Summer Dinner at Han Oak

When my mom came to visit, I tried to put together a restaurant dining itinerary that included classics as well as something new – so it included the Haan Ghin Laotian food cart, a Swedish weekday brunch at Broder Nord, classic seafood lunch at Jake’s Famous Crawfish, traditional Japanese at Shizuku for dinner or Shigezo for lunch. I had to throw an experience at a pop up restaurant in there since I’m such a fan and supporter of pop up restaurants as a way for chefs to cook food they have a passion to share. So I picked out for us a Summer Dinner at Han Oak.
Summer Bo Ssam Dinner at Han Oak Summer Bo Ssam Dinner at Han Oak

Here’s a look at what that experience may be for you this summer if you also decide to visit – make your reservations ahead of time at their website, usually I recommend a couple weeks ahead of time. Also note Han Oak is only open for their Bo Ssäm dinner as shown here on Friday-Saturday, and on Sunday and Monday is their walk in dumpling and noodles nights.
[Read more…]

Signature

Han Oak Dinner

Earlier this year, Peter Cho transformed a hidden space between The Ocean microrestaurants and Providore Fine Foods store into a prix fixe restaurant Han Oak. They are only open a few days a week and are reservation only. I’ve covered their Sundays only brunch before which provide you with a tray of multiple goodies so you only have to worry about your beverages and everything else is set. This time, I wanted to show you a Han Oak Dinner.

Head this way towards the brown/orange doors to enter the Han Oak space
The door to the secret garden of Han Oak – it’ll be to your right through a huge tall door after this. Of course when you visit for dinner it will be dark – this photo is from the day. Look for it between the doors of Pie Spot and 24th ad Meatballs on NE 24th between Sandy and Glisan

The seating is communal (unless you have a big party that takes up a whole table…) either at communal tables with benches on the main floor or up a few steps by the counter and high backed stools overlooking the open kitchen.

The Han Oak Dinner is by reservation only Fri and Sat night with seatings at various time 6 – 9 PM. They offer 3 courses for $35 plus any additional drinks and dishes you can order a la carte.
Han Oak Dinner, by reservation only Fri and Sat night 3 courses for $35 and Bo Ssam with additional snacks and drinks extra and a la carte Han Oak Dinner, by reservation only Fri and Sat night 3 courses for $35 and Bo Ssam with additional snacks and drinks extra and a la carte

You will already have a menu at your seat – peruse to see what additional dishes you want to try. I always get the Soondae, or blood cake here because I love how they serve it in a square that is crispy on the outside and the grains are tightly packed and dense, here topped with a big duck egg. Maybe it sounds scary, but its like a dense meat version of a potato cake.
Han Oak dinner service snack of blood cake: soondae, duck fat fried egg Han Oak dinner service snack of blood cake: soondae, duck fat fried egg

I also highly recommend the ddukboki, a chewy (almost like long gnocchi sized that is the texture of al dente pasta) dish of rice cakes in a gravy with bulgogi (marinated tender thin slices of beef), padron peppers and onions.
Han Oak dinner service snack of ddukboki: rice cake, bulgogi, padron peppers and onions

Meanwhile Mama Cho is hand making those pork and chive dumplings in a black vinegar broth with ginger. If you need more vegetables, there’s another option in the snacks, a korean fried cauliflower with spicy gochujang and tamarind glaze (a bit of sweet and sour and sticky).
Mama Cho making pork and chive dumplings for Han Oak dinner by hand Mama Cho making pork and chive dumplings for Han Oak dinner by hand

They start you off with Banchan – small side dishes of food that are accompaniments during the first and second course. They inevitably include a little spicy sour kimchis (cabbage, cucumber, radish, etc.) and seasoned vegetables of some sort. You eat from the various dishes in between and even with your savory dishes.
Han Oak two snacks of ddukboki: rice cake, bulgogi, padron peppers and onions and of blood cake: soondae, duck fat fried egg along with Banchan

During my visit, the banchan included four dishes

  • napa cabbage and daikon kimchee and cucumber and radish quick-chi
    Han Oak Dinner Banchan of napa cabbage and daikon kimchee and cucumber and radish quick-chi
  • wilted bitter greens with oyster mushrooms, whipped tofu, tsuyu, and bonito
    Han Oak Dinner Banchan of wilted bitter greens with oyster mushrooms, whipped tofu, tsuyu, and bonito
  • roasted carrots, delicata squash, cress, toasted seeds and rice
    Han Oak Dinner Banchan of roasted carrots, delicata squash, cress, toasted seeds and rice
  • sweet and sour new potatoes
    Han Oak Dinner Banchan of sweet and sour new potatoes

Starter of Kalgooksu, hand cut wheat noodles in an egg drop chicken broth with poached chicken, scallion soy dressing, and nori. You can see in the kitchen the noodles being created and cut fresh!
Han Oak starter of Kalgooksu, hand cut wheat noodles which are made fresh as you can see just looking at the kitchen Han Oak starter of Kalgooksu, hand cut wheat noodles in an egg drop chicken broth with poached chicken, scallion soy dressing, nori
Again, don’t feel compelled to necessarily finish off all your banchan – I like having the kimchee especially as a bit of a palate cleanser between bites of the ssam. And oh, that delicious ssam. You will get two meats as part of your ssam, which is a course of meat and stuff you wrap either in greens or noodle sheets. One will be the Ember Smoked Hanger Steak with lettuces, perilla, chrysanthemum, cabbage slaw, and ssam-jang. Then there is also the Koji Marinated Slow Roasted Pork Belly and Coppa with rice noodle sheets, pickled daikon, and scallion salad. Don’t make me choose which ssam is better because they are both incredible in different ways.
Han Oak Dinner Ssam course with Ember Smoked Hanger Steak with lettuces, perilla, chrysanthemum, cabbage slaw, and ssam-jang and then Koji Marinated Slow Roasted Pork Belly and Coppa with rice noodle sheets, pickled daikon, and scallion salad Han Oak Dinner Ssam course with Ember Smoked Hanger Steak with lettuces, perilla, chrysanthemum, cabbage slaw, and ssam-jang and then Koji Marinated Slow Roasted Pork Belly and Coppa with rice noodle sheets, pickled daikon, and scallion salad Han Oak Dinner Ssam course with Ember Smoked Hanger Steak with lettuces, perilla, chrysanthemum, cabbage slaw, and ssam-jang Han Oak Dinner Ssam course with Koji Marinated Slow Roasted Pork Belly and Coppa with rice noodle sheets, pickled daikon, and scallion salad

The dessert course is the one that seems like it varies, unlike the ssam, sides, and general format of the banchan – for this time it was chilled fruit on ice, the fruit here was Rubinette apples, Crimson Crisp, 20th Century Asian Pears.
Han Oak dinner dessert course of chilled fruit on ice with Rubinette apples, Crimson Crisp, 20th Century Asian Pears

There are multiple beverages you can choose from varying from the exquisite cocktails curated by Michele Ruocco (ok I’m biased here), but also great wine and beer and non alcoholic drinks. The cocktails change seasonally and probably change the most if you return for multiple visits. For instance, there’s the cocktail Seoul Structure with gin, cucumber, celery, lime, togarashi
Han Oak cocktail Seoul Structure curated by Michele Ruocco: gin, cucumber, celery, lime, togarashi Han Oak cocktail Seoul Structure curated by Michele Ruocco: gin, cucumber, celery, lime, togarashi

Another option was this cocktail Gone ‘Til November created with brandy pear, cinnamon, ginger, brown sugar, served warm.
Han Oak dinner cocktail Gone 'Til November: brandy pear, cinnamon, ginger, brown sugar, served warm along with two snacks of ddukboki: rice cake, bulgogi, padron peppers and onions and of blood cake: soondae, duck fat fried egg

This dinner is sooo good – with my favorite parts being the snacks, ssam, and cocktails. I would definitely recommend for a full dinner experience you need to order a snack for every 2 people – I saw the dumplings and rice cakes particularly as easy wins for any dining party. Have you had ssam before, what catches your eye during this Han Oak dinner?

Han Oak Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Signature

Han Oak Brunch

There’s a dispiriting amount of authentic Asian food in Portland – many Asian restaurants and food carts serve an Americanized version based on what they think will sell based on mass expectations.  Whenever I hear of a possible sprout of authentic Asian food experience growing, I am usually quick to try to water it and hope it can flourish – and I am hoping with all my might for Han Oak, which recently poked it’s head out into Portland’s restaurant garden this past 6 or 7 months. Han Oak deserves and needs your support. I think it’s the best brunch in Portland right now – and I think it’s uniqueness would be hard to find in most other cities.
Han Oak presents a Korean brunch on Sundays offering 2-3 main dishes and then several banchan and rice on a tray so you get a little bit of everything

Han Oak is reservation only, where they only open a couple days a week for dinner service and then on Sunday offer brunch service. When you make your reservation online you pre-pay, although you can add on additional beverages or some a la carte dishes at dinner if you’d like. Dinner has been a Bo Ssäm format, but let me put a little focus on their Sunday brunch for this post. They are located at 511 NE 24th, between Pie Spot and 24th and Meatballs. Head this way towards the brown/orange doors to enter the Han Oak space with a welcoming backyard escape and a bright open room with wooden 8-top tables with bench seating and some counter seating at their open kitchen bartop.
Head this way towards the brown/orange doors to enter the Han Oak space Head this way towards the brown/orange doors to enter the Han Oak space Keep stepping through the doorway into this backyard, and the entrance to the Han Oak restaurant space is then to your right Han Oak restaurant interior space Han Oak restaurant interior space Han Oak restaurant interior space Han Oak restaurant interior space faces a quaint backyard patio area

Here’s the gloriousness of a Han Oak brunch: you don’t need to make any choices. You are going to get a little bit of everything so it’s all balanced and you get to try many things without feeling overwhelmed which generally is about 2-3 tapas sized portions (but just for you! No need to share) along with multiple banchan, or small accompanying side dishes, plus rice.
Here's the gloriousness of a Han Oak brunch: you don't need to make any choices. You are going to get a little bit of everything so it's all balanced and you get to try many things without feeling overwhelmed which generally is about 2-3 tapas sized portions (but just for you! No need to share) along with multiple banchan, or small accompanying side dishes, plus rice

For this brunch for instance, my so cool little brunch tray boasted

  • Kimchi, soy pickled vegetables, sauteed and wilted greens
    Han Oak brunch, banchan like kimchee and Sauteed and wilted greens Han Oak brunch, banchan
  • Blood cake with soft boiled egg
    Han Oak brunch, Blood cake with soft boiled egg
  • Seared albacore tuna with daikon, fingerling potatoes, romanesco cauliflower
    Han Oak brunch, Seared albacore tuna with daikon, fingerling potatoes, romanesco cauliflower
  • Savory waffle with braised pork belly, kimchi, and bean sprouts with a little dipping sauce
    Han Oak brunch, Savory waffle with braised pork belly, kimchi, and bean sprouts
  • A bowl of pork and chive dumpling soup with beef broth, rice cake, egg and nori
    Han Oak, A bowl of pork and chive dumpling soup with beef broth, rice cake, egg and nori Han Oak, A bowl of pork and chive dumpling soup with beef broth, rice cake, egg and nori
  • Korean multigrain rice, also called japgokbap
    Korean multigrain rice, also called japgokbap

The above also come with your choice of iced barley tea (the traditional Korean “water” that you should just get), or Water Avenue coffee, or cold brew. You have additionally drink options of cocktails, beer and cider, wine, soju, as well as non alcoholic beverages. For you, my readers, I sacrificed my liver to try all four of the cocktails, curated by the gifted Michelle Ruocco that included

  • The Asian Flush with gin, plum and tamari syrup, lemon, and peychauds bitter is a fun way to start brunch like a prettier cousin of usual brunch mimosa
    The Asian Flush with gin, plum and tamari syrup, lemon, and peychauds bitter is a fun way to start brunch like a prettier cousin of usual brunch mimosa at Han Oak, with drinks curated by mixologist Michelle Ruocco
  • The Sick Day with brandy, toasted rice dandelion tea, lemon, and honey brings out a slight roasty nuttiness which I really enjoyed (and go ahead and eat up the toasted rice at the end of the drink) with the waffle and the rice
    The Sick Day with brandy, toasted rice dandelion tea, lemon, and honey brings out a slight roasty nuttiness which I really enjoyed (and go ahead and eat up the toasted rice at the end of the drink) at Han Oak, with drinks curated by mixologist Michelle Ruocco
  • The Jeju with sake, nori liqueur, and pepper you can have either cold or warm – I had the warm version and it had a salty seaweedy funkiness which I loved with the dumpling soup and the tuna. This was my favorite, though it’s non-traditional flavor may not be for everyone
    The Jeju with sake, nori liqueur, and pepper you can have either cold or warm - I had the warm version and it had a salty seaweedy funkiness at Han Oak, with drinks curated by mixologist Michelle Ruocco
  • The K-Pop was how I finished my cocktail drinking at brunch, a cocktail light and refreshing so would be great as a starter as well, with soju, gin, apple, ginger, and cucumber. I wish there was a bit more ginger in this, but I really like the spiciness of ginger too so maybe that’s just me.
    The K-Pop with soju, gin, apple, ginger, and cucumber at Han Oak, with drinks curated by mixologist Michelle Ruocco

At $32 for the Korean brunch tray + bowls (with the four cocktails or other alcoholic drinks being extra) that is prix fixe and includes service, this is an insane bargain that is incredibly unique. The atmosphere feels traditional with recognizable Korean stalwarts like the kimchee and the iced barley tea and the rice or the dumpling soup, but also includes modern Northwest playful takes like the blood cake and savory waffle.

The seating feels modern and airy, but almost like dining with family and friends with the intimate atmosphere of a 5 large tables with benches, and a backyard where multiple guests’ children kicked around a beachball together. This is not an experience that you will usually find anywhere, even in larger cities with established larger Korean populations. We’re so fortunate to have this opportunity in Portland.

So what are you waiting for? Make your reservation for brunch now! Brunch is only offered on Sundays, 11 AM – 2 PM. They are also open for dinner (reservation only – make them on the website) on Friday and Saturdays 6 – 9 PM only.
Han Oak presents a Korean brunch on Sundays offering 2-3 main dishes and then several banchan and rice on a tray so you get a little bit of everything Han Oak presents a Korean brunch on Sundays offering 2-3 main dishes and then several banchan and rice on a tray so you get a little bit of everything

And aren’t those cocktails Michele created incredibly lovely? Which one would you order?

Han Oak Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Signature