Korean Mother's Meals — Restaurant in Ottawa

Edit: they now sell rice bowls.

This new takeout place is run by a sweet Korean couple. They were handing out flyers in the streets and were super nice to talk to.

He told us that we can mix and match the hotteok flavours so if you want a chicken buldak + japchae hotteok, they can make it for you. However I went for the classics to try their original flavours.

Food: buldak hotteok: 8/10 saucy and cheesy, kind of like an upgraded pizza pocket. Not spicy for those who are afraid of spice. Would like more flavour for the filling but loved the outside because it was thin and crispy.

japchae hotteok (non spicy version):9/10. Yummy sesame oil flavour. Huge portion. Wished it came with a meat version. Next time I'll ask for a combination of the buldak and the japchae.

original (sweet) hottek: 10/10, thin crispy outside with sweet nutty inside. Absolutely delicious!!

Vegan kimchi (cabbage): 10/10 super fresh and not too salty or fermentated. Can eat it as-is (which is my fav way of eating cabbage kimchi). I immediately bought a container after sampling it.

Vegan kimchi (radish): 8.5/10 a little saltier than the cabbage version.

Service: absolutely amazing. 🥺🤧♥️ Because each hotteok takes about 10 min to make, we chatted with the owner. He was so kind and offered us sample of their kimchi. He is looking for recommendations on what he should put on the menu so that he can still produce freshly made meals without the long wait. 🥺 We suggested tteokbokki but he mentioned it was hard to supply good rice cakes. Hopefully the owner can offer bento or customizable rice bowls for office workers to quickly grab and eat.

I highly recommend you preorder your hotteok if you go as a group since each hotteok takes about 10...

A gem of Korean street food! Their signature hottoek benefit from careful dough fermentation and quality ingredients - a crispy and thin pancake surrounds a delicious savoury or sweet filling. Spicy chicken and red bean are my two personal favourites. They've expanded their menu to include meals with japchae and rice, spicy chicken and rice, and spicy cold noodles. My family and I have tried all of their offerings and we've been coming back for years because all of their food is so good! Not all of my family enjoys spiciness but that's not a problem as Korean Mother's Meals can accommodate.

While their takeout location is new, they are veterans of the Ottawa Farmers Market, where I first met them a few years ago. Their stall was often surrounded by a long line of customers but the sociable Kevin kept my mood light and the fragrances from Jenny's cooking kept my family eagerly waiting!

Korean Mother's Meals also prepares excellent kimchi - both cabbage and radish. It's a vegan variety (they don't use fish sauce in the preparation) and there are delicate flavours underneath the spiciness and crunchiness.

Every time my family or I've visited, Korean Mother's Meals has delivered something special. They're a must-try for anyone who loves bold and comforting flavours...

Long ago, I was in Vancouver on a business trip. On the day I was leaving, I stopped at a café and had a halloumi sandwich on saj bread. The sandwich was great. But more than that, I couldn't stop thinking about the sandwich on the plane ride home, nor in the days that followed. A few years later I went back to Vancouver. When I looked for the café I found that it had closed for good. I would never get a chance to try the elusive sandwich again.

Eating the buldak hotteok from Korean Mother's Meals was the first time I had experienced this sensation since then. The pancake was obviously delicious, but it was the combination of savoury tastes coupled with the unique character of the fermented dough that has left me contemplating it ever since. And unlike the sandwich in Vancouver, I'll be fortunate enough to be able to enjoy this dish again. (I also had the original hotteok—tasty and I enjoyed the balanced sweetness, but it didn't produce the dramatic reaction like the buldak hotteok did lol.)

I had a great chat with Kevin, one of the proprietors. It's clear that he and his partner are passionate about their food and take great pride in its preparation. I generally don't bother writing reviews, but I make an exception for local businesses that I want...