FEDERAL WAY, Wash. — There are a lot of people who are curious about Korean cuisine but have never tried it because they have no idea what to order. With the help of food blogger Kimm Moore, we visited three places all within a mile of each other in Federal Way.
Jin Kook Korean Restaurant
We’re starting off with the most important meal of the day at Jin Kook Korean Restaurant, breakfast. And that means not cereal, but Ox Bone Soup.
“It's a traditional dish that's eaten normally in the winter times and it's known for its creamy white broth,” says Moore.
We found it filling and warming. Soup for breakfast actually makes sense.
We tried another extremely accessible Korean dish for any time of the day. It’s called Bibimbap.
“It's a fun word and a fun dish,” says Moore. “It's simply white rice, vegetables, meat and an egg on top.”
We really enjoyed ours the way it was served but Moore added a spicy sauce. Speaking of sauce,we had to try the classic Korean side dish, kimchi.
“So it's going to be a spicy pickled vegetable,” Moore warns.
We found it cold, and then we found the kick. It could be too much for some sensitive eaters.
Jin Kook Korean Restaurant | Open Mon-Sun, 10 am to 8:30 pm | 33120 Pacific Hwy S. Federal Way, WA 98003
Hae Song Korean BBQ
Korean barbecue has never been more popular. We tried out the experience at Hae Song Korean BBQ, a restaurant that takes pride in serving USDA prime beef.
There's a grill right there at the table. You handle as much of the cooking as you want.
“There's a lot of meat here on this table,” says Moore. “It’s meant to be a collective dining experience you enjoy with family and friends.”
We really liked the short ribs and the heavily marinated beef bulgogi. Once cooked, the meat is cut into bite sized slices with scissors provided at the table.
Hae Song Korean BBQ | Open Mon-Sat 11 am to 10 pm, Sun 12 pm to 10 pm | 32703 Pacific Hwy S, Federal Way, WA 98003
Melody Boba House
As you can imagine, we’re getting full, but we left room for dessert at Melody Boba House. We ordered the traditional roasted almond and soy bingsu, a shaved ice treat.
“Korean desserts traditionally aren't meant to be super sweet or a big sugar bomb,” says Moore. “It's just really meant to cleanse the palate.”
Melody Boba House offers sweeter offerings with fresh fruits. Ours came with sweetened condensed milk which is meant to be poured over the dish. Our dessert tasted healthy.
To sum it all up, if you're looking for a way to introduce yourself to the best in Korean cuisine, visit Federal Way.
Melody Boba House | Open Sun-Thurs 12 pm to 11 pm, Fri-Sat 12 pm to 12 am | 31406 Pacific Hwy S, Federal Way, WA 98003
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