Tourist who fell in love with Saipan opens Gangnam Chicken in CK

Sang Kyun Kim visited Saipan about 10 years ago and loved its pristine waters and island-style living so much he came back and opened Gangnam Chicken in Chalan Kanoa last December.

The 48-year-old used to run a successful chicken restaurant in Seoul, South Korea before deciding to pack everything up and start anew 3,000 or so kilometers away in the capital of the CNMI.

Aside from his affinity with Saipan, Kim also simply loves to cook.

“The reason I chose the restaurant industry is because I feel happy when someone enjoys my menu.”

Obviously as suggested already by its name, Gangnam Chicken is a restaurant that primarily serves Gangnam-style chicken, which is a sticky spicy grilled chicken recipe with a nice mix of Korean and Chinese flavors.

Kim said they will also soon start serving everyone’s favorite Korean grilled pork belly dish, Samgyupsal, with a variety of bonchon.

So far, his loyal customers seem to can’t have enough of Gangman Chicken’s fried chicken, soy chicken, and volcano chicken (hint, it’s very spicy hence the name). Their fourth chicken flavor is sweet chicken and they also offer side dishes like rice cakes, French fries, gunmandu (Koream gyoza), and pineapple slices (dessert).

Their chicken costs from $20 to $25 for 12 pieces and $12 to $15 for six pieces. You can also mix and match the flavors to your heart’s content, according to Kim.

As for what makes Gangnam Chicken different from other Korean chicken restaurant joints on Saipan, Kim is proud to say that his chicken has an inviting aroma, an even more delectable taste, very moist and tender, and not as salty as his competitors.

As part of its soft opening promotion, Gangnam Chicken is giving away free Korean chicken radish to diners.

Located on the first floor of Shining Star Hotel (formerly Koreana Hotel along the street across Dial Rent-to-Own in Chalan Kanoa), Gangnam Chicken can comfortably accommodate up to 55 dine-in customers. It’s open from 11am to 11pm everyday (up to 1am if customers request). For more information or for reservations, call (670) 234-2424 and (670) 788-7880.