Hansik. Getting delicious, authentic, and affordable hansik in the US is hard unless, of course, you can get it at home or make it yourself. Hansik means Korean food, and as someone who is always on the lookout for good Korean food, Mokdong Kimbap, located in Southeast Portland, was a place I had to go to when I saw it on Instagram.
I moved to South Korea at the end of the summer of 2019. Before moving there, I loved Korean food and couldn’t wait to eat authentic Korean cuisine. Every meal in Korea is an experience; they want you to post on Instagram and brag about your delicious food. After living in Korea for three years, I had some of the staple foods: bibimbap, tteokbokki, kimbap, Korean fried chicken, pork belly (my personal favorite), and so much more. My weeks were filled with eating this cuisine that eventually just became a part of my diet— like I had been eating it for years.
When I moved back to the States, I never expected how much I would miss eating Korean food. I especially didn’t think finding good Korean food would be hard. Not only that, but I had forgotten how much more expensive Korean food was in the States. Suddenly, I went from paying roughly 4,000 KRW (about $2.95) for some kimbap in Korea to anywhere from $8 to $10, if not more, in the US. I found myself even more shocked when I bought bibimbap in the States, which came out to be $20 when I used to buy it for 8,000 KRW (about $5.90). The problem with these prices is that the food doesn’t match in quality compared to the cheaper food in Korea. Also, things like bibimbap come with free side dishes like pickled radish, pickled cucumbers, kimchi, fish cakes, and seasoned spinach in Korea. The amount of food you get for $5.90 is impressive… and then you come to the US, where you only get bibimbap and no side dishes. You don’t even get kimchi for free; I’ve seen it on menus for $5, and it’s always a small amount.
I was excited to visit Mokdong Kimbap, especially when I saw the prices for the kimbap. Kimbap is supposed to be cheap; it’s the food Koreans pack for their children’s lunch. Mokdong Kimbap looks deceivingly tiny; it’s a place you can walk past, not registering what lies inside. The interior reminds me of France, something trendy restaurants in Korea love to do, but in this case, it might be because it used to be a French restaurant. You can order at the Kiosk as soon as you walk in, which again is on brand for Korean food establishments. Every time I’ve gone here, the front area is buzzing with people, and the first time I saw this, I was worried because I feared having to wait a long time, but I was also excited because if there were that many people inside then it had to be good! Luckily, Mokdong has more sitting in the back area, which has become my go-to area as there’s usually no one sitting there. The back is a charming spot, with its ceiling covered in umbrellas and couches to sit on while looking out to the garden they’re fixing up.
The service was fast, so we had our food after a bit of wait time. My friend, who has never had Korean food, accompanied me on this fun trip, and I was excited to see what he would think of the food. Kimbap and bibimbap are some of my favorite Korean foods. I’ve been to Mokdong Kimbap a few times now, and I always order the original kimbap, but this time, I changed it up by also ordering the bibimbap with bulgogi. My friend ordered tteokbokki, spicy rice cakes, and a bibimbap with tofu. The kimbap was as delicious as I remembered and pretty close to what you would get in Korea. The bibimbap was what I was really looking forward to trying, and it didn’t let me down. The bulgogi was savory and tasted just like what I remembered tasting. The veggies tasted fresh and made the overall taste excellent. It was the perfect dish to eat on a warm Portland day. The tteokbokki was just as good, with its sauce not too spicy and the tteok being chewy and soft.
Discovering Mokdong Kimbap was exciting. It was a Korean restaurant that not only served authentic cuisine, but also offered it at a fraction of the price of other establishments. If you’re in search of a new favorite Korean spot, I highly recommend a visit to Mokdong Kimbap on Hawthorne! Don’t forget to share your experience on Instagram and tag them. As a relatively new restaurant, they could use the boost in visibility.
