I don't think this is a Baltimore phenomena. You get the same thing in the Detroit area - Korean restaurants that haven't assimilated.

I have no idea why. While you all figure it out, I'll just be over here grazing on the banchan.

I have a korean cook book titled "101 ways to wok your dog" sorry but as insensitive as that joke is it's still one of my favorites.

Being a Korean American, I've thought about this topic before, and have come to some conclusions (not only with food, but culturally as well)
In general, Koreans have not assimilated, because Korean American are such a young population relative to chinese/japanese populations. Chinese have been in america since the 1800's? Japanese were here at a similar time, and definitely before WWII. Korea wasn't even a country then. Through forming the country, there was a high sense of nationalism (as there needs to be when forming a new country). And many immigrants from Korea started coming in the 70's. These immigrants were the direct product of this sense of nationalism and protectionism of Korean culture.
Most of the Korean restaurants were run by folks that were immigrants, knew little English, but were able to make plenty of money based on their 'authenticity' and other Korean's desire for something that reminds them of home.

However, there are many other Koreans who are completely out of that loop. For example, the owner of papermoon is a Korean-American. If you look at chefs like David Chang of momofoku in NY, he's done a lot of fusion type dishes in his restaurants. The Kogi taco truck craze in LA is a fusion of korean and mexican. As 2nd and 3rd generation Korean Americans emerge, you'll find more and more adapted korean dishes. However, as long as there's an immigrant population (0 - 1st generation KA), you'll have these 'authentic' restaurants.

just my $.02. sorry for the long drawn out post.

Good points, Matt. I think you may be on to something. Most of the Japanese food that is available around Detroit is pretty authentic, and the Japanese are recent immigrants to Detroit. On the other hand, while there is very authentic Lebanese around, there is a lot of Americanized Lebanese, too (the Lebanese first came to Detroit in statistically significant numbers in the 1880's).

When my office was near the Homewood campus, I would often take folks to lunch at Niwana, on 33rd Street at Charles. But 10 blocks south of there is the remnant of a cool little Koreatown, including a favorite hole-in-the-wall Joung Kak. Like everyone else who makes it downtown, the next generation heads to the suburbs, and we all see the signs of this in the grocery stores around Catonsville.

I wonder about the connection to Johns Hopkins University. Was there some post-war recruiting going?

Matt's comment is terrific. It's a really interesting observation. I read a flawed, but interesting book The Fortune Cookie Chronicles that talked about how Chinese restaurants really took off selling to non-Chinese Americans.

Great places for Korean food all on Rte 40: Shin Chon Garden and Bethany Seafood Restaurant.

Can anyone explain Yental Asian Food Service? It looks like a takeout or caterer near Bethany. Clearly aimed at Koreans. But I can't figure out what to buy.

I always wondered whether JHU had a recruiting program in Korea, post war. That would explain the struggle for "Lower Charles Village" (that's what Gorelick called it in 2005) to become a real Koreatown. It would also explain how crowded it can get at Niwana, at 33rd and Charles, and why C&C Carryout on St. Paul's will give you a side of kimchee with your chicken cheese steak sub (if you ask nicely!).

I've read somewhere that the Korean community on the east coast of America is far more affluent than their west coast counterparts. I would have expected the wealthier community to be more assimilated than the poorer one, but that does not appear to be the case.

isn't there a Korean business association at Maryland & North Aves? Could that partly explain the concentration of Korean / Korean-American businesses and residents in lower Charles Village and the nearby Homewood campus?

There is a relatively large Korean immigrant community in Baltimore. You'll notice that a lot of the small liquor stores, corner shops, and other small businesses around the city are owned by Koreans as well. Different immigrants communities fill different niches in different cities, Koreans fill a fair number of them here in Baltimore.

While I think the whole 'recent immigrant' thing comes into play, I think we must acknowledge the role Korean pride/mentality plays. Pretty much all the Korean parents I know (now in their 40s - 60s) dine out at Korean restaurants, very rarely going to places like TGIF or Olive Garden or other non-Korean restaurants. They also seem to only frequent Korean places of business - doctors, dentists, grocery stores, etc.

While not necessarily excluding non-Koreans, I think Koreans can be very insular as evidenced by the above examples. Maybe they don't feel the need to cater to non-Koreans. If people like it, they like it. If they don't like it, well, then they don't like it. What does it matter since they're catering to a majority Korean consumer base anyway?

My local sushi place is owned and staffed by Korean-Americans -- Asahi Sushi, on Broadway in Fells Point.

They moved up the street in case you were looking for them near Ding How and saw their empty storefront there. They're in the same block as The Ritz, in a nicer bigger space.