Allison Geyer
Korean favorite bibimbap comes in a hot cast iron skillet; the seasoned egg is a delight.
Compared to the availability of Chinese, Japanese, Indian and Thai food, it’s hard to find Korean restaurants in Madison. But the number has been growing slowly but surely — from the pioneer New Seoul to Middleton’s K Peppers and Sol’s on the Square, downtown now also has Mr. Kimchi. It’s owned by Brian Park, who also operates Korean restaurants in Illinois and Wisconsin. He launched the business in January at 224 King St., the former home of Restaurant Muramoto and (briefly) Cuco’s Mexican Fusion.
The space, which was elegant when it was Muramoto and fun-but-weird when it was Cuco’s, has been nicely renovated with red accent lighting, a birch tree motif and decorative Korean pottery. There were K-pop videos playing on screens in the bar, which adds to the whole vibe. It’s casual but upscale, priced a bit below Madison’s version of fine dining.
Korean food is known for its complex mix of spicy, sweet, sour, savory and funky fermented flavors. Also characteristic of the cuisine: the many side dishes, called banchan, that come with the meal. Those served at Mr. Kimchi change depending on the day but include various pickled vegetables (radish, potato, bok choy and cucumber), scallion pancakes and meatballs. Nobody orders them — they just arrive and delight.
A focus at Mr. Kimchi is ssam plates, or lettuce wraps. There are a number of fillings: galbi (short rib), chimasal (flank steak), sam gup sal (pork belly), jaeyook (pork) and bulgogi (marinated beef). The bulgogi was tender, delicious and savory, cut into small pieces perfect for tidy little lettuce tacos. For a super-healthy meal that delivers complex and deeply satisfying flavors, you’ll find nothing better in Madison.
All ssam plates come with a choice of brown or purple rice (both a bit nuttier, and healthier, than refined white rice) and three kinds of banchan, plus ssamjang, a dipping sauce made from the Korean condiment gochujang. It’s spicy, sweet and a little funky, made from chili paste, glutinous rice and fermented soybean powder. It’s so good, the day after my meal I went to Woodman’s and bought a tub of it.
Jjampong, a spicy seafood noodle soup, was among the most beautiful dishes I’ve had in recent memory. An enormous bowl comes packed with giant shrimp, mussels, squid, octopus and scallops. Bok choy, baby corn and wood ear mushrooms add texture and flavor, and the fiery-red broth is savory and just a little spicy.
Bibimbap, probably the best known Korean rice dish in the U.S., is a bit unusual here. Instead of coming in a hot stone bowl (which typically crisps up the rice and cooks the egg), Mr. Kimchi serves some of its versions in a hot, cast-iron skillet. The more traditional preparations have steak, spicy pork and crispy fried tofu over rice (with a truly incredible seasoned soft-boiled egg), but the seafood versions are more like Hawaiian poke bowls — raw, diced salmon or tuna served over rice and vegetables. The mix of flavors is alternately sweet, spicy, creamy and tangy.
Sondubu, a type of spicy red stew with silky soft tofu, is served almost boiling hot, with rice on the side. Enjoy it now while the weather is still a bit chilly, as it’s one of the most comforting, satisfying dishes you could imagine.
The fusion is most evident in the starters. Fun hybrids like kimchi fries (hand-cut potatoes topped with beef bulgogi, spicy kimchi, sour cream and scallions) and Korean barbecue tacos (corn tortillas filled with bulgogi and kimchi slaw) are resounding successes. But the best is KFC, or Korean fried chicken. The dish comes with three enormous wings, perfectly fried, topped with an addictive (and messy) spicy-sweet sauce and dusted with parmesan cheese. If you try nothing else, try this.
The only disappointment was an order of suyook, or pork belly. According to my research it’s supposed to be boiled, but the cooking method seemed to strip all flavor and texture from the meat. But the radish kimchi that came on the side was delicious.
Madison needed a spot like Mr. Kimchi — a restaurant that’s perfect for a weeknight bite but worthy of a special occasion. Somebody give this man an honorary doctorate, because he deserves to be Dr. Kimchi!
Mr. Kimchi Modern Korean
225 King St.; kimchibbq.com; 608-665-3020
11 am-2 pm; 4 pm-10 pm Tues.-Sun.; $5-$32
