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Kim's Korean: Pork Belly Heaven [Pictures]

Kim's Korean: Pork Belly Heaven [Pictures]
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  • Post #31 - January 12th, 2008, 8:35 am
    Post #31 - January 12th, 2008, 8:35 am Post #31 - January 12th, 2008, 8:35 am
    toria wrote:Okay alright your coat smells of pork fat....pork belly. What the heck is pork belly?? Sounds disgusting but looks good. Is it another name for bacon???


    Pork belly is exactly what it sounds like, and you're close. Take pork belly, cure it and smoke it and you've got yourself some bacon.
    Dominic Armato
    Dining Critic
    The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com
  • Post #32 - January 16th, 2008, 2:22 pm
    Post #32 - January 16th, 2008, 2:22 pm Post #32 - January 16th, 2008, 2:22 pm
    We had a very tasty lunch at Kim's last Saturday. 10 of us who'd never been there before met to try some of the pork belly (and other) treats . . .

    Image
    Fried dumplings...tasty dumplings of the fried variety. The menu also offers "broiled" dumplings, which we did not try.


    Image
    Panchan...clockwise from bottom left: sprouts, cabbage kim chee, fishcake, broccoli, cuttlefish, dried anchovies...a nice assortment of tastes here. I think I liked the fishcake the best, with the cuddlefish a close second.


    Image
    Cuttlefish...this was a deep umami hit with a nice accent of spice.


    Image
    Dried Anchovies...my son loved these and even after I told him that it was dried anchovies, he kept snarfing the salty, crunchy and chewy little buggers down.


    Image
    Spicy Pork...forgive the lousy focus on this shot. I was too busy salivating to hold the camera steady. This was a tender and flavorful dish with a fair amount of heat.


    Image
    Bulgogi...great flavor, very moist but I personally missed the charred aspect of this dish just a bit. Still, I think that overall, this was one of the favored dishes at the table.


    Image
    Cellophane Noodles and Beef...this one was ordered at the other end of the table and I'm not exactly sure what it was, except that it was really delicious.


    Image
    Pork Belly on the specially-designed grill...we ordered 2 preparations of pork belly: red wine and bean paste. I'm not sure which one this was but obviously the belly used here is immaculately fresh.


    Image
    A closer look at the fresh belly as it begins cooking


    Image
    Spicy Garnish for wraps...Along with the ultra-thin discs of radish pictured above, this mixture of lettuce, scallions and hot sauce was a perfect accompaniment for the various meats we were served -- especially the piping hot slices of belly that were being cooked at the table. Using the radish as a shell, this mixture was a great topping for the meats packed within.


    Image
    Cooked slices of pork belly


    All in all, it was a delicious lunch. The dishes we tried were all tasty and prepared to order. I loved the helpful, friendly instruction, too. Our waitress did a very nice job of explaining how to eat what we were served and how best to construct our wraps.

    I'll admit that I kind of missed the more assertive flavor of meats cooked over live coals (that one experiences at other Korean spots) but previous experiences with pork belly cooked over live coals have been less than optimal, anyway. It tends to flame up and burn up before it becomes tender, so while the flavor is more intense, it's not very palatable. Here, using the solid-surfaced cooking grill and butane gas, the pork doesn't develop quite the same intense flavor, but it's plenty tender by the time it's ready to come off the cook surface -- a worthwhile trade-off.

    I really enjoyed this meal and plan to return to Kim's soon. I feel like we just scratched the surface as far as exploring their menu. And with half our party being kids 10 and under, our attention was not quite as focused on the food as it might have otherwise been. Still, fresh ingredients, tasty preparations and great service made it a very positive experience. The very next evening I was with a group who was considering going to Kim's. I would have been more than happy to have done so, even though that plan was 86'd because they would have been closed by the time we could have arrived there.

    =R=
    Last edited by ronnie_suburban on January 16th, 2008, 2:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #33 - January 16th, 2008, 2:32 pm
    Post #33 - January 16th, 2008, 2:32 pm Post #33 - January 16th, 2008, 2:32 pm
    ronnie_suburban wrote:Image
    Cellophane Noodles and Beef...this one was ordered at the other end of the table and I'm not exactly sure what it was, except that it was really delicious.

    That looks like chap chae.
    Last edited by cilantro on January 16th, 2008, 2:39 pm, edited 1 time in total.
  • Post #34 - January 16th, 2008, 2:37 pm
    Post #34 - January 16th, 2008, 2:37 pm Post #34 - January 16th, 2008, 2:37 pm
    cilantro wrote:
    ronnie_suburban wrote:Image
    Cellophane Noodles and Beef...this one was ordered at the other end of the table and I'm not exactly sure what it was, except that it was really delicious.

    That looks like chap chae.

    (By the way, it's "cuttlefish" -- your version sounds like a cartoon character that only a really mean person would eat.)

    LOL...thanks, cilantro. I always seem to do that with cuttlefish. It must be my evil inclinations. I'll go back and edit it. :wink:

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #35 - July 5th, 2008, 4:28 pm
    Post #35 - July 5th, 2008, 4:28 pm Post #35 - July 5th, 2008, 4:28 pm
    Made a special trip today as this post fairly makes me drool. Door was locked with a "for rent" sign on the door.....
    SAVING ONE DOG MAY NOT CHANGE THE WORLD, BUT IT CHANGES THE WORLD FOR THAT ONE DOG.
  • Post #36 - July 5th, 2008, 5:07 pm
    Post #36 - July 5th, 2008, 5:07 pm Post #36 - July 5th, 2008, 5:07 pm
    jleblanc05 wrote:Made a special trip today as this post fairly makes me drool. Door was locked with a "for rent" sign on the door.....


    Sorry to hear that happened.

    Not that is helpful, I usually try to have a plan B just in case there is a closure, remodeling or vacation sign.

    Regards,
    Cathy2

    "You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
    Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways,
  • Post #37 - July 5th, 2008, 5:52 pm
    Post #37 - July 5th, 2008, 5:52 pm Post #37 - July 5th, 2008, 5:52 pm
    Unfortunately, I don't seem to have that good brain thinking usually. Today we ended up at ChungKiWa a couple of blocks down the street. We used to go there easily weekly but then moved. so it worked out, thankfully. BTW, as a long time lurker, I really enjoy your posts, thanks for them!
    SAVING ONE DOG MAY NOT CHANGE THE WORLD, BUT IT CHANGES THE WORLD FOR THAT ONE DOG.
  • Post #38 - July 5th, 2008, 6:13 pm
    Post #38 - July 5th, 2008, 6:13 pm Post #38 - July 5th, 2008, 6:13 pm
    Ahhhhh, that's a shame. I only had the chance to hit them once before leaving town, but I really enjoyed it. And I appreciate it all the more in retrospect.
    Dominic Armato
    Dining Critic
    The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com
  • Post #39 - July 5th, 2009, 4:25 pm
    Post #39 - July 5th, 2009, 4:25 pm Post #39 - July 5th, 2009, 4:25 pm
    Drove past Kim's today, and it appeared to be open? The open sign looked lit up and I believe there were lights on inside. (It was early afternoon) Any one know if it's back?
    SAVING ONE DOG MAY NOT CHANGE THE WORLD, BUT IT CHANGES THE WORLD FOR THAT ONE DOG.

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