Hom Korean Kitchen opened in November at 2639 Broadway St.
Owner Konan Pi, who is part Korean and part Chinese, said he grew up in the restaurant industry in Ohio. He eventually moved to California, which led to jobs at Zuni Cafe and Boulettes Larder in San Francisco.
He opened the first Hom Korean Kitchen two years ago. Everything is made from scratch with locally sourced ingredients. The goal is to embody home-cooking, Pi said, and make Korean cuisine more "approachable."
"It's called 'Hom' because I want people to feel like they're in my home and I'm cooking for them," Pi said. "I wouldn't serve you anything I wouldn't eat myself."
The menu allows customers to build their own bowl from rice, salad, proteins like braised beef and barbecue chicken and "banchan," or Korean small dishes. There's also bibimbap, nori chip tacos and beef-bone soup as well as vegan and vegetarian options.
More locations are on the way: Pi plans to open a third location in Santa Cruz next year and five more in the Bay Area over the next several years.
