Keumsan is a newer neighbourhood Korean restaurant in Marpole that opened this past summer, offering comfort-driven dishes centred around fundamentals and familiarity.
Chef Taeshik Kim’s approach to cooking is rooted in the belief that a simple bowl of food can offer comfort and connection. These influences come from watching his mother run a soft tofu restaurant. After more than 25 years working in kitchens across Korea, Japan, and Canada, that philosophy continues at Keumsan.
Keumsan Restaurant’s menu centres on Korean comfort dishes built around shareable grilled meats, soft tofu stews, and sizzling sot bap rice bowls.
The appetizer section includes lighter starters such as Sesame Mushroom Salad, Spicy Salmon Salad, and Yukhoe, Korean steak tartare prepared with seasoned steak, Korean pear, egg yolk, and pine nuts.
For sharing, the focus is on beef short ribs. Kalbi features grilled beef short ribs marinated in a sweet soy sauce, while Kalbi Jjim, braised beef short ribs, is slowly simmered with vegetables, mushrooms, and finished with nuts.
Soon Dubu is a major part of the menu, with soft tofu stews served bubbling hot. Options include Beef Soon Dubu, Seafood Soon Dubu, Mandu Soon Dubu, Shrimp Soon Dubu, and Baby Cuttlefish Soon Dubu. Guests can choose between a non-spicy soybean beef broth or Keumsan’s regular spicy beef broth, which contains fish sauce.
At the core of the menu is Sot Bap, a Korean rice dish that comes from the word sot, meaning a traditional pot or cauldron, and bap, meaning rice. The rice is brought to the table sizzling in a hot metal pot, with toppings added on top, then mixed together before eating. Options include Beef Sot Bap, Chicken Sot Bap, Abalone Sot Bap, and BBQ Eel Sot Bap. There is also a new Flying Fish Roe Sot Bap, topped with raw roe, butter-scrambled egg, seaweed, and Keumsan aioli.
The rice develops a lightly crisp layer at the bottom while staying fluffy on top, creating contrast without heaviness. A light broth is poured over the crisp rice at the end to enjoy the dish through to its finish.
Rice is treated with care at Keumsan, serving as the foundation rather than a backdrop. The rice is pressure cooked in-house, where texture and natural flavours are brought forward.
Here’s what we tried.
We tried two newer sot bap dishes on the menu. The Flying Fish Roe Sot Bap is topped with raw roe, pickled radish, pyogo mushroom, butter-scrambled egg, seaweed, and house aioli. The roe added salinity, while the egg softened the overall bite.
The Steak Sot Bap offers a warmer, heartier option. Tender beef is paired with butter-roasted bread crumbs, adding richness and texture.
The Spicy Salmon Salad features fresh raw salmon over greens with a sweet, sour, and spicy dressing that stayed balanced and refreshing. It worked well as a lighter start to the meal.
The Kalbi Jjim arrives tender and comforting, with soy-braised beef short ribs cooked alongside radish, carrots, wood ear mushrooms, and pyogo mushrooms. Roasted walnuts and pine nuts added subtle crunch and nuttiness.
The Seafood Soon Dubu is served with a non-spicy broth, allowing the flavours of the soft tofu, shrimp, mussels, and baby cuttlefish to come through clearly. The broth felt soothing, with sesame oil and scallions adding aroma without overpowering the dish.
There was also seaweed soup and unlimited refills on banchan (sides).
Keumsan focuses on Korean comfort food rooted in care and consistency. Rice is treated as an essential part of the meal rather than a side, and the dishes feel thoughtful without being complicated. It is a welcome addition to the Marpole dining scene, especially for diners looking for familiar Korean flavours presented with intention.
Keumsan Restaurant is located at 8363 Granville Street, Vancouver, BC.
