1910 N Charles St,
Baltimore, MD 21218
The Crown Restaurant and Bar
The Crown is a restaurant, karaoke bar, and well-known event space drawing established and up-and-coming artists. The Crown was established in 2013 by Kim Eunhyi and Michael Young. Kim Eunhyi is nicknamed Yumi (an affectionate nickname given to her by Young) and is the current owner of The Crown. Young and Kim worked together for eight years at The Crown before Michael Young left in August 2021 to focus on his artistic career. For more information about their upcoming events, visit The Crown on Facebook and Instagram. Next time you pay them a visit, Yumi says you should try the Kimchi fries, her favorite item on the menu.
The Crown of an Ancient Kingdom
Today when you walk into the restaurant and bar, you will see a golden crown at the top of the staircase. It was this crown that Kim Eunhyi (nicknamed Yumi) and Michael Young spotted when they decided to name the restaurant “The Crown” back in 2013. However, the history of the name traces back far before 2013. According to Michael—co-founder of The Crown and its former manager—the crown on the staircase is a replica of an ancient crown from Korea’s Silla period. Silla was a kingdom located in the southeastern Korean peninsula during the 6th-9th centuries. The Silla period gold crown was installed on the stairs when the restaurant used to be named Gaya. Gaya was another Korean kingdom, which was contemporary with and located west of Silla. The next time you visit The Crown, look for the golden crown as you head upstairs to experience a small piece of Korean history.
“This building was the start of the Koreatown here.”
According to Michael Young, the building where The Crown resides has a long history of being a center for Baltimore’s Koreatown. After the Korean war, large numbers of Korean immigrants arrived to the United States and were drawn to urban centers like Baltimore. Baltimore’s Koreatown was started by this post-war generation, and the site of the Crown passed through the hands of many Korean immigrants. Prior to becoming The Crown Restaurant and Bar, the building’s floor plan intended the space to become a Korean shopping center for all different kinds of Korean businesses. When Michael and Yumi arrived at the site in 2013—then known as Hyundai Plaza—the upstairs was occupied by a karaoke bar, and the downstairs was a breakfast and lunch spot run by a Korean man. There were also many office spaces in the building. Tracing further back, the downstairs also functioned as a bus stop selling tickets for a Korean bus company. When Yumi and Michael transformed the space into a restaurant and event venue, they started a new chapter in the Crown’s history.
From San Soo Kab San to The Crown
Yumi (Kim Eunhyi) used to run a restaurant on 2101 Maryland Avenue, called San Soo Kab San. It was a much smaller space than The Crown, with a restaurant capacity of 30 people. Attached to San Soo Kab San was a karaoke bar, which had a capacity of 70 people. It was there, at the karaoke bar, that Michael and Yumi met and began their decade of collaboration. Michael Young was a show promoter and organizer for artists who moved to Baltimore in 2004. He had been a regular customer of Yumi’s, and one day asked her if he could bring a Canadian band to perform at the San Soo Kab San space. Thus began their partnership: an artist and a restaurateur. Despite the successes they had with San Soo Kab San, they realized they needed a larger venue to continue showcasing more artist performances. Michael and Yumi moved over to The Crown in 2013 and worked closely together until his departure in 2021. Once The Crown’s upstairs is fully renovated, the restaurant will become one of the largest event spaces in the Old Goucher/Charles North area.
If You Make It Here, You Can Make It Anywhere
Before the pandemic disrupted live performances, The Crown had begun to draw acclaim for the artists whose careers it launched, much like other Baltimore strongholds such as Ottobar. According to Michael Young, from 2015 to 2019, The Crown was at its creative height. Baltimore artists were being discovered at The Crown, and their careers launched into the stratosphere. Dan Deacon, Future Islands, JPEGMAFIA, Butch Dawson, are among those who performed at The Crown early on in their careers. Michael and Yumi’s philosophy when it came to programming artists was simple: let them create what they want in the space. Though they tried to create a balanced program: soul night one week, club night another week, etc, they never limited the type of music featured at The Crown. As a home for artists on the rise and those yet to be discovered, The Crown occupies a unique place in Baltimore’s art and music scene. Nicole Rivas, a second-year student at Johns Hopkins, recently attended a concert at The Crown in Fall 2021. She saw the Beach Goons and Moon Tide Gallery in September and recalls the space as both intimate and energetic. She is eager to return for another concert and hopes to try out more of the food items on Yumi’s menu.
Delicious Food with a Spin
Yumi is known for her kimchi. Specifically, kimchi with fries (the K-Fries). The story behind the K-Fries is simple: one day, Yumi brought in some home-made kimchi to eat at work. Her employees tried them with fries and found it to be a delicious combination. Ever since, kimchi fries have been a staple of the menu. In addition to the K-Fries, the Crown’s food menu consists of a variety of Korean fusion foods, with items such as bulgogi nachos, tofu nuggets, and pork belly tacos. This menu caters to the clientele who come in to catch a show in the venue; the next time you show up for a concert or open karaoke, be sure to test out some of the unique flavors crafted by Yumi and her chefs.
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18 W 20th St, Baltimore, MD 21218
Jong Kak
Jong Kak was established thirty years ago by the family of Suk Jeong, who is the current owner and manager of the restaurant. Jong Kak has a large traditional Korean menu but is known for their authentic Korean barbeque. Their Korean barbeque is acclaimed for being one of the only restaurants in Maryland and Virginia to have real charcoal grills. Suk’s favorite food item is the kalbi, short rib. The next time you come into Jong Kak, try their kalbi on the grill for a special treat.
“They used to ring the bell on New Years.”
The story of Jong Kak’s name traces back to a New Year’s tradition in Seoul, Korea. Each New Years Day, a bell ceremony—Jeyaeui Jong Tajongsik—is held at the Boshingak bell pavilion, drawing tens of thousands of city residents. The closest train stop to the Boshingak pavilion is Jonggak Station. The station name comes from the ceremony: Jong meaning bell, and gak meaning pavilion. Thousands of miles away from Korea, Suk Jeong—the current owner and manager of Jong Kak—told me that they chose the name Jong Kak because of the bell tower in Seoul. When eating at Jong Kak, remember the distance that its name traveled.
A Family-Owned Business
Suk Jeong immigrated to the United States twenty years ago, and began working at Jong Kak eighteen years ago. Back then, he used to work in the kitchen as a chef, but he now only cooks when the restaurant needs a substitute. Among the things Suk carried over from Korea is his memory of the New Years Day Bell, the namesake of Jong Kak. Although the owners of Jong Kak have changed over the years, its name has remained fixed. Suk Jeong is not currently planning on expanding Jong Kak further but is considering opening another restaurant nearby. Suk’s favorite item is the kalbi, which he treats himself and his relatives to when they visit Jong Kak once or twice a year.
A Home for Baseball Lovers
Suk Jeong recalls having met several famous customers, most notably, meeting many renowned Korean-American baseball players. According to Suk, almost every Korean-American major league baseball player ate at Jong Kak when they played against the Orioles here in Baltimore. Hyun-Soo Kim, the Orioles player, also used to frequently eat at Jong Kak with his wife. Although Suk is not a baseball expert, he enjoys meeting and getting to know the baseball players, and occasional football players, who come in through Jong Kak.
The Charcoal Grill
Jong Kak’s unique menu offering is traditional Korean barbecue. Jong Kak is proud to announce that they are the only restaurant in the Maryland and Virginia area to have real charcoal Korean barbecue. Jong Kak is as authentic of a place for Korean barbecue as you can find in the state. Suk says that there is a real difference in taste between regular and charcoal grills, so test it out yourself at Jong Kak!
“Our special menu is the barbecue. ‘Cause we are the only ones with a charcoal barbeque in Maryland and Virgina, and I think maybe even in Pennsylvania and New York. I am not sure about that. But I am sure that in Maryland and Virginia, they cannot serve charcoal at other places.”
Suk Jeong
New Customer Demographics
The demographics of Baltimore’s Koreatown has changed over the past decade, as has the clientele coming into Jong Jak. Suk Jeong says that ten years ago, most customers who came into Jong Kak to dine were Korean people. Now, those numbers have reversed. Suk says that the majority of customers he sees walking in today are non-Korean. Jong Kak is now welcoming a lot of new Asian customers, Latino customers, and White customers! Suk Jeong says that these changes in customer demographics are tied to transformations in Baltimore’s Koreatown. As more residents moved from Baltimore out to Ellicott City, the number of restaurants and businesses remaining has shrunk. Now, Suk says that there are only about four restaurants left. Out in Ellicott City, a flourishing hub for Korean businesses, food, and culture continues to grow. Suk tells me that he has noticed how more non-Korean guests have become interested in learning how to eat Korean food, and learn a little bit of Korean culture while they’re dining at Jong Kak; they ask how to properly eat banchan (small Korean dishes) or how to wrap the meat correctly.
Supporting In-Person Dining
At the start of the pandemic, Jong Kak was forced to transition to doing primarily takeout, a service that they had not provided before. Unfortunately, with delivery services taking a commission of up to 35%, they suffered significant losses. Today, Jong Kak encourages you to come into the newly painted restaurant, sit down at one of their tables fitted with a traditional charcoal grill, and soak up authentic Korean food.
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Researcher Bio:
Suzy Schlosberg is a sophomore at Johns Hopkins University majoring in International Studies with a minor in East Asian Studies. Suzy started her internship at Central Baltimore Partnership in June 2021, focusing on food access and youth nutrition education in Central Baltimore communities. Suzy joined the Asia North team as a community researcher in November 2021. Suzy’s research for Asia North this year seeks to document an oral history of Station North/Koreatown restaurants. Suzy immigrated to the United States from China when she was eight years old. She has had an enduring interest in the resiliency of AAPI immigrant communities.
Please contact Suzy at suzyschlosberg@gmail.com with any questions or concerns about this research.
The Crown and Jong Kak 