Kim Jong Grillin'

Kim Jong Grillin'
Restaurant information
Owner(s)Han Ly Hwang
ChefHan Ly Hwang
Food typeKorean
Street address4606 Southeast Division Street
CityPortland
StateOregon
CountryUnited States
Websitekjgpdx.com

Kim Jong Grillin' is a Korean restaurant in Portland, Oregon.[1] The business operates from southeast Portland's Richmond neighborhood as of 2022,[2] and plans to expand with a stall in the food hall at Block 216.

Description

Kim Jong Grillin' serves Korean cuisine, including bulgogi, galbi, and japchae.[3]

History

Kim Jong Grillin' is owned by chef Han Ly Hwang.[3] The food cart caught fire in 2011.[4] The business began operating again in 2014.[5]

According to Chad Walsh of Eater Portland, the restaurant sold 60–80 pounds of short ribs, 130 pounds of bulgogi, 470–500 pounds of meat, and 250 pounds of kimchi per week as of mid 2016.[6] In June 2016, the business confirmed plans to close on Alberta and collaborate with Matt's BBQ.[7] The restaurant was burglarized in December 2016.[8]

In 2017, Hwang confirmed plans to open Kim Jong Grillin' Ssam at Cartopia, a food cart pod in southeast Portland.[9][10]

In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the restaurant served free meals to unemployed restaurant workers.[11] The business planned to operate a stall in the food hall at Block 216, as of 2023.[12] However, the project did not come to fruition. Kim Jong Grillin' moved to the Cart Blocks in downtown Portland and has also announced plans to operate an outpost in Happy Valley.[13][14]

Reception

KJG hot dog, 2022

In 2016, Eater Portland described the restaurant as "enormously popular".[15] The restaurant was named in multiple Eater Portland lists in 2021, including Nick Townsend's "15 Restaurants Worth Visiting on SE Division",[16] Nick Woo and Brooke Jackson-Glidden's "15 Outstanding Portland Food Carts",[17] and Jackson-Glidden's "The 38 Essential Restaurants and Food Carts in Portland".[18] The website's Nathan Williams included Kim Jon Grillin' in a 2023 list of the city's "snappiest, juiciest" hot dogs.[19] Brooke Jackson-Glidden included the KJG Hot Dog in a 2024 overview of "iconic" Portland dishes.[20]

Katherine Chew Hamilton and Nick Campigli included the restaurant in Portland Monthly's 2021 list of 7 "must-try hot dog hotspots", writing: "The KJG hot dog is a must-have if you're looking for mild heat and Korean American flair. The spicy daikon, kimchi mayo, and pickled mango are excellent additions to the longstanding American tradition of putting meat (in this case, Zenner's sausage) inside a bun."[5]

In their book Raw Dog: The Naked Truth About Hot Dogs, journalist, TV writer and comedian Jamie Loftus included Kim Jong Grillin's hot dog in their top five favorite hot dogs in the United States.[21]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Kim Jong Grillin". Portland Monthly. Archived from the original on December 4, 2020. Retrieved October 16, 2021.
  2. ^ "20 Food Carts that Define Portland Now". Portland Monthly. Archived from the original on 2022-04-22. Retrieved 2022-06-25.
  3. ^ a b Russell, Michael (July 16, 2014). "Kim Jong Grillin' cart returning to Southeast Division Street". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved October 16, 2021.
  4. ^ Korfhage, Matthew (September 2, 2014). "Food Cart Review: Kim Jong Grillin'". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on November 23, 2018. Retrieved October 16, 2021.
  5. ^ a b Hamilton, Katherine Chew; Campigli, Nick (July 9, 2021). "7 Must-Try Hot Dog Hotspots". Portland Monthly. Archived from the original on October 6, 2021. Retrieved October 16, 2021.
  6. ^ Walsh, Chad (2016-06-17). "Portland Barbecue By The Numbers". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2020-06-03. Retrieved 2021-10-16.
  7. ^ Bamman, Mattie John (2016-06-24). "The Groaning Board Reveals Menu for Dogs". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2020-06-03. Retrieved 2021-10-16.
  8. ^ Walsh, Chad (2017-01-04). "Food Cart Crimewave Expands to Restaurants". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2020-11-12. Retrieved 2021-10-16.
  9. ^ Bamman, Mattie John (2017-05-17). "Kim Jong Grillin' Announces New Food Truck". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2018-08-23. Retrieved 2021-10-16.
  10. ^ Bamman, Mattie John (2017-06-29). "Kim Jong Grillin' Ssam Is LIVE". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2018-09-08. Retrieved 2021-10-16.
  11. ^ Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (2020-03-18). "Portland Food Carts and Restaurants Are Giving Out Free Meals In Response to Food Service Industry Layoffs". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2021-06-30. Retrieved 2021-10-16.
  12. ^ Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (2023-01-10). "Blockbuster Birria Cart Birrieria La Plaza Will Open a Southeast Portland Restaurant". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2023-01-11. Retrieved 2023-01-10.
  13. ^ Smith, Suzette. "Update: Food Cart Kim Jong Grillin Will Move to Downtown Cart Blocks Pod". Portland Mercury. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  14. ^ Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (2024-03-25). "Ask Eater: What's Going on With the Flock Food Hall Downtown?". Eater Portland. Retrieved 2024-03-25.
  15. ^ Eater Staff (2016-08-12). "Portland's Korean Food Scene Is on the Rise". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2020-11-08. Retrieved 2021-10-16.
  16. ^ Townsend, Nick (2017-05-11). "15 Restaurants Worth Visiting on SE Division". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2021-04-29. Retrieved 2021-10-16.
  17. ^ Woo, Nick (2015-06-10). "15 Outstanding Portland Food Carts". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2021-09-18. Retrieved 2021-10-16.
  18. ^ Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (2018-01-09). "The 38 Essential Restaurants and Food Carts in Portland". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2021-09-25. Retrieved 2021-10-16.
  19. ^ Williams, Nathan (2016-07-01). "Portland's Snappiest, Juiciest Hot Dogs". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2022-02-20. Retrieved 2023-06-27.
  20. ^ Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (2015-01-29). "Iconic Portland Dishes That Are Actually Worth Eating". Eater Portland. Retrieved 2024-05-13.
  21. ^ Loftus, Jamie (2023). Raw Dog: The Naked Truth About Hot Dogs. New York: Tor Publishing Group (published May 23, 2023). p. 295. ISBN 978-1-250-84774-4.
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