Korean culture is making its waves around the world, and Korean cuisine is becoming one of the favorite cuisines in the United States. The cooking is usually described as salty, sour, bitter, sweet, and spicy, because Korean cuisine encompasses the amalgamation of these five characteristics, making it addictive.
With that being said, here are some of the best Korean restaurants in the United States that are worth visiting.
1. Jungsik in New York, New York
Jungsik is one of the two Korean restaurants in the United States to receive a Michelin star. It is also one of the first haute Korean restaurants in New York. As of 2020, the restaurant now has two Michelin stars.
Jungsik Lim, the owner, and chef of the restaurant was able to use the skills that he developed when he cooked at high-end restaurants in Spain. He created a special menu that combines European and Korean flavors. This resulted in dishes like the yookhwebibimbap or the wagyu beef tartare on rice with gochujang and five spices sous vide samgyeopsal or pork belly.
2. Girin Korean Ssam Bar in Seattle, Washington
Girin is a restaurant that is known for its tteok or dduk, also known as rice cakes, which are made in-house. They are also known for their banchan or side dishes and high-quality meats. Girin teams up with local producers and generations of Korean home-cooking style. On Mondays, they also offer Korean fried chicken, which is one of their best sellers.
3. Han Oak in Portland, Oregon
Han Oak is one of the most popular restaurants in Oregon. It was voted as the Restaurant of the Year in Portland back in 2017 by Portland Monthly and The Oregonian. The restaurant is named after hanok, a traditional Korean home.
The chef of the restaurant, Peter Cho, welcomes customers in his own home and brings them homemade Korean food. The family lives in the same building and customers can even see his child roaming around. The Han Oak restaurant has the best dumplings, noodles, and desserts.
Cho serves castella, or Japanese sponge cake, which is a delicious dessert that a lot of people love, and Cho's version has peaches.
4. Han Bat Shul Lung Tang in Los Angeles, California
The Korean food sul lung tang or seollongtang is a milky bone broth that is considered as comfort food. For Korean adults, this bone broth is a hangover cure. The restaurant is located in LA's K-town and it opens every day at 7 a.m. for those who want to eat breakfast and those who want to cure their hangover.
Customers can customize the bowls of soup and they can add in as little or as much black pepper, salt, and green onion as they like. The soup is best paired with kimchi and a bowl of rice.
5. Crisp in Chicago, Illinois
The Korean restaurant Crisp is famous for its Korean-style chicken wings. It is made from a family recipe that uses soy, garlic, ginger, and spices, the recipe has been passed down for decades. Korean-style chicken is breaded in a special way, making the chicken skin mixed with batter very flavorful and crispy.
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