WARRENTON – Anybody who has spent time Back East knows how frustrating it can be to get into an argument with a New Yorker on his home turf. No matter the topic, you’ll never win.

A couple weeks ago I engaged an especially feisty Manhattanite named David in a spirited conversation concerning quality restaurants. After quickly conceding that New York boasts America’s finest cache of eateries (hey, I’m not stupid), I added that Portland and Seattle are this country’s epicenter for East Asian fare.

My friend was incredulous. Gastronomically speaking, virtually everything worthwhile originates in The City, he replied. The first wave of quality East Asian eateries was no exception. Happened about a decade ago.

We argued back and forth. I pointed out to no avail that Portland’s East Asian scene already was in full swing by the early 1980s. Heck, with all the platitudes he was heaping on the Big Apple, I half expected him to claim that Tex-Mex was another New York first. We got nowhere until I agreed that Chinatown in lower Manhattan enjoys a wealth of Chinese restaurants matched by no other American city. But I wouldn’t budge from my assertion that Seattle and Portland have an unequaled bevy of Vietnamese, Thai and Korean joints. We parted amicably but undeterred in our respective contentions.

Too bad the flood of East Asian fare hasn’t hit the coast, I mused afterwards. Oh, there are Chinese restaurants galore, but only one Thai place, and Vietmanese cuisine is unavailable. There is Kim’s Kitchen, however.

Thanks to namesake owner Kim Fuhrmann, this little gem of ethnicity fronting the Warrenton Mooring Basin is a top-drawer Korean eatery offering robust, well-seasoned dishes. Yet I’m told a good number of Kim’s customers order tempura fish ‘n chips, which is a bit like hiring Michelangelo to paint your house.

A superior way to sample Fuhrmann’s seafood is to opt for hammer chop tung, a bounty of prawns, oysters, Dungeness crab claws, plump scallops, chunks of halibut and slices of petrale sole, all of it steamed in a piquant broth redolent of garlic and chili peppers. Simple but certainly not subtle, this preparation is the Korean version of bouillabaisse or cioppino.

In addition to fish, the staples of Korean cuisine are rice and noodles, and Kim’s showcases all three in her earthy chap chae stir fries showcasing calamari or shrimp. Now calamari can end up a rubbery disaster in the hands of the wrong chef. Not Fuhrmann, who blends ultra-tender strips of squid in a massive mound of translucent potato noodles (chap chae) colorfully interspersed with a mishmash of julienned red, green and orange bell peppers, broccoli, mushrooms, red and white onions, cabbage, carrots and ginger. A bowl of rice is almost overkill. Still, this repast is a fabulous introduction to Korean comfort food.

Stir fries also can be had with pork, chicken or beef. The latter, however, is best experienced via kalbi (the menu lists it as “kal bee”) or bulgoki (bul go gi). The former features marinated short ribs sawed into long slivers and piled four or five deep on a large platter. Bulgoki is thinly sliced marinated top round. Both are amply fortified with garlic, but a boneless chicken breast is the zippiest choice on the menu.

Food trumps everything at Kim’s, including the decor and service. A few framed paintings and prints (including a portrait of Fuhrmann by Astoria artist Harry Bennett) decorate the white-washed walls of the homey interior that, unfortunately, doesn’t look out over the adjacent mooring basin. Burgundy table coverings are nicely color coordinated with the chairs. At times, you may feel as if you’ve been put on “hold” by the kitchen because often Fuhrmann is the only one on duty.

The key at Kim’s is to remain flexible and open to new dining experiences, because no one in the region serves food like Fuhrmann’s, most of it inspired by old family recipes. And forget about substitutions beyond, say, asking for more oomph in your stir fry. Request anything more complicated and Fuhrmann – who speaks halting English, but tries her darndest to communicate – may not understand.

No matter what you order, make certain you request a side of kimchee, Fuhrmann’s fiery fermented cabbage- and zucchini-based condiment that’s a Korean national treasure. The rendition at Kim’s is as good as you’ll find anywhere.

And – in case my cocky New Yorker friend David is listening – that includes Manhattan.

Contact the Mouth at The Daily Astorian, P.O. Box 210, Astoria, OR 97103 or phone (503) 325-3211 or e-mail mouth@dailyastorian.com

Kim’s Kitchen2 and a 1/2 stars

575 E. Harbor Drive, Warrenton; (503) 861-4314

Hours: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5 to 9 p.m. every day (hours may vary; phone ahead to avoid disappointment)

Prices: Moderate. Entrees, which include a green salad, cost $9.25 to $14.50. Two could dine well for $35 or less, including beverages and tip.

Superior selections: Kalbi, chap chae stir fry with calamari, chicken or pork, beef bulgoki, hot spicy chicken, hammer chop tung

Atmosphere: Simple but pleasant cafe atmosphere

Service: Forget about a quick meal and resolve to be patient.

Kid-friendly: Yes, but the young’uns’ taste buds should be prepared for some exotic flavors.

Vegetarian options: Tempura vegetables, or vegetarian chop chae

Alcohol: None available

Access: The entrance and restrooms are accessible to those in wheelchairs

Credit cards: None accepted

Personal checks: OK

Reservations: Not necessary

Smoking: Not permitted

Key to ratings:

1 star: average

2 stars: good

3 stars: excellent

4 stars: outstanding, the best in the Columbia-Pacific Region