve will occupy the center of the big dining room, and there will be additional seating at the bar.
Miss Kim will be a no-tip restaurant, and all staff will receive hourly pay and benefits–Kim feels strongly that the gratuity-based system is fundamentally unfair and can be a divisive element between waitstaff and other employees. Speaking of fairness, despite appearances, she did not name the restaurant after herself–she chose “Kim” because it is the single most ubiquitous surname for Koreans, and “Miss,” she emails, “because I am proud that this is a woman-owned business … I chose ‘Miss’ instead of ‘Mrs’ because it is not in Korean culture to follow your partner’s last name. There is no title change from unmarried to married. I’ve been told by some that ‘Miss’ sounds a little naughty. I think that’s okay.”
Miss Kim, 415 N. Fifth Ave. (Kerrytown Shops) Mon.-Thu. 5 p.m.-10 p.m., Fri. & Sat. 5 p.m.-11 p.m. Closed Sun. misskimannarbor.com
