CHLSS

Donate
  • About Us
  • Blog
  • Contact Us
  • Login
  •  
Menu
  • Adoption
    • DI Uber 2.1Infant Adoption
    • A father and son created through foster care adoption embrace.Foster Care Adoption
    • Young girl from China smiles at the camera.International Adoption
    • Close
  • Foster Care
    • Three siblings in foster care smile in the part with their arms wrapped around each other's shoulders.Foster Care
    • An African American single woman wraps her arms around two brothers she adopted from foster care.Foster Care Adoption
    • Close
  • Pregnancy Services
    • Birth parents and adoptive parents smile with son.Open Adoption
    • parenting2Parenting
    • A father holds a football for his infant child.Birth Fathers
    • Happy woman and man waiting to adopt a child.Waiting Family Profiles
    • Close
  • Post Adoption
    • Domestic Post Adoption ServicesDomestic Post Adoption
    • International Post Adoption ServicesInternational Post Adoption
    • Post Adoption ResourcesPost Adoption Resources
    • A teen boy who was adopted from Korea as an infant smiles against a stone wall.Post Placement Reports
    • Close
  • Education & Events
    • An Ethiopian adoptee and her sister smile and hug.Education & Events Calendar
    • A woman attends a webinar.Recorded Webinars
    • Close
  • Donate
Home / Blog / International Adoption / Bap & Chicken | A Korean Restaurant with an Adoptee Twist

Bap & Chicken | A Korean Restaurant with an Adoptee Twist

November 15, 2019 by Staff Contributor

John Gleason, a Korean adoptee, is pictured in front of the logo for his restaurant Bap and Chicken holding his fingers in a heart.John Gleason, a Korean adoptee through Children’s Home, discovered his roots through food. “I grew up in the Twin Cities. I went to a mostly all-American elementary school, high school and college. So I grew up without a lot of connection to Korea. The only Asian I knew for a long time was my sister,” he explains. “It was really my love of food that helped me gain an appreciation for Korean cuisine and Korean culture.”

So he followed his “foodie likes and dislikes” to learn more. “I learned from dining out, experimenting with flavors and a lot of trial and error,” explains John. The result: the menu at Bap and Chicken on Grand Avenue in Saint Paul.

The menu is full of flavors you would expect to find at a Korean restaurant—Korean barbeque, gochujang (a traditional red sauce), and kimchee—and the main dishes are Korean fried chicken and bibimbap (Korean rice bowls).

However, John experiments with these traditional flavors. “I’ve gotten creative with the bibimbap bowls. Some are served with noodles, spring mix or potatoes instead of the traditional rice. And we have a build your own option,” he explains.

“The food that I cook, it’s just the food that I am. You’ll find American influences, European influences, and things that aren’t traditional to Korea,” John notes. “Our food is a good introduction to Korean food. Those who have had Korean food before enjoy it. Those who have not experienced Korean food will find the style to be very approachable.”

Four different bibimbap bowls from Bap and Chicken are laid out in a square.“What’s great about Bap and Chicken is that it’s about the love of food, the love of drink and the love of community,” says John. “We want it to be an experience.”

That experience relies on a fun environment. The restaurant is filled with K-pop throughout the day, and K-pop music videos can be watched on televisions throughout. The most notable element of the space: the Adoption Wall of Fame.

“There’s not enough tribute paid to those who have been adopted. There are so many people who have been adopted, and we want to recognize them and their experience—with all of the emotions that they may have experienced,” explains John.

“When you walk in the front door, you will see the Adoption Wall of Fame. We encourage all adoptees who are interested—not just Korean adoptees—to take a photo for the wall,” said John. “You can take it by yourself, with a loved one, or with something that you bring in that has significant meaning to you.”

The wall is a highlight of the restaurant. “We’ve already got 25-30 people who have added their photo to the wall,” notes John. “It’s a recognition piece, and it’s also a growing art piece. It will be a great foundation piece in the restaurant for years to come.”

To connect with more adoptees and the community, John is planning a recognition event on National Adoption Day, November 23. “I know National Adoption Day is a day when a ton of adoptions happen—which is really cool. I also want it to be a day to recognize those who have been adopted,” explains John. He hopes to add more faces to the Adoption Wall of Fame and introduce guests to delicious dishes, “Everyone who comes in that day will get a cup of kimchee jjigae, a traditional Korean stew, and we’ll be running specials all day.”

Join John in celebrating National Adoption Day at Bap and Chicken on Saturday, November 23. Bap and Chicken is located at 1328 Grand Avenue Saint Paul, MN 55105. You can follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

FacebookTwitterPinterestEmailPrintFriendly

Filed Under: Events, Foster Care Adoption, Infant Adoption, International Adoption, News

Categories

  • Adoptee Reflections
  • Adoption Legislation
  • Adoptive Family Stories
  • Birth Parent Reflections
  • Culture and Heritage
  • Donor Stories
  • Education & Webinars
  • Events
  • Foster Care
  • Foster Care Adoption
  • Global Family Support
  • Infant Adoption
  • International Adoption
  • News
  • Parenting
  • Reunion
  • Sibling Adoption
  • Today's Child and Family
  • Waiting Children
  • Waiting Families
Subscribe today
Join Our Mailing List
Subscribe today

Join our Mailing List

    You can change your mind at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in the footer of any email you receive from us, or by contacting us at publisher@chlss.org. We will treat your information with respect. For more information about our privacy practices, please visit our website. By clicking below, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with these terms.
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Help a child thrive
Contribute Today
Help a child thrive

Main Office

1605 Eustis Street
Saint Paul, MN 55108
651.646.7771
800.952.9302
welcome@chlss.org

Maryland Office

15800 Crabbs Branch Way Suite 300
Rockville, MD 20855
301.562.6500
inquire@chlss.org

Virginia Office

6800 Versar Center #404
Springfield, VA 22151
703.642.2193
inquire@chlss.org

FacebookTwitterPintrestYouTubeInstagram
coa-logo
coa-logo

© 2019 Children's Home Society and Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota. All Rights Reserved.

Privacy policy Developed by Vivid Image Staff Login

Cookies

This site uses cookies: Find out more.