Finally taking the advice of not one but three friends, who urged me to try Kim's Corner, I have quickly become a devoted fan of both Kim and her Korean food. (Thanks Hanneke, Cindee, and Lesli!)
Kim's Kim-Pap may be the perfect snack or light lunch: a triangle of Korean purple rice encased in seaweed, and stuffed with spicy pork, ginger beef patties or spicy tuna.
Kim's Corner is a tiny oasis of a place, with authentic Korean food handmade by Kim herself. You may have seen her storefront, on the corner by Jackson Whole Grocer, sandwiched in between the Jackson Hole Book Traders and the UPS store.
Out for a some fresh air with a girlfriend, I suggested we go to Kim's for an after-hike lunch. "Korean food in Jackson Hole?" was the incredulous response I got from Melanie, a well-travelled foodie who shuttles between Jackson and the San Francisco Bay area. Yep, Korean food right here in Jackson Hole, a place not known for its variety of ethnic restaurants.
Not only does Jackson now have a Korean restaurant, but the food is fresh and healthy, handmade and deliciously different. It is not fast-food, as you will find, as Kim carefully prepares each dish by hand. Be prepared to sip on your tea and relax on the picnic table outside her shop, while she makes each meal to order.
Not only does Jackson now have a Korean restaurant, but the food is fresh and healthy, handmade and deliciously different. It is not fast-food, as you will find, as Kim carefully prepares each dish by hand. Be prepared to sip on your tea and relax on the picnic table outside her shop, while she makes each meal to order.
Kim delivers our food as she makes it. The lone picnic table can get crowded at lunch, but customers don't seem to care if they need to squeeze in elbow-to-elbow to get their Korean food.
Melanie and I decided we should earn our calories before heading to Kim's, so we could sample everything on the menu (it is a small menu).
After hiking up Snow King, then slogging through snow to get to the back side of Snow King Mountain, our appetites were getting peaked. We jogged along Josie's Ridge, then descended to meet up with the Sink or Swim trail, marvelling at the early season wild flowers along the way. By the time we had jogged back down to the base of Snow King, completing our loop in just under two hours, we were good and hungry.
After hiking up Snow King, then slogging through snow to get to the back side of Snow King Mountain, our appetites were getting peaked. We jogged along Josie's Ridge, then descended to meet up with the Sink or Swim trail, marvelling at the early season wild flowers along the way. By the time we had jogged back down to the base of Snow King, completing our loop in just under two hours, we were good and hungry.
Melanie ordered the Spicy Pork lunch special, which comes with Korean purple rice, spicy cucumbers, and orange pieces for dessert. It's my favorite.
Try one of Kim's Kim-Paps, if you just need a snack. A triangle of Korean purple rice, that is encased in a seaweed wrapper, and filled with spicy tuna, spicy pork, or a ginger beef patty, it is my latest addiction. Kim went out of her way one day to prepare a gluten-free Kim-Pap for a customer, who also seemed to be addicted to this little hand-held Korean snack.
The spicy tuna Kim-Pap is filled with tuna in a creamy, Korean hot sauce.
Have Kim make you a Citron Honey Tea while you wait for your order. The honey-sweetened tea is filled with the rind of citron, a Korean fruit that is a cross between a lemon and a lime. Served hot or cold, it is fun to slurp up the marmalade-like rind at the bottom of the cup once the tea is gone.
Citron is used in Korea to make yujacha, a type of Korean tea. The pith, peel and pulp of the fruit is cooked in honey to make a chunky syrup, like a Korean marmalade. (Source: Wikipedia.)
After ordering one of each type of Kim-Pap, I settled on the Soy Garlic Chicken Breast lunch special. It was lightly seasoned, tender and tasty, but I stand by Spicy Pork as my official favorite.
Me with the Soy Garlic Chicken Breast lunch special.
Kim wouldn't let us leave with out trying her favorite dish...so pretty, so tasty...the Albacore Tuna Bi-Bim-Pap, a huge salad with romaine, cabbage, sprouts, cucumber, and a special Korean sauce with sesame seeds and scallions.
Kim's Albacore Tuna Bi-Bim-Pap was a beautiful, crunchy, fresh salad with a unique sauce.
A traditional Korean mask keeps watch over Kim's little restaurant, and the steadily growing collection of the regular customers' punch cards.
Melanie and I left Kim's Corner refreshed and hydrated by Kim's tea, pleasantly satiated by the healthy food, and with that feeling of well-being that you get when someone cooks for you with great care. Kim has that special touch.
Oh, I almost forgot! Kim's Corner is a coffee shop too.
