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Le Gamin (556 Vanderbilt @ Dean) has become a Korean restaurant, Bop Sot — Brooklynian

Le Gamin (556 Vanderbilt @ Dean) has become a Korean restaurant, Bop Sot

whynot_31
edited July 2015 in Prospect Heights
I believe Le Gamin is still open.

Bop Sot would serve beer, wine and liquor in the Le Gamin space, as well as in the backyard.

Please be advised that the SLA & Sidewalk Café Review Committee will meet on Monday, April 6, 2015 at 6:00 PM at CNR-The Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation, which is located at 727 Classon Avenue, Brooklyn, NY (between Park and Prospect Places).
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Comments

  • hmm. sounds Korean (and possibly bibimbap?). did the Korean plan for the Pequena space move across the street, or will we have two Korean spots on the same block? a girl can dream... 
  • whynot_31
    edited March 2015
    You are onto something with it sounding Korean. 

    Bopsot means "rice cooker" in Korean.

  • Le Gamin IS still open. Is it being re-made/remodeled as "Bop Sot'?

    Neither the customers nor the wait-staff there seem to know what plans are underway, but we have all seen the same group coming by to take measurements and discuss interior design--in Korean, presumably.

    It would be a shame if it changed a lot from what it is now. It's a great spot for quiet reading and writing. And the only place on Vanderbilt for French cuisine.
  • whynot_31
    edited March 2015
    If the deal goes thru, Bop Sot would operate the space as their own.

    They have no relationship with the current owners of Le Gamin. As a result, the kitchen would have to be reinspected by DOH, and is likely to be remodeled.

    The waitstaff would be wise to digest the likely implications of those statements.
  • Wow, thanks for the update, whynot. You sound like you're really well informed. 

    I've just subscribed to the Brooklynian. Pardon my ignorance--how are you so well acquainted with the details of Bop Sot deal?
  • whynot_31
    edited March 2015
    CB8 sends out an email re: applicants for alcohol licenses that are seeking its support.

    I then tap a network of friends and tipsters to see if they can fill in the details.

  • Good to know. Thanks again!
  • whynot_31
    edited April 2015
    The entity purchased all of the assets of Le Gamin. A remodel will occur in the future.

    Young Lee Kim is the owner.
    He appeared tonight with his chef and his attorney.

    He is planning 38 indoor seats and 24 outdoor seats.

    There will be food. ...Korean food. There will be beer and wine.

    It would close by 11 PM, the rear yard would close by 10 PM.

    Committee supported same.
  • Pequena is also turning Korean so we will now have 2 options right across the street from each other. Maybe there will be a Kim Chee showdown.
  • whynot_31
    edited April 2015
    I have yet to meet the future operator White Tiger, which will replace Pequena.

    But based on what I heard last night, I am putting my money on Young Lee Kim and Bop Sot.

    Mr Kim obtained control over Le Gamin at some sort of debtors auction, wherein the creditors of Le Gamin gained control of it and and then sold it while it was still in operation.

    http://www.kirkland.com/siteFiles/kirkexp/publications/2554/Document1/Acquiring Troubled Business.pdf

    This indicates to me that Mr. Kim is formidable.

    He also had his act together last night, owns some other restaurant somewhere, and appeared last might with an attorney and his chef.

    So, unless the owners of White Tiger are somehow equally formidable, I am betting on Mr Kim in this showdown.

  • Now, this I can support!
  • Thanks, whynot_31, for the updates to this thread. 

    Even though the deal is complete, the demise of Le Gamin on Vanderbilt is still a pity. To my knowledge, there are no other French bistro-cafes in the Pacific Heights neighborhood. In contrast, there are or will be not one, but several places serving Korean cuisine.
  • I am here to lament Le Gamin's French onion soup. Probably the best French onion soup I've ever had. There's still a Le Gamin in Greenpoint and worth the commute for the soup!
  • whynot_31
    edited April 2015
    I believe Le Gamin remains open.

    I assume than until the contractors are ready to begin the remodel, Mr Kim will run a french restaurant.

  • "Pacific Heights neighborhood"? I pray the name dies much like ProCro. 
  • Oops, that was a brain lapse on my part. I live on Pacific Street, and I meant to say Prospect Heights.
  • Hah, yeah I was going to say... Prospect Heights is small enough without dividing it up further. 
  • Excitement is elevating.  This could be the most exciting opening since Chuko, and I think they will at the least syphon some Chuko dinner hopefuls who are put off by the wait time.

    These are the guys behind Bop Sot:

    Screen Shot 2015-04-08 at 11.14.46 AM
  • bobjo.net if you want to discover further
  • whynot_31
    edited April 2015
    FWIW, the guy on the top pretty closely resembles Mr Kim, and the guy underneath pretty closely resembles the aforementioned chef.
  • I am so upset! I'm a Le Gamin regular - love their crepes, their limone chaud, their salads.....so much there is good. Really bummed to learn this.

    Now if only one of those Korean places would become top-notch Vietnamese, I might not be so bummed out.........
  • foolio
    edited June 2015
    this past sunday was their last day. it was the loudest and most packed ive ever seen it, looked like a final shindig for friends and family. it's been shuttered ever since and i saw them moving out kitchen items the other day. 

  • In what may be the stealthiest take over i've ever seen, before I even realized Le Gamin had closed, Bot Sop has opened for business.   The writings on the packard. 
    IMG_2663
  • bopsot's grand soft opening was yesterday. they have a limited menu (bibimbap and bulgogi and other stuff) while they still hire and train and work out the new restaurant kinks. 

    meanwhile the other korean place that is replacing pequena repainted their exterior with odd colors a while ago, and the inside still has a ways to go. seems like they're just using it for storage at the moment, not alot of obvious progress over there.
  • whynot_31
    edited July 2015
    Ms Whynot and I are eating here now. Soft Opening short menu:

    image
    image
    image
  • What's that in the picture, it looks big! (and yummy)
  • Oh nice we just sat next to you! Food was pretty good. The waiter was very nice and seemed slightly inexperienced but in a nice way if that makes any sense. Anything he didn't know he made sure he clarified with someone who did. We had the bulgogi pot and the bibimbap over rice. I think we'll be back.

    Interior has been redone a bit but the outdoor seating is original Le Gamin stuff.
  • whynot_31
    edited July 2015
    @epiclylaterd -
    Yup, those chairs are vintage Le Gamin.

    @mod -
    That was a bul go gi pot. It was yummy.

    Also of note, they have beer, and the ability to accept credit cards ON DAY THREE.

    The Korean food war is on. White Tiger has yet to arrive....
  • whynot_31
    edited July 2015
    May the best place win!
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