Chungdam Korean Fusion — Restaurant in Portland

Luncheon with the family on a gray and dreary Saturday afternoon. What could lighten the drab colored day but some spice of life Korean goodness in your tummy. The place was hoppin this day we went. Had a bit of a wait at the door till we were seated by this very busy but polite server. We could see she was super busy so we knew we'd be in for a bit of wait ordering, getting our food, and checking out. We started out with a Pa Jeon (scallion pancake w/dipping sauce) perfectly crisp and fluffy pancake interspersed with bits of onion and green onion.Mom who's always a light eater opted for an item from their appetizer menu by getting the Japchae noodles with beef(sweet potato clear noodles stir-fried with veggies in a garlic, sesame sauce). This was still more than enough for her to take a good portion home. Dad ordered a lunch combo for $16.99 he got to choose one soup/select entree option. He got the Soondubu Jigae(spicy tofu soup with bits of kimchi and beef+beef bulgogi), my daughter and I shared the Budae Jigae(hot pot for 2-3) it was jam packed umami flavored spicy broth with all of the following crammed into one pot of goodness (tofu, spam, sausage, bacon, kim chi, beef slices, rice cakes, then topped off with some ramen and couple slices of good ol American Cheese). While the pot of tasty broth bubbles away on the table the ramen starts to soften it begins to then melt the cheese slices on the noodles making this creamy delectable soup). All the lunch orders came with bowls of steaming hot white rice and a few different banchans (assorted pickled veggies, kim chi and a bit of mac salad). All in all, this would've been a 5 star experience had the poor sole server had some help I'm sure then we would've been able to get a few more table check ins. This I can totally forgive and understand as most restaurants are struggling to fill or keep workers during these times. However, this will not keep me from coming back again. As the food is just to good to deprive my tastebuds of...

EDIT: 👎🏻THEY CHANGED EVERYTHING! Well almost everything. Two months of waiting to go to our favorite place while they remodeled to be knocked over with disappointment: 1.) Menu changed DRASTICALLY. No, not the prices (we would have preferred if the prices went up!) The seafood dishes were slashed a lot. No ossam bulgogi and a lot of other dishes we used to get. 2.) Lunch specials are assigned. Mondays are chicken yakisoba bento meaning no soup and no option to get pork on our only day we can go there. 3.) Jjigae or soup isn’t included with anything anymore 4.) there’s a set up for what looks like sushi??? WHY?? And there’s a third less seating now too. 5.) our regular waitress was gone and the person there was not welcoming and a bit rude. 6.) no Kpop on. One our our favorite parts! 7.) no sweet ajumma in the kitchen. Someone altogether different. Part of the charm was feeling like I was going to a Korean friend’s house for dinner and now it’s absolutely nothing like that. I don’t think we’ll be going any more even though we went and ate a lot as a party of five and went at least twice a month for years.

PLEASE GO BACK TO THE WAY IT IS!

Original Review: My husband and I come here every other week. We get so excited to come; it’s like our candy store because we are so giddy walking in and so blissful when we leave. They just recently changed their hours on Tuesdays which is bummer bc we had to go to the other Korean restaurant on the opposite end of the shopping center and it’s just not close to being as delicious as Chungdam! If you ever reconsider opening on Tuesdays for lunch, we’d love it!!!! Either way, we’ll still come for Monday...

This place is absolutely amazing! Their food is very well priced and their portions are super generous!

I got the bibimbap in the hot clay pan and the bowl was huge and filled all the way up for only $13!! I’d recommend the tempura shrimp as an appetizer as well as their pajeon. Both are super crispy and not too greasy. My partner and I’s meals came with an assortment of amazing banchan (I’m assuming house made). So much effort is put into presentation and the delicious food.

The building itself is decorated so beautifully. I love the traditional aesthetic decor! You can tell they put so much work into this restaurant and they even had the ajummas in the back come out when it got busy. They’re such hard workers and you can tell they put so much effort into each and every little thing.

Thank you to so much our wonderful server!! I think his name was adam but I can’t remember) Your service was amazing and I hope they treat you well at this...