Hope Korean Kitchen — Restaurant in Hope

My wife and I have been to Korean Kitchen in Hope a solid handful of times, and the time has come to give it the solid FIVE STAR review it richly deserves.

And here's why you should pay attention to this review: This is a small town Korean restaurant, and in my extensive experience as a Korean food foodie, with very few exceptions, small town Korean restaurants are well... NOT REALLY KOREAN; typically they are Korean owned Japanese restaurants, with maybe one or two Korean menu items that at best are barely Korean, and nothing like what 'home cooked' Korean food is like - just bland, inauthentic 'Korean' fusion food.

Not so at Korean Kitchen in Hope. Yes, they do serve some Japanese dishes, along with several fusion items. BUT! The quality and taste of the meals served at Korean Kitchen is OUTSTANDING! And it is significantly enhanced with the addition of a nice, cold bottle of 막걸리 (Korean rice wine).

Whether you are going for fusion dishes or something more authentic, what I hope you'll get from this review is that you won't be disappointed; the food is well worth the money, and more importantly, your time!

And the owners are great, friendly, and attentive hosts.

Justin and Chris - you've contributed something wonderful to the community of Hope; my wife and I wish you much success now and...

Absolutely amazing! It is one of the best places we have ever eaten. We had just gotten into Hope and were looking for a place to eat. We saw Hope Korean Kitchen had 5 stars and decided to give it a try. And let me tell you, they did not disappoint. We ordered peach and yogurt soju, teriyaki beef with rice and miso soup, Korean sweet chicken, prawn, and yam tempura. It came with bean sprouts, kimchi, and pickled radish for sides, and they were delicious, I finished the radish all to myself. The soju is delicious and recommended for the experience 😋 The miso was so nice and yummy and was perfect for a rainy day. The teriyaki beef was absolutely delicious. I literally haven't ever had something so amazing. Cooked to perfection, and the sauce was just right that it complimented the beef and veggies. The Korean sweet chicken was crunchy but soft, and the sauce was so light and just enough sweet and spicy. Last but very much not least, the tempura was heavenly. The batter was like fried air. The prawns were perfectly cooked, and the yams were cooked to perfection and amazing soft. You can eat them on their own or make it so much better by dipping it in the sauce. Honestly, we could not get enough, and the staff was so friendly and polite. 1000%...

I really enjoyed the vibe there; everyone chill, lots of kewl art, & the music selection is really good.

Our server was kind but a little too AFK; I prefer to be left to eat w/o a lot of interruptions but he didn't check on us until we were done. Could've used a refill & a sharp knife.

Yangnyum Chicken is must-have - it's a palace-style sauce with just a hint of heat. We were thinking about it for days after !

I had the Haemul Pajeon which is like the lovechild of a pancake & a pizza. While it's tasty, it comes out at like 900° so you need to let it cool far longer than the other plates bc it's not cut properly & it's impossible to cut with a bread knife at that temperature. Pretty frustrating bc your fellow diners are either waiting for you while their food gets cold or almost done their meal by the time you can get to yours.

Partner had the Jeyuk Bokkeum & while it's very tasty, it is at least medium if not hot spice level, so if you can't handle heat, it's not for you LOL or make sure you request it mild bc they don't ask what spice...