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Thomas Kim and his wife Kat Melgaard opened Rabbit Hole in Minneapolis' Midtown Global Market in 2013. They earned critical-acclaim for serving food inspired by Korean cuisine. But, now, they are closing down at the end of the month. 

To talk more about the ever-changing restaurant business and what's next, Kim joined MPR News' Matt Sepic in the studio.

Down the Rabbit Hole

Why Kim left L.A.

Kim said the decision to close came from a desire to stay fresh.

"And then the beauty of the building we are in, which is the Midtown Global Market, is that it's an incubator site," he said. "It essentially brings in people who don't have access to traditional methods of opening a business and it gives them resources to do that."

Kim said they've had a good run and he's happy to make room for the next group.


West of the market in St. Louis Park, Minnesota's biggest food celebrity Andrew Zimmern is planning to open a Chinese-inspired restaurant based on dishes he's fallen in love with on his travel food show. A move some have decried as cultural appropriation. 

Kim says it's important to look at Zimmern's expertise and to pull back their misconceptions.

"I think when people look at Andrew they see a food expert, so why wouldn't they also consider what he's going to be doing on an expert level?" Kim said.

Kim revealed that the couple will be leaving Minnesota for California to be closer to family.

Once there, they plan to "hit the ground running," and likely open up a small space.

"We're going to take a lot of the influences we have from Minnesota and cooking in Minnesota and bring it back with us to L.A.," he said. "So it's going to be L.A. cooking by way of Minnesota."

To listen to their conversation, click the audio player above.

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An acclaimed chef known for breaking traditions to redefine authenticity is moving on.

Appetites: Why Minneapolis' Rabbit Hole is closing its doors

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