Kim Jong Grillin is a

Korean Korean may refer to: People and culture * Koreans, people from the Korean peninsula or of Korean descent * Korean culture * Korean language **Korean alphabet, known as Hangul or Korean **Korean dialects **See also: North–South differences in t ...

restaurant in

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, United States. As of 2025, the

food cart A food cart is a mobile kitchen set up on the street to prepare and sell street food to passers-by. Food carts are often found in cities worldwide selling food of every kind. Food carts come in two basic styles. One allows the vendor to sit ...

operates at 770 West Burnside Street. Previously, the business operated in southeast Portland's

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, a city in the United States * Richmond, London, a town in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town ...

neighborhood in 2022. Plans to expand with a stall in the

food hall A food hall is a large standalone location or department store section where food and drinks are sold. Overview Unlike food courts made up of fast food chains, food halls typically mix local artisan restaurants, butcher shops and other food- ...

at Block 216 did not come to fruition. Kim Jong Grillin' has also operated a

brick and mortar Brick and mortar (or B&M) is an organization or business with a physical presence in a building or other structure. The term ''brick-and-mortar business'' is often used to refer to a company that possesses or leases retail shops, factory produc ...

restaurant in Happy Valley, but the location closed permanently in March 2025.

Description

Kim Jong Grillin' serves

Korean cuisine Korean cuisine is the set of foods and culinary styles which are associated with Korean culture. This cuisine has evolved through centuries of social and political change. Originating from ancient Prehistoric Korea, agricultural and nomad ...

, including

bulgogi Bulgogi ( , , ; , ) is a '' gui'' (Korean-style grilled or roasted dish) made of thin, marinated slices of meat, most commonly beef, grilled on a barbecue or on a stove-top griddle. It is also often stir-fried in a pan in home cooking. Sirl ...

galbi ''Galbi'' * (), ''kalbi'', ''galbi-gui'' (), or grilled ribs is a type of '' gui'' (grilled dish) in Korean cuisine. "''Galbi''" is the Korean word for "rib", and the dish is usually made with beef short ribs. When pork spare ribs or another m ...

, and

japchae ''Japchae'' () is a savory and slightly sweet dish of stir-fried cellophane noodles, glass noodles and vegetables that is popular in Korean cuisine. * ''Japchae'' is typically prepared with ''dangmyeon'' (), a type of cellophane noodles made from ...

History

Kim Jong Grillin' is owned by chef Han Ly Hwang. The food cart caught fire in 2011. The business began operating again in 2014. According to Chad Walsh of '' Eater Portland'', Kim Jong Grillin' sold 60–80 pounds of short ribs, 130 pounds of bulgogi, 470–500 pounds of meat, and 250 pounds of

kimchi Kimchi (; ) is a traditional Korean side dish (''banchan'') consisting of salted and fermented vegetables, most often napa cabbage or Korean radish. A wide selection of seasonings are used, including '' gochugaru'' (Korean chili powder), ...

per week as of mid 2016. In June 2016, the business confirmed plans to close on Alberta and collaborate with Matt's BBQ. Kim Jong Grillin' was burglarized in December 2016. In 2017, Hwang confirmed plans to open Kim Jong Grillin' Ssam at Cartopia, a food cart pod in southeast Portland. In 2020, during the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

, Kim Jong Grillin' served free meals to unemployed restaurant workers. The business planned to operate a stall in the food hall at Block 216, as of 2023. However, the project did not come to fruition. Kim Jong Grillin' moved to the Cart Blocks in downtown Portland and announced plans to operate a brick and mortar restaurant in Happy Valley. The Happy Valley location closed permanently in March 2025. The Kim Jong Grillin' food cart operates on West Burnside Street, as of 2025.

Reception

In 2016, ''Eater Portland'' described the restaurant as "enormously popular". The restaurant was named in multiple '' Eater Portland'' lists in 2021, including Nick Townsend's "15 Restaurants Worth Visiting on SE Division", Nick Woo and

Brooke Jackson-Glidden Brooke Jackson-Glidden is a food writer and the editor of '' Eater Portland''. In 2023, she received the Jonathan Gold Local Voice Award from the James Beard Foundation in part for her essay about Either/Or. Jackson-Glidden has been the editor o ...

's "15 Outstanding Portland Food Carts", and Jackson-Glidden's "The 38 Essential Restaurants and Food Carts in Portland". The website's Nathan Williams included Kim Jon Grillin' in a 2023 list of the city's "snappiest, juiciest" hot dogs. Brooke Jackson-Glidden included the KJG Hot Dog in a 2024 overview of "iconic" Portland dishes. The business was also included in the website's 2025 overview of Portland's best food carts. Katherine Chew Hamilton and Nick Campigli included the restaurant in ''

Portland Monthly ''Portland Monthly'' (also referred to as ''Portland Monthly Magazine'') is a monthly news and general interest magazine which covers food, politics, business, design, events and culture in Portland, Oregon. The magazine was co-founded in 2003 b ...

'' 2021 list of 7 "must-try hot dog hotspots", writing: "The KJG hot dog is a must-have if you're looking for mild heat and Korean American flair. The spicy daikon, kimchi mayo, and pickled mango are excellent additions to the longstanding American tradition of putting meat (in this case, Zenner's sausage) inside a bun." In their book ''Raw Dog: The Naked Truth About Hot Dogs'', journalist, TV writer and comedian Jamie Loftus included Kim Jong Grillin's hot dog in their top five favorite hot dogs in the United States.

References

External links

* {{Richmond, Portland, Oregon Food carts in Portland, Oregon Food trucks in the United States Korean restaurants in Portland, Oregon Restaurants in Richmond, Portland, Oregon