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Outside of Kang’s Korean Restaurant, November 10, 2023, by Dayoung Kim
A Taste of Home
A Taste of Home
by Dayoung Kim
The warm and comforting aroma instantly reminded me of home. As soon as I stepped foot in Kang’s Korean Restaurant, a delicious smell of Korean flavors drifting through the air pleasantly greeted me. Founded as a Korean donut shop in 1980, Kang's has evolved into a trusted Ann Arbor spot for delicious Korean food, any time of day (“About Us”).
While Kang’s isn't high-end, I found myself comforted in the worn wooden furniture and the softly lit space. I was faced with the difficulty of having to select from a variety of delicious-sounding choices at the counter. The restaurant offered everything from kimchi jjigae to kalbi, but I finally settled on bibimbap.
Bibimbap is a traditional Korean dish that literally translates to “mixed rice.” Its main components are cooked rice, namul (blanched and seasoned vegetables), and jang (fermented paste) (Chung et al.). Furthermore, bibimbaps have slight variations in their toppings based on the region they come from. The most famous style is the Jeonju bibimbap, which hails from the Korean city of Jeonju and consists of bean sprouts, raw beef, and sunchang gochujang (a type of spicy Korean red pepper paste) (Chung et al.).
Hot stone bowl (dolsot) bibimbap at Kang’s Korean Restaurant, November 10, 2023, by Dayoung Kim.
The origins of bibimbap are a debated topic with multiple theories (Kim). However, according to the Journal of Ethnic Foods, experts conclude the food was most likely created naturally as a result of Korea’s bapsang culture consisting of banchan (side dishes) and rice — as they are two main components of bibimbap. Therefore, it is sensible “to assume that bibimbap has existed ever since the bapsang culture was established in Korea” (Chung et al.).
Bibimbap has always been a favored dish in Korea, but in recent decades, it has also gained a worldwide audience. In 1997, Korean Air launched bibimbap as an in-flight meal option, and with foreign airlines like Delta and Singapore Airlines adding the dish to their selection in subsequent years, the rise of bibimbap’s popularity on a global scale is evident (Lee).
Interior of Kang's Korean Restaurant, November 10, 2023, by Dayoung Kim.
My meal at Kang’s consisted of a small side of kimchi and a generous bowl of bibimbap. Upon a bed of steaming and chewy white rice, the namul and ground beef formed a circular ring with a perfectly sunny-side-up egg as its centerpiece. After adding gochujang and sesame oil to my liking and carefully mixing the rice and the rest of the ingredients together, the dish was ready to eat. I could taste the slivers of sauteed carrots and squash, crunchy romaine lettuce, fresh cucumber slices, savory blanched marinated bean sprouts, and the umami beef and egg in every bite. The sizzling dolsot (hot stone bowl) made my rice delightfully crispy while keeping the food nice and warm throughout the entire meal.
Sitting under the cozy, mellow lights of the restaurant and eating this familiar dish also took me on a trip down memory lane. I don’t have much of a recollection of my grandmother due to the mere five years I lived in Korea. But the one vivid memory I do have of her involves this delectable dish. So there I was, taken back to childhood family visits where my grandmother always welcomed us with a variety of namul, all ready to serve us much-needed steaming bowls of bibimbap to comfort us after the long journey to her home.
Even thousands of miles away, I appreciated how this simple yet fulfilling meal in a small restaurant in Ann Arbor reminded me of my roots and family. I highly recommend Kang’s Korean Restaurant to any Korean or Korean American students who are also looking for the perfect affordable comfort meal to nourish the homesick soul. Kang’s is also an excellent restaurant for anyone looking for a cozy eatery to introduce Korean cuisine to friends and family who have not previously tried it. I know I will definitely be back whenever I crave the flavors and warmth of home.
Works Cited
“About Us.” Kang’s Korean Restaurant - Ann Arbor, www.kangsannarbor.com/. Accessed 4 Dec. 2023.
Chung, Kyung Rhan, et al. “Historical and Biological Aspects of Bibimbap, a Korean Ethnic Food.” Journal of Ethnic Foods, vol. 2, no. 2, BMC, pp. 74–83, doi:10.1016/j.jef.2015.05.002. Accessed 4 Dec. 2023.
Kim, Dayoung. Exterior of Kang’s Korean Restaurant. 10 Nov. 2023. Author’s personal collection.
Kim, Dayoung. Hot stone bowl (dolsot) bibimbap at Kang’s Korean Restaurant. 10 Nov. 2023. Author’s personal collection.
Kim, Dayoung. Interior of Kang’s Korean Restaurant. 10 Nov. 2023. Author’s personal collection.
Kim, Eric. “Sheet-Pan Bibimbap.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 5 May 2021, https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1022131-sheet-pan-bibimbap. Accessed 4 Dec. 2023.
Lee, Felicia. “The Untold Truth Of Bibimbap.” Mashed, Mashed, 6 Apr. 2022, www.mashed.com/823959/the-
untold-truth-of-bibimbap/. Accessed 4 Dec. 2023.
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