Chungdam Korean Fusion

This is our favorite Korean restaurant!! They're open everyday, 11:30am - 9pm. They used to be closed on Tuesdays, but not anymore! The owners are welcoming, servers are nice, the place is clean with a modern atmosphere, and many of their dishes is made from scratch! Our favorite is their kimchi, which they make themselves, so delicious! 🤤💕 Our favorites are the LA Galbi, japchae, and the MUST TRY dolsot bibimbap. Comes with delicious meat, egg, many veggies, and rice; a perfect balanced meal 💖

Enjoy the foods and very good services. Bulgogi is a bit sweet, but others were tasty.

This restaurant has a very helpful and friendly staff. The food is also delicious I tried a different dish here a spicy beef soup with rice noodles. My dad had some bimibab and it was also delicious. The sauce for it was also really good. I do recommend this place for people to try. The menu is not huge but they do have a fair amount to choose from. The cucumber banchan was my favorite side dish.

I recently ordered takeout from Chungdam Korean Fusion. The Tteokbokki was an absolute delight—perfectly spiced and bursting with flavor. The Dwaeji Bulgogi was equally impressive with its fantastic level of spiciness. I thoroughly enjoyed both dishes, but I must note that they carry a significant amount of heat. If you're not a fan of spicy food, these might not be the best choices for you.

So I'm a bit torn between 4 and 5 stars. Customer service was great - very friendly and really sweet lady. She made our first time here so. It felt like I was a guest at someone's home because of the warm and positive ambiance. We ordered the beef tofu soup and it was actually bigger than expected! It came with a rice bowl for each of us (there's a total of 3) and we all enjoyed the spiciness and the flavor of the soup. Wow. I'll be coming here for the soup during the cold weather. Then we had the steam dumplings (was pretty good with the sauce added but nothing special). Also ordered the Japchae, bulgogi and galbi. Bugolgi was a bit too sweet for me but it was still good. Galbi was my favorite. The charred taste to it definitely added so much flavor. Japchae was in large portions for all of us to chair. Between the 3 of us, it was more than enough and we left full and satisfied. Also ordered 2 bottles of soju - Citron and Peach. They're both a bit too sweet for me and it wasn't as strong as I am use to. However that's no fault of the restaurant. It's just this specific brand. My boyfriend like the Citron one and my friend liked the peach. Overall we enjoy this place. Ample parking in the parking lot because I have anxiety every time I go somewhere during peak hour in Portland and I'm unsure about the parking situation. Felt there were missing some other key items for side dishes that I generally see at other Korean restaurants (mashed potatoes, fish cakes, etc..). The japchae and bulgogi was good but on the sweeter side than I am use to. This is just my personal preference as my bf and friend loved this placec. We all enjoyed the food and the atmosphere. I would come here again.

This place is EXCELLENT! The food quality and portions were absolutely amazing. We had no issues with this establishment whatsoever, and the food is definitely better than any all you can eat place where you cook it yourself too. Another thing I liked was how quiet and small the place is. It really allows you to have a more intimate experience than a few other places I can think of, which can be louder and a bit more chaotic. The Bossam was frickin FANTASTIC. If you like pork belly DO NOT MISS OUT ON THIS.

The service was exceptional! The food delicious! We ordered both Korean and Japanese dishes and they did mot disappoint.

Extremely tasty, friendly staff, plenty of parking. Some musts are the seafood pancake, Mandu dukguk, La gabi, and the classic bulgogi. Great for family style.

Love this place No one can ever cook the beef so savory and sweet like this place and also the soup is my favorite !! We always get the seafood soondubu and will always ask for extra of their homeade banchan

Terrific food. Apps are amazing. Hot pots are amazing. Dishes are amazing. Service is friendly. There's only a couple staff members for the whole place, and they work their butts off. The place isn't big, but it's not too tight either. Plenty of tables, but it gets busy fast. Can't recommend this place enough. You'll leave with your tummy full and your taste buds happy.

I was really excited to get something warm and soupy after arriving from the airport into freezing weather. Came here midday and there were only a few tables filled. We were greeted and sat right away. Loved that they put a heat lamp near where we were sitting to keep the area warm. We decided to order the army stew and it was huge! Between the two of us, we ate about 2/3 of it. The army stew was great and had many proteins and vegetables. Our meal also came with some banchan which were also delicious. Our server was great, always checking in on us. The parking is small and a bit tight. The entrance is also off to the side a bit so don't mistaken it for the pizza place next door.Arm

This place is pretty good. It will hit the spot when you want some everyday Korean food. It's hard to go wrong with their foods.

[Food]: 4/5 - Yukgaejang was solid, full of scallion, beef, and noodle, one of my personal favorites and iI feel like it was made well - Duk Gook was also pretty good, rice cakes were chewy and we enjoyed how eggy it was - Haemul PaJeon was SUPER packed full of seafood and so far is one of my favorite seafood pancakes in the area - Tteokbokki was good just had a LOT of black pepper which took over the flavor a little more than I usually like but again, pretty solid - PanJeon was okay, i liked the bean sprout and pickled radish the most [Service]: 5/5 - our waiter was extremely tentative and friendly! [Ambiance]: 4/5 - nothing crazy, but was cozy.

Update 1/2024: The old Chungdam seems to be no more. There appears to be a change of management or ownership and this place is now a shell of its former self. The menu has shrunk substantially. All the nice Korean ladies are now gone! The food today was pretty mediocre at best. Very salty. I got the Dduk Mandu gook. The rice cake was over cooked and very soft. The banchan were pretty bland. The service however was spot on and they continue to accept American Express.

Just wanted to give a quick update about how amazing these dishes I've recently tried are. I highly recommend the cheese chicken and the seafood pancake as they're such high quality and the portions are so generous. I also had the chance to chat with the staff more, and they are so so sweet and friendly. Highly recommend checking this spot out.

This is now my new ( old) favorite- there was a dark period in which they attempted to incorporate a sushi bar ()... but that has passed and they're back ( and better!) to serving cozy Korean comfort food- with a nice assortment of banchan, good serving sizes - we were very pleased with the quality and cooking ( husband is Korean, and fondly remembrances his mothers cooking)...

Service - sucked. Food - eh... it was okay. We were tired of eating American and Italian food, so we came to this small Korean restaurant, but it's definitely not as good as LA. It's not bad, but the Dol Sot Bi Bim Bap wasn't hot and the Budaejjigae was just okay. The area is not safe though. There are homeless people in front of the store who sometimes just sit in front of the front door.

I have been looking to eat more korean food in Portland but many spots don't have certain dishes I am looking for. However the food here is decent. If you haven't had Korean food before this is a good place to try it. I originally came here looking for seolleongtang and/or galbitang since I saw menus with it from Yelp. However, they do not offer that anymore. Their menu is a lot smaller than what it once was. The korean dishes they offer are the common ones you see typically like budae Jjigae, bibimbap, bulgogi, korean seafood pancake, etc. they also have a sushi menu too with a variety of sushi options. I saw a lot of people around me order their budae Jjigae. I ordered a Soondubu Jjigae with beef. The Soondubu was packed with lots of soft tofu, but very minimal amount of beef in it. It had more zucchini in it than beef. The soup also had some onions and scallions too. It came with a bowl of white rice and banchan. The banchan was okay, nothing special. If you want more banchan you can ask them for more. The portion size of the Soondubu was big, I couldn't finish it all. The service was good, the waitress was quick with the orders and brought everything I needed. I didn't have much interaction with them except ordering food, and paying for it. The restaurant is clean, and there is parking here too. Overall, this place is decent if you're craving some Korean food.

Extremely tasty, friendly staff, plenty of parking. Some musts are the seafood pancake, Mandu dukguk La gabi, and the classic bulgogi. Great for family style.

This place has changed a lot. They might have changed owner or reduced the size of the menu due to Covid. Since they added Sushi to their menu, they no longer have any originality to their menu. Nothing on their menu stands out from the rest of the Korean food around the area. The seating area has also reduced so large party no longer fit. Aside from that, the dish I order was pretty good. It is pretty accurate that the dish does feed 2-3 people. It has good amount of beef with two types of noodles. I'd say it's worth the try if you don't know what to get from the menu. Vibe: 3/5 Taste: 4/5 Cleanliness: 4/5 Value: 4/5 Service: 3/5 Parking: 3/5

Have eaten here a couple times. 4 star food, especially before my previous visit, when they scaled down the menu and added sushi, This time we come in, no other customers, we're given menus. After ten minutes of waiting without being given water or any kind of attention, we left. Not the way to run a business folks!

Good lunch with a friend at Chungdam on SE Powell. I went with the yukgaejang (spicy shredded beef soup with glass noodles). Minimal amounts of beef and noodles, mainly a thinnish spicy broth, which I thought was fairly one-note. I guess I expected the soup to be more hearty, with a greater depth of flavor. My friend had the cheese buldak (hot and spicy chicken with cheese). He was happy with his dish and cleaned the plate. Not much to say about the banchan. Quite small amounts, particularly when served to two persons. Friendly service, though.

Came here for a birthday awhile back and we did family style. I ordered the Mandu that came in a broth that was soooo yummy and flavorful. Perfect for a cold night. A tiny bit pricey but other than that I highly recommend!

After the renovation they had last year, their menu changed and some dishes are prepared differently. This used to be my go to spot for dolsot bibimbap but now it sucks and doesn't even compare to what it was before. They also got rid of the bossam which was another favorite. I miss how the food used to be and I probably won't be coming back here again.

So Chungdam is in a strip mall at Powell near 82nd. There are actually at least 3 Korean restaurants in that strip mall, and this is the one which is adjacent and most visible from Powell. Interestingly enough, our family intended to go to one of the other restaurants (the Korean BBQ place), but accidentally walked in here, and decided to stay. We are glad we did -- it was a great experience. Right upon walking in, you can smell some great flavor. The place was surprisingly busy on a Sunday afternoon at 3-4PM, though we were able to snag a booth. The restaurant staff were busy, but friendly. Our family was hungry (this was both lunch and dinner), and we wanted to try some new things, so we ordered a fair amount of food. One menu choice is a combination, which lets you choose from several soups, as well as a stir-fried protein, and is served with banchan. I tried a soup with mung bean and tofu -- I'm not a huge tofu fan, but the broth was amazing, and I'm glad I got it (I just skipped the tofu). I also had the Galbi Short Ribs, which were very flavorful. And the Banchan was great. We also had some steamed dumplings (my kids enjoyed them), a tteokbokki ( like a ramen with all sorts of things including egg and bulgogi beef, served in a large hot-pot, easily serves 2-3... we had quite a bit of leftovers), and my son had some sort of a light soup with some citrus and cucumber notes (apologies, I don't know what it was called). We also tried some soju, of which they had several choices. This was a great meal, and enjoyed some new things. Give it a shot!

Very good food. Will be back to try out some more dishes. The service was very friendly and very relaxed with not much of a lunch rush going on. The ambiance was laid back, casual.

We had a great meal at Chungdam last night. The food was excellent, the portions were generous, the prices were reasonable, and the service was perfect! And we are excited to have such a great option on the east side of Portland.

This is definitely one of my top 3 Korean restaurants. They used to have a lunch special but they changed their menu. They also added a sushi area! The whole restaurant itself is cozy and always clean. The food is really really good and authentic. You can taste the love that they put into it. The workers and owners are very sweet and kind. When they first added the sushi area, they gave my friends and I free salmon nigiri. It was so good, buttery, and fresh. The tofu soup and bulgogi is the ultimate combo with rice! They are always busy, especially during weekends or dinner time. But definitely worth giving this place a try no matter the wait!

I love getting bibimbap and tteokboki here. Everything is fairly priced and the food is so comforting. I always bring friends here when we don't know where to eat.

Had the army stew, beef bulgogi, seafood pancake, bibimbap, and soondubu--all good. The soondubu was surprisingly spicy (yummy), though you get tiny pieces of meat if you order it with meat (at least, the one time I've ordered it with pork). Otherwise great portions. The banchan are ok, I've had better. My parents, who are usually very nitpicky, really enjoyed the meal!

This is a cute little restaurant! Stopped by with some friends and really enjoyed the atmosphere. It smells clean, the staff is friendly and the food is delicious!

This restaurant offers a variety of popular Korean foods, each prepared masterfully. The service is great and the eatery offers a nice ambiance.

Chungdam! Finding Korean food in the Greater Portland area is difficult to find. It is a drought over here with korean food. However, there is a well of delicious korean food if you want to travel to this place. Ordered lots of yummy food that I personally did not taste, but I will write on behalf of the community. I ordered the yuk gae jjang. Spicy noodle soup. On a cold winter day, you just want some soup to warm your insides from all the cold. Yes! Spicy level was like a medium, so don't be afraid and order this. Combination of noodles and soup was great ratio. Not too watery. I'll probably order this again at some point. My friends ordered the bossam, galbi tang, and oxtail soup. A few comments from them. "If you can make it at home, then don't order it. So I got the bossam. It was good, and not dry." My other friend who ordered the galbi tang stated, "the galbi tang was bomb". I am not sure if this is yelp appropriate, but I will state the facts. My fiance ordered the oxtail soup. She enjoyed it even though she is gluten free and dairy free. I'm not fully sure what they put in the soup. If it contains gluten and dairy, just don't tell her : ) She is not celiac, but just has some reactions. Lastly, I would say as a Korean-American. This food passes for Portland standards. But if it was in Socal or the bay area, I might have different thoughts. Context is key.

If I could give this restaurant 10 stars, I would. I live in Memphis, TN but was in Portland (hometown) for my birthday on 7/21/23. My friend and I were wanting to try some Korean food, so I found Chungdam online before I came to visit. When we arrived, the waitress was so nice. I really wanted to try tteokbokkii and bulgogi. We got the Bulgogi Noodle Tteokbokkii jeongol hot pot, green onion pancake, and steamed dumplings. When I ordered, I know I butchered the pronunciation, but the waitress was so nice about it. The steamed dumplings were delicious, and the green onion pancake was amazing. I could not stop eating it. The servings are HUGE. The hotpot was delicious, and even though were were full of pancake and dumplings, we picked at the bulgogi as much as we could. When we finally decided that we couldn't eat anymore, the sweet waitress came up and asked if we wanted the food to go. We told her that it was my birthday, and unfortunately we were making a few stops, and wouldn't be home for several hours. It wouldn't keep in the car. She knew how much I loved the tteokbokkii, so she boxed up the remaining food, and packed it in a pan with ice, so that it would keep. All around AMAZING food, service, and experience. It was lovely, and so was our waitress. 15/10 will go back when I am in town.

Great food. Great owners. This place is authentic and the portions are shareable. The Kimchi potato pancake is a first and also one of the best things I've had. We will return, everything we had was great and the atmosphere was as well. Only advice I have is if you order a shareable plate in the beginning, share an entree. We will try the hot pot next time, the few tables we seen with it had us drooling. Very good food, and very attentive and caring ownership.

Food really good just what I was looking for to fufill my cravings. They were extremely busy and idk if it's cus I came on the day of new years but they were also understaffed it seemed only 3 people were working including the chef. I don't blame them for lack of service because they were overwhelmed. Very Korean K-pop vibe like every other Korean place good food not too spicy but full of flavor.

It's hard to find a Korean restaurant after moving from Hawaii. Most of the other ones I've been to are flavorless- but when I seen the photos in this Yelp page, I knew I had to stop over. Especially since they served my favorite: tteokboki. FIRST- I'm not sure if their hours are correct on this because we came in at 7:40 ish and they sat us right away on a Friday night. A few more people trickled in. The sign said 9pm closing. But they stopped accepting guests at 8:20 ish, but the store had open seats. They didn't do take-out either. Food: they had a lot of stuff on their menu that I would have wanted to order but were covered why tape. I went with their soup dinner combo and got soondobu and bulgogi with a side of tteokboki. My husband got Galbi. The portions were large and were SO DELICIOUS. The marinate on the meats were so yummy. I would definitely come back here for sure!!!

The servers always seem annoyed by customers, and the food is not good enough for me to want to return to that environment often. If you don't mind the poor service, I would recommend getting the seafood pancake and the cheese buldak.

While we have been coming here for a couple of years we haven't been here for a while I am so happy we came back! They have now added the most amazing sushi holy cow I cannot give them a better review. The service was amazing and the food was excellent I am so picky and I had not one single complaint! We will definitely be back! Bonus Friday night dinner for two with the most amazing Raspberry wine was less than $60.

Yay! I've been missing a good authentic Korean meal for forever. This place delivered! It reminded me of my favorite place in my old hometown. The meals never fail to satisfy. I walk out with happiness in my belly. The staff are wonderful. It is now my special-celebration-I-deserve-a-reward restaurant. If I have to get through a ton of hard stuff and I need motivation, going to get dinner here is an incentive to keep plowing through.

I love the bulgogi and green onion pancake. Ambiance is good but I usually get take out.

Came in on a Friday night for dinner for three. Were seated immediately, menu and water were quick. Looked through the menu, odd that a couple of items were unavailable (taped over?) but settled on... Kimchi Jeon, Shrimp Tempura, Mul Mandu appetizers. Bulgogi (beef) and Kimchi Jjigae Ramen Jeongol. Add a couple of bottles of beer. The Bulgogi was tasty, a bit sweet but full of flavor. The Jeon was nice but lacking a bit in the "Kimchi" flavor. And the Ramen Jeongol was decent but lacking a bit on the protein department. Otherwise a good meal, certainly some place I'll come back to.

We ordered the Yukgaejang Ramen Jeongol. It was Spicy and really tasty. Quality beef, good ingredients. Super tasty. Highly recommend. Try some of the Sochi drinks.

I looked online to place a pick up order and the website said 9pm and when I called it was 8:40pm. I called and said I wanted to place an order for pick up (I would make it there before it closed) but the man said they were closed. When I told him it said 9pm online he kept saying 8:30pm. I thought maybe they stop taking orders at 8:30pm so when I told him the website said 9pm he paused before I could confirm if they stopped taking orders at a certain time he then said "8:30pm, okay, bye" and hung up. No explanation or clarification. Just hung up.

I'm actually surprised the food was good! I only say that because it is very hard to find decent Korean food in the east side but this spot wasn't bad at all. Prices are still comparable to most Korean spots, which is fairly high. I loved that they offered combos which then makes the dishes more affordable per person. The portion came out big and timely. We came at around 11:45AM on a Sunday which there was no line/crowd. Come around 12 all tables were nearly filled and almost a line at the door. Service was quick and attentive even with all customers in the restaurant. One only small flaw I did notice being a YouTube nerd was that since they played music videos all morning. At one point YouTube forced an ad, which the restaurant kept playing for over 20+ minutes. No music in the restaurant just an ad about some scooter or some sort. Now that I know this place provides good food, I would definitely entertain it again. But knowing that spacing is limited I would maybe stay away from rush hour tires.

Tried their Seafood Soondubu and it was mediocre at best. The banchan were also not great; there was something off about most of them. The bean sprouts were too salty, the kimchi was too sour etc. Everything I tried left something to be desired. Not the worst choice on a cold winter day but still I've had way better tofu soup for much less. Think this place is a one and done for me.

Picked up takeout from here the other night and really enjoyed it. I got the Dak (Chicken) Bulgogi and my boyfriend got the Dwaeji (Pork) Bulgogi and we shared both. We'd had Dwaeji Bulgogi before and liked it so we were excited to try it at this place and we were not disappointed. Great flavor, great spices, and cooked well. We hadn't tried Dak Bulgogi before and didn't really know what to expect, but it was great too. A lot sweeter than I was expecting, but we both loved it. Great place to grab some takeout!

Came by for lunch today, because I was craving some Bossam. I tried it the 1st time in LA at Hangari Bajirak and I was craving some good korean food. The pictures of the food and the ratings drew me to the restaurant, I ordered the Bossam, Galbi, Japchae, Seafood pancake, kimchi pancake. The kimchi pancake was really oily, there was barely any actual kimchi, each bite was like biting into an oil soaked pancake. It was seasoned perfectly, wasn't salty. If there were more kimchi in it it would have been really good, less oil of course. The seafood pancake was decent, the dipping sauce that came with it was pretty salty though. The Japchae Was probably our favorite, it was freshly sauteed and had a really good sesame aroma, garlic, onion, beef flavor throughout. The galbi short ribs Was also really good, well marinated and perfectly grilled to perfection. The biggest upset was the Bossam. The only thing that was decent on this plate was the actual pork. The cabbage, radish, and dipping sauce were extremely salty. It was really hard to eat, the spicy radish had no pickled flavor at all so there was no Sourness to it. No matter what I tried to pair with all the additions, it was all too salty. It was nothing like I had in Los Angeles. The side dishes were good though, just one was salty and it was the cucumber. The kimchi, the seaweed, sprout salad, Fish cake were all really yummy. Service was also really good, our server was friendly and really helpful the whole time. Unfortunately the food was not up to standards especially for the price. If they cut the salt out of the food 10 times less, I would consider coming back but other than that I don't wanna risk spending $26 on a dish that doesn't even Have a safe level of salt to consume. I hope it was a bad batch.

This place exceeded my expectations based off of the great reviews! SUCH amazing food and huge portions, and the staff was SO sweet to my wife and I. Definitely making this a regular spot!

We went here on a whim and it changed my entire mood around. Something about the atmosphere was so welcoming and light. I thanked them so many times and actually told them the food made me so happy.

WORST CUSTOMER SERVICE! Our family had been waiting to order for 15 min before the waiter told us " just a moment" we were fine waiting a little bit longer. Then he proceeded to check his sushi inventory. We thought after that he was going to take our order but instead went to clean another table. We felt like they didn't really care if we ate there or not, so we just walked out. The owners before we're very attentive and always greeted us with kindness and respect. this was our favorite Korean spot and ate here pretty regularly. But unfortunately now we won't be eating here.

Been here twice, during dinner and also for lunch. I first came here for dinner on a Saturday with a group of 4 people. The food and service were good, didn't seem too busy. I did like this place enough to try it again so I came during my lunch break on a Thursday. I placed a Togo order ahead of time. I only ordered the bulgogi, and they quoted me 20 minutes. My order definitely took longer than 20 minutes, it didn't seem that busy, but there was only one person working. So I have order bulgogi togo both these times. Yes, I dined in for dinner, but I brought home a togo order of bulgogi. I did not take a picture of the dinner togo order, but it was definitely a larger portion of meat than the lunch togo order, and I am not sure why this is since they do not offer a lunch special price. I paid $17.95 both times but got only half the amount during lunch. Food is good but service/portions are not consistent.

If ever again I need a place to duck into after a bender on a moments notice, I'm coming here. The spicy beef soup I ordered perked me up. Served in a cast iron bowl from Hades himself. HOT !! Now, I know nothing about Korean, but from the pics placarded about the joint, I think they have the style under control. Between my wife and I , we were served at least six sides as accompaniments to our main choices. Kimchi, seaweed, rice, cucumbers, zucchini et al . It was like the food was never ending. Service is friendly and attentive. So much to try in the future. Not too sure about Wi Fi availability. Plenty of parking in lot. Open late on weekend.

My go-to spot for Korean food! Specifically their seollangtang. Perfect to warm you up on a chilly day with a side of their ttkeobokki

I was the only customer at 2:00 p.m., so I was a bit wary about ordering. The Galbi (Korean short ribs) was what I expected, i.e., not subpar, not great. The Banchan (included side dishes ) tasted fresh. One was potato salad which seemed a bit odd, but it was creamy good. The ribs were a bit tough, far from falling off the bone, but this is more the norm than the exception. The usual condiments, including the must-have Gochujang, were absent so I needed to ask. Ask me what kind of restaurant provides the worst customer service and I will without hesitation answer "Korean", hands down no contest. Easy, easy now this is based on a long life of dining out and many Korean friends throughout the years have concurred. Here, I'd dub it pleasantly stoic. Throughout the meal I thought $15.95 is kinda steep. But when the bill arrived it read $19.95 because the server thought I wanted the regular, not the lunch special. On the one hand, I suppose it's my responsibility to be clear, but she could have asked which one I wanted to order. Moreover, most customers during the lunch-hour probably opt for the lunch special. It felt a little underhanded, but probably just an oversight. I may not be back, and do not recommend the Galbi. Beaverton has at least three Korean restaurants that are better and less expensive.

Been going to Chungdam ever since they opened and have been satisfied but as of my recent visit(s) I am very disappointed to rate this place 2 stars for service and food quality. This will be a very detailed and honest review. *cracks knuckles* Service takes in 1 stars. Food quality takes in 1. When we asked for water the ahjummah only gave us one glass for two people. Who does that? She also didn't bring around napkins, I had to flag her down for every single thing that should've been on our table (aside from the utensils). And no, if you're wondering the place was not crowded and busy. A younger couple came in after us and was left with the same predicament, and same puzzled wtf looks. I noticed they asked for banchan refills and had to repeat themselves cause she "didn't" hear them. After filling their requests and getting me napkins she then disappeared for almost 30 mins!! Both my table and the other table were waiting to get our bills. We looked around the restaurant and only when new customers came in did we realize she was talking to her friend in a booth obstructed from our view this entire time...for 30 mins. She then got up to take the new customer orders and then disappeared again. Food quality: We got the soontofu soup, I've noticed that the recipe for this soup has gotten saltier and saltier with each visit. It's borderline overflowing with msg, so much that I need to gulp down a lot of water. Umami is important and I get their trying to go for flavor impact, but I can feel my blood pressure rise from all the salt. If their kimchi brine is an important ingredient in the broth then I can see why it's so salty (cause kimchi quality isn't right). We also ordered the Mandu soup, again why was the broth so damn salty? The horrible part is we had to split water from the one cup she brought us. The dumplings did not taste house made, seemed store bought. More of a ratio of filled cabbage than actual meat filling on the inside. Not worth the price point of $11ish dollars. Let me get to the banchan: Kimchi was insanely salty, and pungent but not in the good sense. Broccoli tofu salad thing: tasted spoilt almost. Potatoe salad: this was a nice change and it actually was very good. It had apple slices in it! Overall Chungdam has fallen in quality and I won't be returning or recommending friends and family there. I will be hopeful that they quality control their food soon cause I do like this place, but for now, it's a hard no from me.

Decent Korean food in SE portland area.They just add sushi bar, but I'm not sure about eating sushi in a Korean restaurant. Hotpot is pretty big for 2-3 people. Suprisingly, there're a lot of meat inside the hotpot with variety of toppings and noodle. Side dishes are also pretty decent.

One of the best Korean restaurants in Portland. Happy to see that they have a lunch/dinner combination especially at a good price. I would definitely come back and recommend this spot! The tofu soup was super good, great portion sizes. The entree meat could be a little juicer and the sides could have like fish cake. Anyways great spot!