One of Portland's best hot dogs comes with fish sauce. At Kim Jong Grillin’ it’s not squirted on the bun like ball park mustard, but it’s an essential ingredient in the kimchi mayo that makes the KJG hot dog so tasty. The Korean-American mashup served at Han Ly Hwang’s cart on SE Division (4606 SE Division St) shows how a creative chef combines the traditional flavors of his familial culture with the favorite foods of his life-long home.
Hwang grew up outside of Washington, DC, eating the Korean food his mother cooked. He started working in restaurants as a teen-ager, cooking at places like Chile’s and spent another 15 years "cooking,” as he says, “everybody else's food." Hwang opened his cart in June 2011, and customers loved his bulgogi, shortribs, and kimchi-packed hot dog. Less than a year later, while he was celebrating winning a cooking competition, the cart burned to the ground.
It took a few years, but Kim Jong Grillin’ came back, and hungry Portlanders line up for those Korean-style grilled meats, bibimbap boxes, and, if they’re lucky, his version of budae jjigae, the Korean army stew that combines traditional ingredients like kimchi with processed foods like Spam and instant ramen noodles.
One constant in Hwang’s cooking is fish sauce. Besides using it in his kimchi, he thinks of it like salt. “When I first tasted Red Boat fish sauce, I knew it was a game changer,” he says, “it’s not just fishy or salty like the industrial brands, but has more umami.”
For Hwang, fish sauce isn’t just for Korean food. He loves Italian food, and when he’s cooking at home, he always adds a little Red Boat to the spaghetti sauce. “I love it in Southern-style greens, like collards or mustard greens,” he adds. So do we.
Greens with Red Boat Fish Sauce by Han Ly Hwang
1 bunch hearty greens such as collards, mustard, or kale
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cups water
1 tablespoon Red Boat fish sauce
1. Roll 4-5 leaves of the greens, central stalk included, into a tight cylinder and slice crosswise (a technique called chiffonade). Repeat until the entire bunch of greens.
2. In a 3-4 quart pot with a lid, cook the onion over medium heat for a few minutes. Add the garlic, cook for another minute, then add the greens, water, and Red Boat fish sauce.
3. Cover, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook for 30-40 minutes or until the greens are tender.
Photo credit goes to @kimjonggrillin and @kaptinqwin
Sauces & Condiments
Fish Sauce
Regular price
$8
$8
Sale price
$8
Regular price
Sale price
$8
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per
Red Boat
Hayward - California
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