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Yumsem Eats
For an education in korean streetfood, look no further than the USF area. Yumsem Eats brings the flavors of the east Asian Nation right here to Tampa Bay.
TAMPA - A local family has opened Yumsem Eats near the University of South Florida to bring a fast, consistent, and authentic Korean street food experience to the Tampa area.
Exploring Korean street food
What we know:
Yumsem Eats operates as a cultural experience driven by a family's passion for cooking traditional Korean street food.
Manager Joshua Yo is a USF graduate. He intentionally chose the area to serve the student demographic in the region.
"So, we're bringing that taste of Korea here and kind of making it a cozy kind of environment for people," said Yo.
He was intentional in creating that environment, from the custom lighting to the furniture brought directly from Korea in checked luggage.
"Stadium seating is, it's not too popular here in the States," said Yo of their unique design, "But it's a pretty popular concept in Korea. And it's just a tiered level system and, you know, it kind of gives everybody different perspective from wherever they sit."
No matter where you sit, Yo promises the service and the food will be excellent.
How is the food at Yumsem
What they're saying:
Yo remarked that his staff focuses on serving guests their meals fast just like street food, and the menu features several popular Korean items.
"Some of the popular items we have on the menu are Bulgogi Bibimbap, a beef over rice," he shared. "And Beef Bulgogi Kimbap which is a Korean roll similar to sushi but no raw ingredients, all cooked meat and vegetables."
"And then we also have Rose Tteokbokki," he continued. "Which is Korean rice cake that is in kind of a spicy creamy sauce."
"Kimchi ramen is also really popular on the menu as well. It's just ramen, and we put kimchi, scallions, and onions in there, and then we customize per order if it's requested," he said.
"We do have boba drinks as well. We can make most drinks custom," said Yo. "So, we have frozen drinks, refreshers, teas. I think that right now, entering the summer season, a lot of people are coming in for those chill and kind of cool drinks."
What you can do:
You can visit Yumsem Eats in person. You’ll find them at 11802 Bruce B. Downs Boulevard just north of Fowler Avenue to the west of the USF Tampa Campus.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from Yumsem Eats manager Joshua Yo, who explained the restaurant's concept, menu offerings, design choices, and future expansion plans in an interview.