Kimchi Pop Rogers Park - Review - Rogers Park - Chicago - The Infatuation

"With three and a half Starbucks locations, it’s easy to find mermaid-branded coffee in Rogers Park. Classic Korean dishes, less so. Unless you know about Kimchi Pop, a tiny spot on a quiet strip of Glenwood that’s making delicious stews, bulgogi, and kimchi pancakes. The soondubu is packed with umami, a little spice, and silky tofu—the perfect remedy for a gloomy day (or hangover). We also like their kimchi fried rice with spam, as well as the ddeokbokki. There isn’t a lot of room in their space filled with Thomas Kincade-esque paintings and colorful paper lanterns, so it’s common to get food to go. But a seat comes with unlimited access to their self-serve table with excellent banchan. Food Rundown photo credit: John Ringor Soondubu This tofu soup is one of the best things on the menu. You can get it with beef, pork, chicken, or kimchi, but our favorite is the seafood. The little shrimp and mussels swimming in the bubbling red broth give the whole soup another level of richness. It also comes with a fresh egg to crack into it—you’ll have to wait for it to cook, but hey, good things take time. photo credit: John Ringor Ddeokbokki This is a great starter—chewy rice cakes, strips of tofu skin, onions, and hard-boiled eggs all swimming in an excellent sweet and spicy red sauce. photo credit: John Ringor Scallion Pancake With Kimchi Another good idea for a starter. It’s salty, crispy, and gets a bit of funk from the kimchi. photo credit: John Ringor Kimchi Fried Rice When we’re not in a soup-eating mood (a rarity), we like to get this. The kimchi juices and gochujang ensure that each grain of rice is loaded with flavor, and the little bits of Spam give each bite a salty punch." - John Ringor