Appetites®

Appetites: Why leave L.A.?

Thomas Kim
Thomas Kim of The Rabbit Hole
Joy Summers

When Thomas Kim moved to Minnesota from Los Angeles, it confused us. He didn't have roots here. He found success with several restaurants in L.A.

So why would he want to come here?

"Minneapolis was everything that I think my wife and I were looking for," he said. "It had a great music scene, art scene, theater. It had a brewery scene that was kind of emerging, the food scene was kind of emerging. It kind of was the epitome of where we wanted to get in on and be able to grow and help grow the culture."

Kim is the chef and owner — along with his wife Kat — of The Rabbit Hole, a Korean-inspired restaurant in the Midtown Global Market.

He joined MPR News host Tom Crann to discuss his journey from California, the learning curve once he got here and the non-traditional Korean "gyopo" cuisine from which he takes influence.

Editor's Note (March 17, 2016): This story has been modified to add cultural context for the word "gyopo."

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