Korean restaurant NongBu is now permanently closed, but its legacy of introducing Edmontonians to a broader array of Korean dishes will live on.
NongBu announced its closure in September, after nearly a decade in business just south of Whyte Avenue. It received many accolades after it opened in 2015, including Best New Restaurant in 2016 from Avenue Edmonton (now Edify).
Owner John Ahn was inspired to open NongBu to share the Korean food he was exposed to growing up, as prepared by his mother. "One of my big motivating factors was the lack of variety of Korean food in Edmonton," Ahn told Taproot. "I wanted to show people home cooking, and that Korean food could be more than bibimbap and bulgogi — old-style cooking, cooking without additives, with better ingredients, and making everything fresh."
When NongBu opened, it was originally set up as a Korean knife cut noodle restaurant. "We were making fresh noodles every day, and I worked on a series of broths," Ahn said. "But no one was ordering the noodles. Everyone was ordering the sides."
Over time, NongBu expanded its street food offerings, and Ahn said he held out for four years before making the difficult decision to add bibimbap and bulgogi to the menu. "It made us successful but it broke my heart that it was all people were ordering," Ahn said.
In hindsight, he admitted staff could have better explained the ingredients being used, and how the dishes should be enjoyed. "For our lettuce wraps, we were bringing in soybean paste that was being made by nuns on the coast of Korea," Ahn said. "They would dehydrate it for us and it came by boat, and we would rehydrate it. But we were throwing it away because people wouldn't eat it. People thought it was like ketchup. In hindsight we should have gotten our servers to teach people."
NongBu nonetheless paved the way for more Korean establishments offering more than bibimbap and bulgogi. This includes places focused on Korean street food, such as Gangnam Street Food, which first opened in 2019, late-night drinking spots such as Hanjan, opened in 2017, and JMT Korean Cuisine, which opened in 2023, and most recently, Sang, offering hanjeongsik, a meal characterized by side dishes.
NongBu founder John Ahn told Taproot the former restaurant's space has been sold to a Korean family, and that he hopes to travel to Korea to inspire himself before starting another restaurant — this one without bulgogi. (Sharon Yeo)
Ahn was happy to see the growth of the Korean food scene, even if it meant more competition. "Staff would ask me if I was upset when I saw other Korean restaurants taking our menu items," Ahn said. "Why would I be upset? They're trying it, sharing the education of it. I remember our supplier laughed at us when we started looking for ddeokbokki (rice cakes). But that was the dish that put us on the map. Now there isn't a Korean restaurant around that doesn't have it."
Although Ahn credits a loyal customer base that kept NongBu going, rebuilding the restaurant after the COVID-19 pandemic took a toll. He also noticed that customers were seeking a different experience. "Younger people want flashy lights or K-pop," Ahn said. "We don't play K-pop. Or, customers were asking for things they saw on K-dramas, like corn cheese. That's not what we do."
Ahn's vision and uncompromising standards made him "not a good business man" when faced with new trends, but kept him motivated to share the food he was passionate about. "I was not willing to make those changes," Ahn said. "If I had to change everything — I work long hours, and I wouldn't last very long. If I didn't feel like we could do it the best in Edmonton, we wouldn't do it."
The other driving factor for closing NongBu was his three year-old daughter. Working up to 16 hour days, he would only see his daughter when she was sleeping. "These years with my family I can't get back," Ahn said.
The space has been sold to another Korean family. Ahn teased the possibility that some of NongBu's signature dishes may be served there again but wasn't able to share much.
"We didn't want to sell it to just anyone," Ahn said. "The family cares about the food, the ingredients, the experience. We are leaving the space in good hands. They are interested in purchasing our recipes but I am not sure if they will use them."
Ahn plans to rest, spend time with his family, and travel, but he intends to return to the restaurant business. "I want to go back to Korea," Ahn said. "There are certain things I wanted to learn. My wife and I have talked about living there for a few years."
After a reprieve, Ahn will return to the Edmonton restaurant scene again, but likely with an even more focused vision.
"My dream restaurant, which I wanted for NongBu originally, is a really small restaurant," Ahn said. "I wouldn't need a server, everything is seasonal, and people see food that they couldn't see somewhere else. From everything I learned over 10 years — when I do it again, I could do it so much better. I will be even more stubborn and I won't put bulgogi on the menu!"