Pioneering Korean fusion spot Koko Bowl takes Kickstarter route.

Two words: kimchee pancake.

OK, there's a lot more to like about forthcoming Korean fusion spot Koko Bowl beyond the spicy pancakes, including customizable bibimbap, Korean fried chicken, "kimcheeze" French fries and Ko-Mex Tacos.

But it's the savory pancake that has me most excited.

There is a big catch, though.

Koko isn't open—and may not open (at least any time soon) without sizable community support.

Earlier this month Koko Bowl's Kickstarter campaign went live with the hopes of opening a one-off, locally-owned, fast-casual style Korean fusion kitchen in downtown Monterey.

Co-founder AhRa Jo, 25, grew up essentially running classic burger joint Patio Drive-In in Castroville, where she worked for nine years. 

Her parents own it, but speak no English, so she found herself handling all the responsibility with none of the creative control.

She ached to have her own spot.

"I was always under the shadow of my parents—if I wanted to decorate differently or change the menu there was this big process," she says. 

While she studied psychology and business at San Jose State, she worked at SGD Tofu House and watched as fast-casual joints and the poke bar movement took off.

At the same time, she pined for her mom's cooking, so she petitioned Mama Jo for recipes and started crafting her own take on those Korean dishes, which forms the foundation for what she has planned.

In short, it's a fast and simple counter-style set-up, fully customizable (a la Chipotle or poke-style), with fresh and local ingredients, meats marinated with homemade sauces for at least 24 hours, prepared daily.

“We make everything from scratch,” Jo says. "No MSG or preservatives, just mom's comfort Korean food, with the ways I've progressed them.

"I want to be different from other Korean restaurants. And I want it to taste like healthy food."

Kickstarter contributors traditionally get a return on their investment—if it's helping a band make a record it's a CD or shwag, if it's a clothing company they might get some gear.

Jo has various prize packages for those who help her reach her goal of $85,000 by Jan. 5, including T-shirts, appetizers, black cards (a Koko bowl daily for a month) and gold cards (a year's worth).

A reminder for those not familiar with Kickstarter: It's an all-or-nothing drive. If she doesn't hit her goal, nobody is charged.

All told it's a thoroughly modern concept with a modern mechanism in place to make it happen.