Kims Kitchen stands out as one of the region's premier new restaurants thanks to its delicious cuisine, straightforward menu and welcoming environment.
Kim's is a hidden gem located a quarter mile from Bates campus and across from Wentworth Adams dorm, near where convenience store operations first started back in the 1970s. Now owned by a New Hampshire family who relocated to Maine in 2018, its proximity to college life fostered an intimate connection between owner-operators and students; when peak six-and-sevenish hours come around, Kim's tables quickly fill with chatty young faces enjoying delicious chicken fried rice dishes or French fries!
In the dining room, a tranquil blue-and-white scheme matches its homey atmosphere perfectly. Comfortable chairs and paisley tablecloths feature alongside trinkets and family photos for an unfussy decor that serves as the ideal background to an menu full of delicious homemade cooking reminiscent of what one might find in someone's own kitchen.
The $110 tasting menu explores the heart and soul of classic Korean cooking. At times it resembles an intimate memoir as chef Ann Kim mines her heritage for authentic and profound dishes like skate wing ssam nestled within butter lettuce with gooseberry emulsion and seaweed remoulade for extra zest.
Banchan -- seasonal side dishes --are also full of soul. A dish of bindaetteok (mung-bean pancakes) is both delicious and deeply comforting; while the bottommost rice in bibimbap's hot stone bowl becomes crisped like Big Mac buns - making this classic Japanese meal irresistibly addictive.
