Portland’s “Best Korean Food”? Nak Won Review 🍜

Heard Nak Won is Portland’s “best Korean restaurant,” so I headed over on a Friday night—even had a Plan B: “If the line’s too long, switch to 1st Street Pocha” 😉. Turns out, when I walked in, there were still 2-3 empty tables—no waiting! That little win already boosted my excitement for the meal. 🥢 Unlimited Free Banchan (Side Dishes)｜Egg Yolk Mashed Potatoes Steal the Show! Right after sitting down, the server brought over a full plate of banchan and smiled, “Refills are free—ask for more anytime!” Total heaven for side-dish lovers like me! We refilled three times and tried every option, and these stood out the most: Egg Yolk Mashed Potatoes 🥔💦: Melted in my mouth! The mash was as smooth as ice cream, mixed with savory egg yolk—rich, creamy, and not greasy at all. We refilled this twice and scraped the plate clean by the end; Spicy Cucumber 🥒: Crunchy with a satisfying “”! Tossed in light gochujang (Korean chili paste), it’s slightly spicy and super refreshing—perfect with BBQ; Cold Tofu 🧈: Tender like pudding, drizzled with soy sauce and sesame oil. Simple but so flavorful—great for cooling down after heavy dishes. They also had kimchi, seaweed salad, marinated sausage, and mung bean jelly—all solid, no “cheap free side” vibe. We almost got full just eating banchan! 🍚 Main Dishes: BBQ Is Fire, Bibimbap Is “Meh” 1. Dolsot Bibimbap (Stone Pot Bibimbap)｜High Hopes, Low Payoff 😕 Spicy Squid Dolsot Bibimbap: The name made me think it’d be “spicy enough to sweat”—but after mixing, there was zero heat. The sauce was also too light, and even though there were plenty of squid bits, it lacked that bold, savory flavor you expect from Korean bibimbap. Super underwhelming; Beef Dolsot Bibimbap: Maybe I set my expectations too high (thanks to the “best Korean food” hype), but this didn’t wow me either. The beef slices were tender but under-seasoned, the crispy rice at the bottom of the stone pot wasn’t crispy enough, and the whole dish felt “soft” instead of “bold”—nowhere near as good as other Korean spots I’ve tried. 2. Korean BBQ｜Plain Meat = Pure Flavor, Garlic + Lettuce = Perfection 🥩 The restaurant has a rule: BBQ must be ordered in pairs. We went with classic Beef Brisket and Pork Belly—both unmarinated (plain) to let the meat’s natural flavor shine. When it arrived, the fresh meat (marbling) looked great, so we knew it’d be good. The grilled beef brisket was rich with fat, tender in every bite. Dip it in gochujang, wrap it in lettuce, and add a slice of raw garlic—garlic’s sharpness, meat’s juiciness, and lettuce’s crispness mix into one perfect bite! The pork belly got a little crispy on the edges, “” with oil but not greasy—even my friend who hates fatty meat ate extra pieces. Only tiny downside: No marinated options for those who love bold flavors. 3. Haemul Pajeon (Seafood Pancake)｜Fresh but Missing Texture 🦑 The seafood pancake smelled amazing as soon as it hit the table—golden and crispy on the outside. One bite, and it delivered: crispy outer layer, soft inside, and loads of seafood (you get a chunk of squid in every bite). But here’s the thing: The only seafood was squid—no shrimp or scallops. That made the texture a little boring; if they added more seafood types, it would’ve been perfect. 📝 Final Take: Come for Banchan & BBQ, Skip the Bibimbap! Nak Won didn’t fully live up to the “best Korean food in Portland” hype, but the unlimited free banchan (especially that egg yolk mash!) and BBQ are totally worth a visit. It’s great for hanging out with friends—grill, chat, and refill banchan as much as you want. Next time, I’ll skip the bibimbap and try other classic Korean dishes instead! And if there is a line, 1st Street Pocha nearby is a solid backup. #PortlandKoreanFood #NakWonPortland #KoreanBBQLovers #BanchanAddict #PortlandEats