Han Oak Restaurant — Restaurant in Portland

The Jipbap menu that they were serving felt homely indeed, but it wasn't only the menu that gave such a relaxed vibe. The decorations and lighting throughout the entire space including the patio and play area created a sense of distinct yet interconnected spaces throughout the whole area. And the wholesome service throughout the evening, built up on that cozy homely vibe.

A point regarding their service that i deeply appreciated was the fact that they were openly communicative and mindful of the weather conditions that day and how their open space may affect some visitors. It was expected to be a hot summer day and since their space is an open one, they gave us a chance to reschedule if we needed to. Even though i wasn't expecting to cancel or reschedule, i felt throughly reassured to visit them on one of the hotter weekends this year, knowing that we would be taken care of!

I was enamored by how salt and umami were intimately embraced by several of the offerings. As a salt fiend, it is sometimes a struggle, to find otherwise authentic dishes, that somehow haven't had a dash of sugar added to make it more palatable for the masses. Such transgressions weren't made here.

For drinks this evening, we ordered the citron tea soda and pic 4 pic which were both wonderfully refreshing and the perfect pairings for a hot summer evening.

For the accompaniments section, the chilled soup stood out the most for me. What i had expected to be just a palate cleanser turned out to be a spicy chilled soup which did its job well despite being spicy. The rice and pickles were other elements that i liked because of their simplicity, however the kimchi felt a bit underseasoned to me, but it could also be that this particular type of kimchi has a subtler taste than its bombastic cousins, which i enjoy a lot more.

The banchans were where the music really started. My wife's favorites were the carrot with gochujang balsamic glaze and the kale and mustard greens with mushrooms and perilla dressing, however my favorite was the smashed cucumber with kim-chilli crisp and toum. All the banchans were very thoughtfully crafted, with flavor and texture in mind. The crunchy bits throughout each banchan truly elevated it. The portion sizes left us yearning for more, while setting the pace for what was to follow.

While my words wouldn't do justice to the impact that the next dish had on my wife, i will try my best. The dry aged king salmon was a revelation for her. Not a fan of raw or cured fishes and meats, she was absolutely ecstatic after trying their salmon. She didn't find it fishy at all. This had NEVER happened to her before and her mind was throughly and unequivocally, blown. It was life changing! I enjoyed the disappearing act of the salmon as well, as it was melting in my mouth within seconds. The citrus soy and ikura were perfect accompaniments and the slivers of shoestring potatoes just added that finer touch of texture that made this dish the pinnacle of our experience that night. THIS is what fine-dining should be about! We were so emotionally connected to this dish that we asked a server for seconds and were rightfully told that their portions are fixed.

The next dish in line was the crab and egg custard which changed our minds regarding the fact that custards don't always have to be sweet. But we couldn't forget about the salmon and asked Ness this time, if it was possible to get seconds. Ness inquired with the crew and one of the chefs happily came through by himself and served us another portion saying that they were happy that we enjoyed their dish so much. Props to both Ness and the chef for making our night memorable and sweet!!!

The galbi-jjim was totally reminiscent of a homely meat curry! Savory and delicious. And the jangban guksu with dungeness crab was an absolute flavor bomb, even though the balance of flavors in the broth can still be improved upon.

The tiramisu ended our beautiful night on a crescendo!

We'll be back to try out the other entrees. The value for money at $65pp for the set menu,...

This highly anticipated 9:00PM reservation at Han Oak was not easy to come by. Friends living in the area have yet to secure a reservation of their own at this hot PDX spot. Food was very good, though not amazing, and the service leaves a lot to be desired.

Most tables are community tables and are shared by multiple parties of 2. The service has yet to perfect the art of finding the right party to deliver food. Our first dish delivered (1 of 4 available banchan, when we in fact ordered all 4) was supposed to be delivered to a group at another table! We are this banchan anyway and got 4 new ones delivered later. Unfortunately, it was our least favorite of the four and we didn’t finish this one or the one that came later. Speaking of banchan, the curried potato salad was the most unusual and most delicious. The Kimchi were well crafted and I loved the Daikon version. The “quick-chi” was just eh, and the original was very good. Keep in mind, you have to pay for Banchan here, unlike many classic Korean eateries. I would have rather I ordered 2/4 instead of 4/4.

Next came the ordered dishes. Yes, drinks have still not yet come. We received our dishes in an almost reverse order. The pork bo ssam came first. Thought the pork tasted good, but cooked like it was hurried through the process. The meat was slightly chewy and less melt in your mouth buttery as one would expect from belly meat. There wasn’t enough marbled fat to make up for the tough meat. I liked the make your pork belly sandwich with rice paper but felt like it need more acid to go along with all the fat. The scallions were lightly marinated and the pickled daikon radish was excellent, but there need to be more sour/acid to pair the excess of pork on this dish. Maybe more pickles? More daikon? More scallions? A dipping sauce?

Drinks came here and were delicious. Not much more needs to be said.

Savory pancake was served next and was one of our favorites. This crispy waffle was cooked to textural perfection to complement the silky soft octopus and goopy sauces to go along with it. Should I mention the umami-laden bonito flakes? Should have ordered a second.

The dumpling course came next. The pork and chive dumplings served in black vinegar and ginger broth are incredible. The sauce is perfect for the dumpling, and the chewiness of the dough is spot on. The shrimp dumplings were just okay. More filling than dough, and quite spicy, especially for a dumpling. Would like to try more rice and noodle dishes here.

The fried chicken came last (we added it on). Do not be fooled by the straightforward nature of this menu item. It is not straightforward at all. The chicken is cooked perfectly, and I can only imagine the amount of attempts that went into perfecting the crispy skin that houses the juicy dark meat within. This may have been the best cooked wing I’ve had. Granted, it’s not sauced, so it retains its crunch well. It’s dry spiced with instant ramen flavor packets (WHAT!?, awesome, I know) and served with bread & butter daikon pickles, which were the best pickles of the night. Take a bite of the chicken, enjoy the flavor for a few chews, and wash down the rest with a pickle. I wouldn’t feel ashamed for asking for more of this sweet and tart goodness.

Overall a very good meal. Certain dishes hit the right spot and others fall a bit flat. As I’m writing this review I’m stuck between a 4 and a 5. The service, though nice, was definitely a minus here. My seat was on the corner of a community table and I was bumped by the same runner every time she passed me to deliver food. The staple Han Oak dishes (fried chicken, pork & chive dumplings) were delicious. Some others need tweaks, in my humble opinion. I find myself leaving a 4 star review for its service and hyped up effect...

This was one of my favorite dining experiences I’ve ever had. We went for a birthday and were the first people seated. We ordered two of the gimbap party, a soft shell, crab add-on, a sizzling, seafood, add-on and two cocktails. The first thing they brought was a bunch of little plates of deliciousness. There was kimchi, and while I do not like kimchi at all, this was absolutely delicious. There was also tofu. It was soft and had some kind of sauce and did not taste anything like grocery store, tofu. The roasted, sweet potatoes, and braised beets were also fantastic.

Next, they brought the corned beef so yook. It was sliced so thin you could roll it up with the cabbage, and eat it like some sort of little meat roll up. When you finish that, they actually pour the rest of the broth it comes in in a bowl and I can honestly say I prefered the broth to the actual dish. The dish was delicious, don’t get me wrong, but the broth is the Star.

Next they brought out the cocktails. I’ve got the Come Here Often, and as someone who doesn’t drink much alcohol, this was delightful. We also ordered a bottle of Jinro 24. It tasted like a gin and tonic to me so if you like that sort of thing, it’s a good choice. We definitely could not finish the bottle.

Next, it was the main course, and there was a lot. The nori was also very different from anything I’ve ever purchased from a grocery store. It was thin and light and full of holes. It did not have a strong flavor, which was preferable to us, the bulgogi and koppa were both amazing they have perfect texture as well as good seasoning. The hokkaido scallops were not really to my taste. They were the only thing we left behind on the table. I’m sure they would be delicious to someone that likes raw scallops but to me they were not.

They also brought a big plate of veggies and everything was thinly chopped . The sauces were fantastic. The hot mustard was my favorite. There was another thicker sauce that was also ridiculously good.

The extras we got were a sizzling, seafood platter, and the softshell crab. The seafood platter was OK. The softshell crab however, was a game changer. It was better than any softshell crab I’ve ever had before, so if you’re going to pick one, I would definitely go for the softshell crab .

The desert was Korean shaved ice, and I don’t even know how to describe it. It was lighter than snow, full of unusual and interesting tastes, and textures… And absolutely phenomenal. If I could change one thing it would have been that they would have brought us two separate bowls instead of having to share, because I wanted all of it for myself.

The staff were very attentive, but not in your face. It seemed like every time someone came to our table. It was a different person, and they were all really great. They don’t wear uniforms, everyone is just wearing whatever they want and it was really interesting. The music was a little on the loud side but in a good way. There was a lot of pop/rap music, and it was all female artists while I was there. The bathrooms are clean, as was the entire restaurant. I would absolutely recommend. And I plan to revisit Han Oak the next time Im in Portland. (It was worth the hour drive in the rain) The only recommendation I would make is go early because there is absolutely...