Below, a full meal of Beef Bulgogi, kimchi, ramyun, donkatsu and fried dumplings from K-Bop. Daily Record photo by Celeste Holliser

Foodie Friday: K-BOP

Thu, 09/17/2020 - 7:11pm

Food

@celesteavonne

Celeste Hollister | Features Editor

Thursday, September 17, 2020

Bon Gu and his wife opened their cozy Korean restaurant, K-Bop, on Feb. 28, 2020. Situated in the tree-lined center along with Torchy’s Tacos and Smoothie King, the close-to-campus location is an ideal spot for college students wanting to swing in for light, high-quality Korean-style cuisine that is many miles healthier than the standard fast-food fare. In addition to the college crowd, K-Bop’s menu of large-portion bowls and kimbop rolls appeal to a broader dinner crowd as well.

Two weeks after opening, the quarantine hit. With limited indoor seating and no drive-through, Mr. and Ms. Gu worried about how they would survive the lockdown. A San Marcos-based engineering firm, Freese and Nichols stepped in to build the open-air patio on the broad sidewalk out front, giving K-Bop another resource for serving their customers.

Six months later, K-Bop is still thriving. The bright and comfy dining room has re-opened, the patio is still shady and cool, and the little Korean restaurant is a great spot for a quick lunch, a dinner date, or a study group complete with dumplings and frozen bubble tea.

What to order:

KIMBOP

Kimbop is a Korean-style roll much like sushi, with rice and vegetables rolled up inside a salty sheet of seaweed. Served in Korean school lunches and available in Seoul convenience stores, kimbop is a delicious and healthy finger food you can take anywhere. K-Bop has several options, from tofu and house kimbop rolls — excellent for hikes and picnics — to the tonkatsu kimbop, which is topped with mayo, eel sauce, and shredded cabbage. While eel sauce may not be traditional Texas fare, give it a try. It is savory and tangy, and when combined with the mayo, a perfect counterpoint to the crispy-fried pork inside.

BOWLS

Beef Bulgogi

According to Mr. Gu, the beef bulgogi is their most popular menu item, and it’s not difficult to see why. “The best seller is beef bulgogi,” Mr. Gu said. “It is totally on top of sales and the other food cannot compare sales-wise.” Beef bulgogi is steak sliced super thin then marinated in a lightly sweet but savory sauce. This is then layered over rice and stir-fried glass noodles, with a pan fried egg on top, with a drizzle of mayo and eel sauce.

Ddukboki

Mr. Gu recommends his favorite menu item, the peppery-spicy ddukboki bowl. K-Bop’s ddukboki features thick, chewy rice cake noodles, ramyun noodles, fish cake, egg, cabbage, and dumplings tossed with a spicy house sauce. This bowl is perfect as an appetizer or for sharing with friends.

SOUPS

Every soup on K-Bop’s menu is a rich, warm comfort food. From the hearty Kimchi Jjigae — which is a hot, spicy stew with kimchi, tuna, Spam and sausage topped with a fried egg and seaweed — to the Make Your Own Ramyun option which allows for a variety of toppings including seafood, jalapeno, or cheese, you’ll definitely find something to satisfy any craving.

K-Bop also features a full menu of green, milk and frozen bubble teas in case you’re in the mood for something sweet.