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Married chefs Meichih and Michael Kim – the team behind the Michelin-starred Maum (formerly in Palo Alto) and Bao Bei (formerly in Los Altos) – are launching a new restaurant in Menlo Park in late May. Yeobo, Darling, described as an “upscale casual” restaurant in a press release, will showcase the culinary couple’s respective Taiwanese and Korean heritage, as well as their Asian American identities.
“We want our food to tell a story, one that is shaped by our experiences, cultural upbringing, and the flavors of Korea and Taiwan,” Michael Kim wrote in an email interview. “My cooking is all about blending my Korean heritage with modern techniques; creating dishes that feel deeply personal and culturally engaging.”
Meichih Kim said she grew up eating Taiwanese and Japanese food and had her first exposure to American food at school as a kindergartener.
“Through those years and experiences, it’s coming back full circle and taking those moments to shape my point of view with the food we want to make at Yeobo, Darling,” she said via email.
According to a press release, the restaurant’s menu will include small plates such as chilled perilla somyun (thin wheat noodles) and scallion croissants with rou song (pork floss) butter, as well as larger dishes including pork collar and kalbi served with banchan. There will also be a bar menu offering casual fare like mapa oysters and hambak steak burgers.
High-elevation teas from Taiwan will be featured in the nonalcoholic and low-ABV cocktail menu designed by Bar Mood, a Taipei craft cocktail bar. Master Sommelier Kyungmoon Kim will curate the selection of wines and sool, a Korean word for alcoholic beverages such as soju and makgeolli, the press release states.
In addition to the 50-seat main dining room, Yeobo, Darling will include a four-seat bar and a 10-seat private dining space.
The Kims have spent nearly their entire careers working side by side, and the name of their new venture reflects that partnership: In Korean, “yeobo” is a sweet term of endearment for a spouse.
“This restaurant is the result of years of collaboration, not just in the kitchen but in life,” Michael Kim wrote in an email. “Over time, we’ve developed a keen sense of when to step in, when to step back, and when to push each other to be better. It’s been an incredible journey, and this is our next chapter.”
Meichih Kim attributes their successful partnership to their “mutual respect for each other and (their) understanding of each other’s strengths and weaknesses,” she wrote in an email. “Having met while cooking together and working in a restaurant environment, we take that spirit outside of the restaurant and embody that mindset in our everyday lives. We always say we wouldn’t have opened Yeobo, Darling without each other.”
The Kims hope their new restaurant will be a place for the community to discover new flavors while feeling welcome and at home.
“At its heart, Yeobo, Darling will be a celebration of Asian American identity. We are building a place where tradition meets creativity and dishes are made with thought and purpose,” Michael Kim wrote in an email. “We want our food to resonate, honoring where we come from while offering something new and memorable.”
Yeobo, Darling, 827 Santa Cruz Ave., Menlo Park, Instagram: @yeobodarlingrestaurant. Expected opening date in late May.
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Correction: This article has been updated to correct the Instagram and the title of Kyungmoon Kim.
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