KOREA HOUSE
Hoppen Hierarchy:★★⭑
District: Lincoln
Authentic Korean Cuisine
Perfect For: Casual Dining; Lunch; Takeout
Standout Dishes: Beef Bulgogi; Spicy Chicken Bulgogi; Dumplings
I tend to be a bit wary when I’m introduced to a restaurant offering cuisine I’m not used to. I’m a trusting person, and I don’t want to doubt the restaurant. But when a location promises authentic Korean cuisine, I’m at a bit of a crossroads. My culinary experiences hadn’t previously introduced me to legit Korean food, so how could I know if this was the real deal.
How about if a friend who served in the armed forces and spent time in Korea recommends it?
Now that’s a place I can get behind. And for the record, my uninitiated palate loved it too.
Korea House, which opened in September of 2017, promises Lincolnites a real taste of Korea. Owner Richard Kim, a 20-year veteran of the dining industry, wanted to bring authentic Korean food to Lincoln. He presents a menu full of rice and noodle dishes, hot stones, soups, and other Korean delicacies. Among the protein options are Korean barbecue, pork, katsu, and several different kinds of seafood.
The new experiences start in the appetizer round. Kim-Bap looks like sushi, but there are subtle aspects that differentiate the dish. Egg, pickled radish, crab, carrots, and spinach are encased in rice and seaweed. It lacks the protein that sushi provides, but the rolls are rather tasty with some soy sauce.
Korea House offers both fried and steamed Dumplings. They’re tightly packed into a bamboo steamer basket, which releases a wonderful baked aroma when first opened. The dough is soft and pillowy, providing the perfect vessel for the delicious meat and vegetable mixture inside. They’re served with a sweet, slightly spicy sauce that kicks them up a level.
There are all kinds of options on the entree menu, but I recommend something that arrives at the table on a sizzling hot plate. The highlight is the Beef Bulgogi, shown in the header image. The tender beef is thinly sliced, and the saltiness of the soy sauce and sweet from the sugar paired very nicely.
The Spicy Chicken Bulgogi doesn’t have enough heat to live up to its name, but that’s about where my complaints end. The chicken is tender and flavorful, and both offerings are large enough to conquer a hungry appetite (and then some).
Both dishes are served with a cornucopia of veggies, including onions, carrots, scallions, and green peppers. Throw either over rice and you’re going to have a good time.
Korea House has a very unique custom of including each meal with bowls of side dishes: bowls of both radish and cabbage kimchi, pickled onions, and egg bites that taste just like a cold omelette. These can either be mixed with the dishes or eaten alone. They’re not bad, but they feel kind of rushed.
Korea House is a really nice introduction to a new type of cuisine, and I always recommend expanding one’s horizons. Nothing here, in my experience, is incredibly eye-opening, but it’s all solid, and unlocks a view into a different style of food.