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I've now been lucky enough to visit Chingu for happy hour, and for lunch and can solidly say that this place is five star material. For happy hour you'll be treated to some really inventive and delicious cocktails, and paired with savory korean bites, there really isn't anything to complain about - except for maybe not coming here sooner. Chingu recently started offering lunch and while it's a more limited menu, I was really delighted by the noodle stir fry I had. It was a cold day and this dish was piping hot, and chock full of great flavor. It was also a healthy enough size that I was able to take about half of it home and get a second lunch out of it. I still haven't been able to try the fried chicken here which looks insane, so dinner here will be my next endeavor. This place should be on everyone's radar in KC. It's cozy, has great food, and I've had nice service each time as well.
Wow! Love this place. Friday night at 5:15, we had a reservation but didn't need one at that time. By the time we left it was filling up. This was also happy hour and they have fantastic food choices on the happy hour menu, including their AMAZING chicken wings! Biggest wings Ive ever seen and delicious. We also loved the fried tofu and kimchi fries. Entrees were Bibimpap and Japchae with shaved ribeye. Both were good but the Japchae my favorite. The only challenge is finding parking, but it's worth the challenge. We will be back for happy hour! Highly recommend.
안녕하세요!! I'm out of Elite Squad Yelper captivity, and celebrating with my Korean brothers and sisters with some CHINGU! I spent a year in Korea and love Korean cuisine. I've had quite a bit! Spent a lot of time eating Korean food in Gangnam, Hongdea, of course Itaewon and all over Seoul. I stuck to the Beef Short Ribs and these things were full..I mean FULL OF FLAVOR! The flavor profile is eccentric and bold, the Char on the ribs bring out the deep profiles of soy, garlic, and ginger. TBH me and my family make out teriyaki sauce and it has similarities but (we are Hawaiian). If you want bold, unique, and indescribably different tastes from a normal Korean restaurant I think you'll find that here. While the same in many aspects I feel like the unique and what seems to be artistically thought out recipes you can distinctively tell CHINGU beats their own drum!! I'd say this place is appropriate for a fun, more than casual, but satisfyingly enjoyable Korean restaurant. (Alittle on the fine dining compared to other Korean restaurants). Downside: The kimchi- While surprisingly flavorful it stands out of not my favorite or near best tasting Kimchi I've had....Im a huge advocate for good kimchi but this one I would not refer to someone and expect them to like it. Like I said rather flavorful, I think it misses the mark. (It is vegan) I don't believe that's the kicker because I've had vegan Kimchi. Overal I think it's a cool spot!
I was super excited to try this place since I've heard that it is very busy usually but I came in during their lunch hour today and it was pretty empty - I was quite surprised. Now when I try a new spot, I make it a mission to order at least three things off the menu so that I give this place a fair rating. I did stop by with a friend so it also helped with all the food we were getting. Our serve was pretty nice and when I was ordering he kinda made a joke and said "wow that's a lot of food for just two people" side eye lol.. but that's okay! I care more about the food. So let's jump in. The bibimbap was brought out first and was served with a side of tofu sauce. I'm a big carnivore person but recently have been trying to venture out and try meatless things so it made sense to me to order this. The base was a heaping amount of white rice, has veggies, tofu and the sunny side up egg. The sauce itself tasted like a very sweet ketchup. With all the veggies, I felt like I needed even more sauce. If you are a big fan of bibimbap, this is pretty good. But, to be honest, I probably won't come here to order this again. I'm glad I tried it but it didn't really stick out to me. I ordered the Stir Fry bowl with noodles, spicy pork and their Gochujang sauce - and this might been the tastiest thing I had here. I'm not a big spicy person and the sauce was not overly spicy - it just had enough of a kick to amplify the flavor. I'm firm with believing that noodles were the best pairing for the dish instead of the rice. The Korean Fried Chicken was served last and the wings were unbelievably crispy and packed with flavor. I got a side of soy ginger sauce but the sauce really wasn't needed. The crispy chicken skin was all the flavor you really needed. *Order the Stir fry bowl with NOODLES - and venture out and get the gochujang sauce (it pairs perfectly) *if you can, stop by during the lunch hour - you won't have to worry about finding parking and your receive fast, prompt service Will definitely be coming back to try other things off the menu :-)
I've only tried their lunch menu and have heard better things about their dinner menu, so this review is based on just lunch. Fried cauliflower and rice cakes (tteokbokki): amazing. 10/10 would get again. Would totally get again and has enough of a portion size to be a meal (if you're not sharing). I prefer fried tteokbokki to regularly prepared tteokbokki. Popcorn chicken hoagie: 4/10 enjoyment. I dislike wasting food but couldn't bring myself to finish this. The cucumbers would've been better pickled. The popcorn chicken breading and chicken itself were kind of sad and not flavorful. I couldn't just pick up this sandwich without making a mess because the popcorn chicken pieces just kept falling out. Nothing about this hoagie felt like it really went together flavor-wise which was a surprise because it all sounded like it'd be great together. Fries were good, though. Galbi cheesesteak: 6/10 better than the hoagie. If you like cheesesteaks, you'll like this one. Personally, I thought it still had strange off flavor I couldn't place.
I miss them, especially the kimchi fried rice please reopen somewhere else. Really enjoyed them when they first opened
Delicious food! Excellent vibes! Our waitress was awesome and super helpful. Highly recommend the bossam if you come during the weekend as it's one of their specials. It's easy to order a couple of dishes and split it amongst a group. My friends and I ordered the corn cheese and gochujang ribs in addition to the bossam and that was easily shared amongst the three of us. If you like to drink, they have a good menu for soju and others. As someone who eats Korean food at home, this is the real deal! The meat was juicy and well marinated for the ribs, the pork belly was *chef's kiss*. I could eat the cheese corn all day.
This is a great spot in Westport if you are looking for some great Korean food! The service was great the entire time we had our 12 coworkers eating lunch. All the food was fantastic and came out timely. Definitely don't sleep on this place and check it out!
Chingu is a wonderful, quaint little spot in Westport with a tiny dining room and big menu! It's a flavor bomb and well worth a visit, especially if you like Korean food and are feeling a little adventurous. They have a nice happy hour, great drink menu, and shareable-size portions so you can try multiple things. We ordered the Dduk Galbi Sliders w/ Fries (delicious soy marinated burgers with a gochujang ketchup) and Gamja Korokke (absolutely delicious fried potato and cheese balls) from the happy hour menu, and the Pajeon (amazing savory herb pancakes with sauce) and Bibimbap (rice, veggie, and egg bowl) from the regular menu. The table also received white rice, Kimchi, pickled onions, and black beans with our choices. Everything was full of flavor, the staff was friendly and personable, and the experience was definitely a five star one!
I think I was one of the first customer on the day I visited. The food was good and larger portion than I expected. The waiters assumed I came in for a takeout order but service got better. The restaurant was quiet and welcoming.
The staff is so friendly and the place is nice, no parking so if you find a parking on the side take it. The food was great we got Japche, the galbi bbq, chicken and the corn cheese. Must try
I've been wanting to try Chingu for a long time now! Make sure if you can to get reservations! They also do walk ins but they're so popular I feel it'll def be a wait. I came on a Monday right when they opened and it wasn't that many people. There was so many options to choose from. Ended up picking the Pajeon which is a fluffy pancake! It was very flavorful especially with the sweet soy sauce! I love Tteokbokki and at Chingu they make it with the black bean sauce... oh man great combo! Also, they serve delicious kpop song themed drinks! I was able to get a yummy mocktail. I would love to come back later in the evening, I bet the ambiance is fun!
There are so many incredible places to eat in Westport, it has taken us a while to get to Chingu but we are so glad we went! The place is very bright, clean, and has a fun, friendly vibe. We made it in at the end of happy hour so tried several items. It was such a diverse collection of flavors and textures--we had a lot of fun sampling some of their most popular items. We wouldn't recommend the trumpet mushrooms, but the fried chicken wings are to die for! We will definitely go back.
1 year ago
1 year ago
3 years ago
Don't walk.. Run to make your reservation here! The service was amazing! The food was outstanding! Whatever they got cooking in the kitchen is a magician' We ordered so much food we had tons of leftovers! I will be going here again soon! Girls night was a blast! DELICIOUS APPS & MAINS!!!! Try everything you won't regret coming to this place! read more
1 year ago
Nice modern decor and spacious restaurant with lively feel. The food took a while to get to us, but they gave us an extra appetizer to try (Mango Crab Rangoon). The rolls were standard, and the yellowtail had nice sauce and spice and had a thinner cut. The mango crab Rangoon was underwhelming, but the calamari was tasty and paired well with the sauce. read more
Chingu was a place that I had been waiting since summer of 2022 to open! So when it finally did, I went as soon as I could! The staff was super accommodating and so friendly, explaining the "Chingu" concept (chingu means "friend" in Korean!). My friend and I ordered: -jjajang tteokbokki -pajang -bossam This was my first time ever trying bossam and I was a little nervous because I'm not the biggest fan of fatty meat (texture thing for me) - but this bossam was prepared so well, the fattiness of the pork belly literally melted in my mouth and this is NOT an exaggeration! I really enjoyed the tteokbokki (I love rice cakes in general), but having it with a jjajang sauce instead of the typical spicy sauce, it was a savory taste that I did not expect but loved. At the end, the waitress brought out complimentary lemon mochi cake desserts for us, and it really felt like we became chingus with her and the place in general. This is such a cute place to take your friends too, especially those who haven't tried Korean food before - even those who have, it's a unique take on classic Korean dishes. I actually came back a second time and we tried the LA Galbi and Doeji Galbi - I think I liked the LA galbi a tad bit more! read more
4 years ago
We arrived at exactly 4pm when the doors opened and we were asked if a hightop in the bar would suffice as the hostess studied her dining room map. We were seated in the worst seat in the place and I soon realized why; the place was packed within a half hour with people who were wise enough to make reservations. This place is buzzing right now, so get a reservation; the double storefront space is fairly small. My "worst" table soon turned into a great vantage point to see all the amazing dishes coming out of the kitchen and provided a clear view of owner Keeyoung Kim playing hands-on liason between FOH & BOH. We were fortunate to have a few words with him as he brought out our last dish and checked on us. A humble and talented gentleman. We ordered 2 small plates form the happy hour menu and 1 large dish for my wife and I to share. The complimentary 4 small bowls of kimchi, greens, bean sprouts and pickled onions and jalapeños with 2 bowls of rice quickly arrived. A wonderful free accompaniment/starter. Our Pajeon arrived soon after; a large savory pancake cut into 8 manageable slices. A crispy exterior and moist yet firm "omelete" interior filled with herbs, veggies and lots of scallions. A side salad of frisee (endive) for topping and a cup of sweet soy sauce made the flavor and texture combination exquisite. The happy hour price was $10 on a normal $13 dish - the best bargain of the year! Next up was the non-traditional Corn Cheese - a chef driven fusion recipe that turns the Mexican elotes dish into a extra cheesy, bubbling hot masterpiece. I will never eat elotes in the future without comparing it to this dish. Happy hour price $8; knocked down from $10. Can it get any better than this? Yep! Out comes the KFC. The six large Korean Fried Chicken wings were the bomb at $18. We ordered 3 soy-citrus and 3 traditional gochujang. The extra crispy flavored coating sealing in the succulent and plentiful meat was so amazing that I gotta say without hyperbole - Best fried chicken in Kansas City. Along with the amazing food, our server Nikki (sp?) was on top of it and was handling a busy restaurant like a pro. I can't say enough positives about Chingu and I really need to go back soon and try the ribs that looked so perfect as they left the kitchen past us. I'm just not sure what I will sacrifice to order those, since I want a repeat of my 3 dishes from tonight. read more
4 years ago
Went here for a friend's birthday to try out a new spot in KC, and were very pleasantly surprised. The service was great, food was delicious, and ambiance was both upscale yet laidback. Portion sizes were much larger than anticipated- everything is meant to be shared, so a small feeds 2-3, a large 4-6. For 6 of us, we ordered 5 small plates, and had leftovers of EVERYTHING. The Mandu Bokkem and Pajeon were our favorites. read more
This is absolutely my new favorite spot. I'm so excited Chingu is now open. You can't go wrong with anything on the menu but you would be wrong if you didn't order the wings. So so good. The ambiance is so welcoming. Chingu means friend so many of the dishes are intended for sharing. I will absolutely be back. Maybe weekly. Maybe daily. Who knows! read more
3 years ago
Would recommend for a friend group after drinks or for drinks and appetizers. For dinner? Meh. Was really looking forward to enjoying this new Korean option and was sadly disappointed by poor service and okay Korean food. We got the rice cakes with savory brown sauce and veggies - it was mostly zucchini and carrots, and the spicy wings and soy citrus wings. The wings are large but it seems like mostly batter, little meat, and the seasoning wasn't so delicious you had to keep eating. The best thing was banana flavored makgeolli, rice wine, it was truly delish! I had originally ordered the tofu soup and asked if it was spicy to which they had said no, and when asked spice level to make it, I said not spicy at all. It arrived quite spicy :-( the server said that spicy was subjective... True story, after we left here we ended up eating soup and salad elsewhere because the food wasn't what we expected and did not eat much of. read more
4 years ago
Popped in yesterday for a quick bite! Great service and delicious food. The portions are HUGE! I would definitely recommend sharing. The place fills up rather quickly, so if you can- make a reservation! The new hot spot in KC! I will for sure return and bring my friends in! read more
2 years ago
2 years ago
4 years ago
Been looking forward to this one and it was delicious, as expected. We ordered and shared a bunch of things. Beware: the "small" plates are still good sized portions. The server was correct that we could have done 2 small and 2 large and all 3 of us would have been full... But that's just not how we do things. We'd heard great things about the scallion pancake and it has excellent flavor. Thicker than I expected, almost a custard-y frittata texture in the middle. We were also recommended by our server to try the cool noodle small plate. That one is great for its texture and magical gochujang-pear vinaigrette. My favorite, though, was the kimchi stew with butter-soft tofu and a broth that I will dream about for weeks... I'm surprised, but shouldn't be since I'd heard it packs a punch. You can get it with chili oil on the side to ratchet up the spice. Their house chili oil is excellent flavor, not just hot hot. They were out of the short ribs, so we stuck to the baby back ribs. They were huge (more the size of pork ribs in KC BBQ spots!) and the sauce was good. I'm not usually a pork butt eater, but I'm so glad I didn't miss out on those flavors. The pork wasn't overly wiggly, thank goodness, and the accoutrements were packed with flavor: fermented shredded shrimp for a salt bomb but with a lil fishy kick, more chili paste, and sliced garlic. Nestle it into a lettuce leaf and devour. The dumplings are good: fried and then tossed in sauce, almost like wings. But the best part is the positive throne of sauteed veggies, caramelized in sauce that they sit upon. Yum. We wanted to get the Korean monster cookies for dessert, but simply could not. They did bring complimentary lemon mochi cake bites, which were yummy. We had great service. The space is cool, though there's a big difference between the bar vibe and the dining room decor. Oh and the cocktails were really good too: my gin martini with a lil Korean wine/spirit "Dirt on my Leather" was like a gin martini with a sneaky flavor added in that you can't quite place... Will definitely go back to try the chicken! read more
I had heard great things about this place and my expectations may have been too high. I came with a big group so we ordered most of the available items on the menu. From smaller: we tried the Pajeon and Jjajang Tteokboki. From larger: soondubu jjigae, doeji galbi, korean fried chicken and tonkatsu. Everything was just ok, there wasn't anything that we would crave and want to come back for. For the pajeon, I think I prefer a seafood pancake and also a crispier batter. The jjajang tteokboki was good. I like jajangmyeon so it was nice to see it with the pan fried rice cakes! The soondubu had a nice flavor but wasn't what any of us were used to so it didn't satisfy any cravings. The doeji galbi had good flavor but not worth the price. The Korean fried chicken was fried pretty well. The flavor of the gochujang wings were SO much better than the soy citrus. No one liked the soy citrus. We all thought it tasted like burnt salty soy sauce. The daikon that was served with the chicken was awful. It tasted like it was drizzled with vinaigrette and served right away. I think the overall favorite was the tonkatsu. It was fried well and the golden curry it was served with was good. I also really liked the sauce on the cabbage. Service here was great. We had reservations and were seated right away. Our server was pretty attentive. I'm not in a rush to plan my next visit here but wouldn't say no if we were in the area and someone asked to go. read more
I came here for lunch on a Saturday. It wasn't too busy and the server had my partner and I seat ourselves. The food was good. The galbi, short ribs, were nicely seasoned and cooked, however the kimchi that came with it was too fermented and tasted very sour. There was a good mix of everything that came in the bibimbap and it tasted good but the sauce was average. The wings were good, nicely seasoned and had a delicious sauce that came with it. Overall it was good. It would not be my first recommendation for Korean food in the Kansas City area, but I'll definitely come back to try their dinner menu. read more
4 years ago
What a great addition to the KC restaurant scene. Deliciously prepared Korean street food in hip surroundings with carefully crafted cocktails in the heart of Westport. Try the LA Kalbi - Best short ribs I've had outside of Asia. Also, the dumplings are spicy and delicious mixed with perfectly cooked vegetables. Go with friends and share. The Kimchi is amazing as well. Brought to you by the people at Sura Eats. Have a shot of Sochu and enjoy a great dining experience. Happy hour starts at 9pm. T-Th. read more
If you're in this area and is craving Korean food I would highly recommend. The side dishes were kind of a hit or miss. The bean sprouts and the greens were kind of tasteless and needed more flavors, but the kimchi and chadol tasted great. The soondubu was a miss for me. Personally it didn't taste like soondubu, but it doesn't mean it was terrible. The taste was fine, but just not what I expected. The mandu bokkem was good but I expected more mandu for how much it cost. Personally I was expecting more homemade mandus than vegetables on the plate. I would definitely go back for the bossam the pork belly was amazing and I loved how it came with cabbage, garlic, jalapeños, and sauce to dip the meat in. Also the service was friendly and attentive! read more
Recently went here for my boyfriends birthday dinner...very disappointing. there was more drink options than food. started out with the dumplings and they were just ok, definitely different but nothing i would come back for. moved onto a bulgogi bowl with short ribs and the ribs were in such small pieces they got burnt to a crisp. we had four different plates at our table and the only good thing was the ribs but still nothing to come back for. definitely an overhyped place in my opinion. great service and scenery though can't complain about that! read more
Chingu, a newer Korean restaurant in Westport, has quickly become a local favorite for those in search of delicious Korean cuisine. My friends and I visited during the winter shortly after they opened and we tried so many items and loved every single one. From the Pajeon, a savory Korean pancake loaded with scallions and seafood, to the Jjajang Tteokboki, a spicy rice cake and black bean sauce dish, every item looked better than the last. We also tried the Mandu Bokkem, a spicy stir-fry dish with glass noodles and veggies, the Doeji Galbi, a grilled marinated pork rib dish, and the Bossam, a pork belly dish served with lettuce wraps and condiments. And of course, we couldn't resist ordering the Korean Fried Chicken, which was crispy, juicy, and packed with flavor. The restaurant itself is very laid back inside and darker, so the ambiance is really nice. It's definitely a place where it's better to share the plates with people so you can try more items. If I had to say anything less than positive about Chingu, it would be that the serving sizes could be slightly larger. However, the amazing, mouth-watering flavors more than made up for it. And the friendly and attentive service is hard to complain about either. Overall, Chingu is a fantastic spot for anyone looking for some delicious Korean food in the area. I definitely want to go back and hope this becomes a local staple for years to come. read more
2 years ago
3 years ago
4 years ago
Great service and amaaaazing food. I will be returning whenever I'm in the area again. Super cool decor and playing Kpop over the speakers. A very enjoyable experience read more
3 years ago
2 years ago
3 years ago
I absolutely ADORE this place. I go at least once a week. My favorites are the kimchi stew and love that banchan appetizers are served with every dinner free of charge. Waitstaff is always friendly and inviting. In the heart of Westport it is great date night restaurant! read more
3 years ago
Everything was great! Unique atmosphere and great service. We had a variety of items, starting with the wings and sliders. The wings were excellent! Sliders were average. Next we shared the dumplings and beef shirt ribs. Both were exceptional! If you like soju, they have a nice variety. We'll definitely be back! read more
2 years ago
4 years ago
Fun new place in Westport! This spot was happening on a Saturday night and I gave myself a pat on the back for making a reservation. We were seated in the bar area and the two bartenders did a great job managing all the tables in the area and mixing up some delicious drinks. I asked for a mocktail and I loved my sour and sweet concoction. The food was good, but not something I think I'd be craving to come back for. read more
2 years ago
This is my second time here and it was just as great the second time around as it was the first time. My favorite dish is the LA galbi because the meat tastes amazing and just melts in my mouth with every bite. Our service was also great and our server was very attentive. read more
3 years ago
Enjoyed this little Westport gem. The atmosphere was nice and the service was exceptional. We received useful suggestions from our server and as she said, the portion sizes are large and we had plenty of leftovers to stretch over two more meals for a couple. The banchan was really tasty and the soju recommendation was helpful. The kimchi pancake was delicious and the Korean fried chicken with gochujang was lovely. We were too full to fully enjoy the bibimbap, but will have it for an additional meal. read more
More info about Chingu
4117 Pennsylvania Ave
Kansas City, MO 64111
Westport
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(816) 255-2355
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https://www.chingukc.com
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