The Hot Springs Tribal Nutrition Center had the opportunity to get a new dish on the menu during lunch on July 26.

Sue Kim, who is originally from South Korea, cooked for a restaurant in San Francisco for 25 years. Kim and her husband retired to Los Angeles and purchased an RV to travel around the country. It was on their way home from their trip to Alaska in 2017 that they discovered Hot Springs.

“We actually got lost and this is where we ended up,” said Kim. They were intrigued by the natural hot springs that can be found in the area. Kim underwent a knee surgery that had been giving her considerable pain throughout her days. When she researched the hot springs, she was curious to try them out and see what it could do for her knee.

After a three-day stay and regular soaks in the water Kim was pain free so she and her husband left for their home in California. About five hours down the road Kim started to feel the pain coming back in her knee, so the couple turned their RV around and headed back to the hot springs. They then spent two weeks soaking in the water and touring around the area. Kim said that her knee pain was completely gone after the stay and has never returned.

When the couple returned home, Kim started to go on hikes and doing other strenuous activities that she had not been able to do after her knee surgery. Her friends were curious about how her knee pain had gotten better. Kim shared that she had soaked in the hot springs and loved her trip. Her friends expressed that they would love to come see Montana and have since made trips to Hot Springs as well.

What brought Kim and her husband to the Hot Springs Tribal Nutrition Center this year was the desire to try new things while they were on vacation and meet new people. Kim then got the idea of how she could do something for the community to give back for all the kindness she was shown and having her knee pain alleviated. She planned to cook a meal the next time she was in town.

Kim and her husband have returned to Hot Springs, this time for a three-week vacation. She had the opportunity to cook Japchae, a Korean dish with beef, vegetables, and noodles made from starch. Kim said she received many compliments on the dish and there wasn’t any left over after the lunch.

“Some people were weary that the food would be too spicy for their tastes but were pleasantly surprised,” said Kim, who specifically planned out how much spice she would add to the dish to tailor to her Hot Springs crowd. Bill Subda, of Hot Springs, said that the food was “outrageously delicious” and he “can’t wait till she comes back.”

Kim and her husband have fallen in love with the area and mentioned how nice everyone is that they meet. The Kims also appreciate how quiet the area is in the beautiful country. “When you’re living in the city, you don’t see much nature like you do here with all the deer.” Kim also commented that they will be returning to the area each July and she hopes to cook more meals for the community.