KC's Oriental Food Market

i am so sorry that I went to shop yesterday only to find a big For Rent sign posted on the door. The regulars smoking in front of the pool hall down the walk said that she had retired.This is very disappointing because it was a six star place.

I've been hit hard by this craving for naengmyeon, the Korean cold buckwheat noodle soup that's usually served only in summer. But I seriously could eat this all year round. B/c it's a bit time consuming to make, a lot of Korean restaurants, esp ones that don't specialize in this dish, might make it from a package. I do the same, but since Grace Market has new ownership, I've been hard pressed to find my noodles. A friend told me about KC, so I gave it a shot. It's a tiny grocery store run by one little woman. She was very helpful and helped me quickly find my noodles along with a few other items (they sell mentaiko)! I think the prices were fair enough, and the place itself was clean. I'm pretty upset that I didn't find this place earlier, though. Apparently, she used to make naengmyeon FROM SCRATCH and served it at her store. I've already told you how frickin' difficult that is to find....and in the Midwest? Forget it! She made other items too in her little kitchen in the back...or used to. Apparently, a customer saw that she was cooking in her store and reported her to the fire department. She was not to code (no hood or something like that), so they told her that til she modified things, she was not allowed to cook there. Of course, she does not have the money to do so, so that's that. To the concerned citizen: Hi, lovely not to have met you. I imagine you're one of those follow-the-rules-off-the-cliff types. Nothing wrong with that. The world needs ppl like you to keep it in line. However, you came between me and my noodles. Now I'm back to instant, packaged B grade stuff. *Sigh*

I love KC's. Selection is limited, but this is Wichita... so what can you expect? Probably not a Five Star in LA, but definitely a solid five for Wichita.Pretty much all the staples I miss from my "second home" in Korea, minus the fresh ddeok. The kimchi is excellent!

The restaurant is in the back . Neat place . Similar to grace market except less options . Good prices and excellent service . Nice to try this place . Beef bulgogi was a little dry but tofu soup was good .

Very friendly and helpful store owner. Best place to goto in wichita for korean/Japanese groceries! They have marinated korean bbq already prepped or authentic Korean side dishes freshly made.

I recently discovered this store after my usual store, Grace Market, changed their hours and I can no longer visit them. I was able to find what I needed here and then some. Is it small, yes. And their prices are $1 more, but that won't stop me from supporting the local small business owner. I was pleased to see that they also have a small cafe that offers carry out and I found a few items that I didn't find at the other store, like whole rice cakes and pre-made spicy pork bulgogi...