Han Il Kwan Restaurant
October 3, 2008
Korean Neighborhood Eats
SAN FRANCISCO — Jun Kim, owner of the Korean restaurant Han Il Kwan in the Richmond District, emphasizes the importance of keeping his food authentic. The reasons why can be seen several times each day, when monstrous tour buses pull up in front and flocks of eager Korean tourists walk like marching penguins into the restaurant.
After emigrating from South Korea in 1988, Kim started a travel agency in Los Angeles. In 2005, he purchased Han Il Kwan from the previous owners but cleverly kept his relationship with tour guides who bring in a regular stream of hungry tourists.
Kim emphasizes that good food and service will create a loyal customer base. But since he does not know how to cook, Kim says he pays his chefs well to keep them happy.
Kim said the difference between his restaurant and others serving Korean cuisine is that “I serve authentic Korean food and don’t change any recipes to adapt to the Western taste.” He added that authentic Korean food is not meant to be too spicy.
The meal begins with a vibrant fleet of side dishes called ban chan. Notable ban chans include pillowy mung bean cake, steamed egg custard and kimchi—with a combination of sweet and spicy tones.
In Korea, there are many varieties of kimchi, and each taste is unique to its region. Because of the country’s proximity to the ocean, the kimchi in the northwest of Korea is seasoned with fish and oyster. Kimchi is low in calories but high in dietary fiber, and just one serving can provide a high amount of vitamin C and carotene. Other healthy ingredients often used in kimchi recipes include chili and garlic. Before refrigeration, many types of kimchi were prepared in early winter and stored in the ground using large kitchen pots.
Arriving in a small stone pot, the Hot Tofu ($8.95) features a dark red soup simmering with silky tofu. The spicy flavors from the chili peppers stimulated my appetite even more.
Topped with a golden sunny-side-up egg, the Dol Sop Bi Bim Bap ($11.95), served in a large clay pot, displayed multiple flavors. With a few squeezes of their house sweet chili sauce, the medley of vegetables combined with the creaminess from the eggs and the savory BBQ beef pieces created a good comfort food dish. The highlight was the nutty flavor from over-cooked rice sizzling from the heated clay pot.
Korean food is unique from other Asian cuisines in that it gives the diner control in terms of flavor, temperature and texture instantly. If a diner’s palate has been over infused with spicy flavors, a quick nibble from cooling cucumbers or sprouts among the many and varied small dishes of ban chan does the trick.
Riding along the flavor train, Jap Cha (sautéed vegetables with beef and vermicelli-$11.95) is a great peppery noodle dish that compliments the bowl of rice. Skip the cold noodle served with beef and radish ($10.95): the addition of mustard and chili-pepper paste did not rescue the cold soup base from its lack of character and flavor. Quickly, I reached for cubes of radish marinated in chili-pepper sauce to thrill my palate.
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HAN II KWAN RESTAURANT
1802 Balboa St.
San Francisco, CA
(415) 752-4447
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Hours:
11a.m.- 10:30 p.m. daily
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Prices:
$12 and up
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