Wow. The food is so flavorful. You can tell the staff is really invested into serving such perfectly executed dishes. And they're friendly too. The Kimchi is so freaking good. Yum yum! read more

Located in a busy food cart pod with great indoor and outdoor seating. On the day I went, the cart was busy but managing the flow well - you order, you get a buzzer, you get a drink and a seat and by that time your food is ready. I ordered the Munchwrap because who wouldn't want to try a Korean version of this perfect crunchy dish. The cheese crust and the layers were delicious, and there was just the right amount of banchan. The pork had a great flavor, but a few pieces were tough and gristly which is never a welcome surprise. Overall though it was a creative and fun meal! read more

Kim Jong Grillin' - Munchwrap - Korean Near Me - Portland, Oregon

This cart is a local legend. It used to be only a short walk from my house when it was on Division, but after a brief turn downtown they have relocated to The Heist, which was absolutely packed on Thursday night despite the heavy rain. The chef at the cart was super friendly and I was stoked to get to try the Munchwrap. It was so flavorful and delicious. Quite large, too! I really want to return and try some of the other dishes; the kimchi fried rice looks awesome! read more

Kim Jong Grillin' - Munchwrap - Korean Near Me - Portland, Oregon

The Munchwrap was super fun and unique. Stuffed with fresh banchan and encased in crispy cheese. Flavors were good. Meat portion was a tad stingy but the Bulgogi was nice. I'd try the chicken next. Staff was a bit rude. Feel like they didn't want to be there at all do kinda ruined the experience a bit. read more

Kim Jong Grillin' - Munchwrap - Korean Near Me - Portland, Oregon

I first visited Kim Jong Grilling wayyyy back when they were off Hawthorne, now they're at The Heist food cart pod! Their Bibim Boxes are delicious but I had to get their Munchwrap special. It's a Taco Bell Crunchwrap (my guilty pleasure) with Korean ingredients. It's delicious and very big. This is a great food cart, you can't go wrong! read more

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tl;dr the Korean-ish hot dog measures up to the hype; while not an everyday meal, it makes for an ambitiously fun light lunch Portland is a food truck lover's paradise, and one of the most popular carts is Kim Jong Grillin. Opened in 2009, KJG doesn't take itself too seriously in its whimsically Korean-ish approach to comfort food. Even after a decade and a half of operation, KJG continues to earn accolades and recognition as one of Portland's must-try destinations. Namely, the KJG Hotdog has cemented itself as KJG's signature dish. The Kim Jong Grillin cart currently operates in a Downtown food truck plaza off West Burnside. You can't miss the vibrant red-and-yellow tiger logo popping off the black background. Numerous other carts circle the small square, and a handful of safety cone-orange picnic benches are arranged underneath covered pergolas. My partner and I arrived for an early weekday lunch, and we were able to place our order immediately. Plenty of takeout folks picked up their mobile orders as we waited a few minutes for our food. We opted to try the signature KJG Hotdog. The made-to-order foot-long dog was bundled within a petite baguette. The hot dog itself was juicy and flavorful, and I appreciated that it was lightly charred rather than boiled. The bread was crispy without feeling all-encompassing. The pickled toppings added the perfect sauerkraut-esque sweet-and-sour complement, and the kimchi mayo ensured that the baguette did not run too dry. Service was friendly and efficient. The hot dog ran from $8, and it felt reasonably sized for a light lunch. Although KJG seemed gimmicky at first glance, I was pleasantly surprised by my meal -- their hot dog was one of the best that I have enjoyed in recent memory. read more

Kim Jong Grillin' - KJG Hotdog - Korean Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Delicious. Super quick and friendly. The food had a perfect balance of flavor and texture. Get the bulgogi munchwrap and thank me later.

The flavors in the food were just amazing. Not a big fan of kimchi but it was delicious. We had the Kim chee rice and added the short ribs. With all of the raving reviews I had thought that the quality of the ribs would have been better. They were full of flavor but lacking on the quality. Very chewy and full of gristle. Like a mentioned above, lots of wonderful flavors but could have been a better quality of meat. The service was fast and friendly. The ambiance was great. With it being in a food hall atmosphere, it was clean and comfortable. I will give it another try next time I am in Portland. read more

Who doesn't want a Korean food truck in their neighborhood? Small portions just right for a midday snack. Galbi is good but with plain chopped lettuce. Hot Dog simply garnished with kimchee. What to expect: Street parking off of Division. If you want to dine under the carport eating tables are limited. Rice has been hit or miss. Food takes a bit of time so order ahead. read more

Kim Jong Grillin' - Galbi $15 - Korean Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Just chose this food truck because is closest to where I was walking. While waiting for my room I decided to walk. It's really hit and miss in the d-town area. Ordered my spicy chicken with Kim chee, sprouts & rice. Waited 12 or so minutes, the guy was friendly. No juice or drinks so let's see how this will go down. Disclaimer it's springing guy says you can go over to the bus and eat.. like cool. Get on the bus there is a drink fee.. fyi. read more

Kim Jong Grillin' - Spicy chicken - Korean Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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I was pretty disappointed with my bulgogi and rice. The rice in particular. It was mushy and tasted watery. The thing I didn't like about the bulgogi is that there were a lot of pieces of fat and/or connective tissue that weren't rendered down. No one likes chewing on connective tissue. Fatty pieces are ok when they're nice and soft and melt easily if you chew them, but here the chewing was effortful, which I think is off-putting to most people. I also didn't love the flavor of the meat. I thought it was kinda bland and lacking. In the past, the bulgogi I've had has always been very thin. Such that if you hold it flat, there's not really much to actually chew on. I'm not sure how to describe it. Here it was more like a thin piece of steak that you have to spend a few seconds chewing to break down. Something else that isn't a huge deal but is kinda bad is that they don't serve water. Just coke and sprite, iirc. No bottled water, no cups of water. The best they were able to offer was if I had a water bottle or something they could fill it up in their sink. read more

Kim Jong Grillin' - Bulgogi - Korean Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Upstanding food cart, but I'm not thrilled about the location. Also, I just work downtown. The locals might feel safe around these parts. Me? Not so much. I can't really say much about the servers. We didn't really talk. And passersby weren't really all that chatty. I think we all assumed anyone standing next to the cart were just some homeless dude loitering nearby. If you're comfy among the campers and tweakers, then make a beeline to Kim Jong Grillin' - they make a mean dog. I was not interested in any of the other carts, so I've nothing to say about them. read more

Delicious Korean food served at a good price. Would recommend it. A lot of protein options and different flavor profiles. read more

Kim Jong Grillin' - Bibim Box - Korean Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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I took home the spicy pork bowl and boy was it worth it. It was enough food for two meals and it was rich, spicy, crunchy, all the things. It's on a cool part of Division and easy to find. The staff was really helpful in recommending what to order. So happy I stumbled upon this spot and will be returning. read more

Kim Jong Grillin' - Spicy Pork - Korean Near Me - Portland, Oregon

After having so many good things about this place, I had very high hopes from this food cart (?). I got the spicy pork bowl and it is safe to say it was pretty, nothing out of the world that would compel me to try them again. I went up to the counter to order, the person taking the order was quite friendly and I asked what their favorite dish was from the menu. "Our bulgogi is the most popular but the staff favorite is spicy pork." That is how I arrived at my decision to order the spicy pork dish trusting the word of the worker. The meat was well-cooked but the seasoning/sauce was so underwhelming. It seemed like it was just sriracha and nothing innovative on their part. I am not making this up but it literally tasted like grilled pork dipped in sriracha. Next, they have very limited seating. All the seats were already occupied and even though I had come with the intention of eating at their joint, I ended up eating in my car which added to the bad experience. I am not sure if I am willing to try another dish. The flavors were just missing. I would have given 2 stars to them but their service was good, hence bumping up to 3 stars. read more

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My boyfriend and I just stumbled into these food carts after I got off work. We were going to go to boring Sizzle Pie and I saw the art on Kim Jong's amazing food cart. We decided to check it out and I and I am SO happy we did. Nori (sp?) was so sweet and was pumped that I was breaking my 18 years of being vegan just for their delicious food. I had the vegetable dish and my boyfriend had the bulgogi. We literally devoured both. I haven't had food that good in PDX in ages. We ate our dishes at the pub food cart across the park and that was a treat in itself! recommend. Best service, food, and killer food truck design. A+++ read more

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Kim Jongs has been on my radar for a very long time and I finally made it out. I had the bibim box with bulgogi. Wow!! The marinated meat had a great taste and was very tender. The kimchi had some spice but wasn't over the top. The rice was a little mushy but edible. The hot sauce that was included was a perfect touch. The fried egg was absolutely perfect even after the 15 minute drive home. I'm a fan and will be back!! read more

Kim Jong Grillin' - Bibim Box - bulgogi - Korean Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Tasty Korean BBQ. Our last order: one galbi (Korean style beef short ribs with kimchee, sesame sprouts, daikon banchan), and one spicy pork (marinated pork with kimchee, sesame sprouts, daikon banchan). Both orders were supposed to come with rice, which they were out of, so they substituted japchae which made the orders even tastier. The galbi and the bulgogi are the reasons to go here, along with the friendly service and delicious food. read more

This place has some pretty good food and you can smell the aroma of it when around they also share a spot with DeMarco's. We got the bulgogi bibim box with extra galbi. This box came out pretty heavy packed with goodness. I enjoyed that the beef bulgogi were thicker cuts of beef. The galbi had a great flavor to it. When mixed it all together, it was well worth the wait in the cold. read more

Kim Jong Grillin' - Bulgogi bibim box with galbi - Korean Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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The thought of having a Korean BBQ food truck in my neighborhood was exciting. Unfortunately this place is disappointing. I ordered the bulgogi (first item on the menu) and the meat was very tough and some parts were actually inedible. The guy who handed my food had hands they were so dirty and his finger nails were caked in dirt and so disgusting, I was just praying to God he was only working the register and did not actually make my food. The area where you order your food was also disgustingly dirty. I'm hindsight I should've just canceled my order and walked away. They didn't think about wiping down the credit card machines nor the screen that you have to tap onto confirm your purchase. Everything was dirty!!! Food establishments should not be dirty! I shouldn't be eating my food praying I hope I don't get food poisoning. I definitely won't be returning here. read more

Kim Jong Grillin' - Bulgogi - Korean Near Me - Portland, Oregon

The munchwrap sandwich is not only delicious but also showcases the owners' dedication to using fresh and locally sourced ingredients, making each bite a tasteful experience. Please support them and many other small businesses like theirs that prioritize community development in Portland. read more

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Trying to find some korean food for my seoul! I enjoyed this food cart spot. I had a bibim box with the special pork. I thought it was fantastic with a good mix of egg, rice, meat, veggies. Each element supported one another and did not overpower. I thought this lunch was a good mix and blend of ingredients. If this dish was a band, it was a solid band of instruments. At a separate time, I had one of the other dishes of meat and rice. I thought today's outing confirmed my initial thought of a solid 4. Consistently flavorful and fair! FYI, the following comments do not reflect the institution or the review. There isn't much parking nor space to eat. This is one of those grab and go kind of place. read more

I great addition to the Heist. Good food, great staff. Got the bulgogi w/japchae (noodles) instead of rice. Next up will be kimchi fried rice. read more

Y'all, the rice was soggy as all hell. The texture made it more like tasteless congee. My dad, who always talked about the importance of rice, would not shame me for throwing it out. We get to-go bulgogi from here maybe once a month and the rice is usually a little too wet but this time it was just far gone. Like this the second time ever that I've left a written review, that's how mad this rice made me. How do you mess up the easiest part of the whole dang dish? read more

Kim Jong Grillin' - Soggy ass rice with bulgogi - Korean Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Huge letdown on 2nd go This past weekend I went by this location after ordering the Galbi on the phone. The guy I talked to that day was very nice and explained how many pieces of ribs were included and that it depended on the thickness of the cut they would have that day. No problem I thought. That first time the Galbi was thin and charred to a good little extra char as it should be...the sauce or marinade was amazingly sweet, salty, and tangy a bit, but also perfectly balanced and a all around top 3 of Portland IMO....or so I thought. Round 2. Ordered off of Uber eats since I'm working from home with meetings back to back...was so excited that I ordered two orders for myself and one of my colleagues who came by for pre meeting and lunch. Open box one...they're much thicker and after bitting into one and then another the taste was NOT at all the same. First and foremost...they had much more fat on them but they were cooked like I would eat my ribeye...fatty and medium rare. I didn't realize that undercooked a Galbi would be such a difference in taste but I guess cause they marinade for 24-48hrs you've got to not only thoroughly cook them but charring them is what gives them that last signature taste. I didn't know that cause I never have gotten unfinished Galbi. So I call the location and a woman answers the phone and I tell her exactly what I've described about the first time and this is now the second and was so excited but how they're undercooked. So what she suggested was that I could finish seating them in a pan.... Say WHAT?!?! So not only did I pay for two lunches I got to finish cooking them too. Wasn't offered anything else except "I'm really sorry about that". I haven't forgotten the second point which is just as important. These tasted super salty almost as if they were expired with that weird beef taste or smell if it's gone bad. It's like they'd been marinating in a teriyaki (non sweet) or soy sauce and had ZERO sweetness...the sweetness in the Galbi marinade is brown sugar and usually Korean apple. I mean, the inconsistency from one time to the next...and then no kind of offering to make up for it...rather here's how to finish cooking them and "I'm sorry"?!??? If this is how it feels to be a repeat customer, then you just lost one and anyone else I can refer to not go here. Picture is of me having to finish the thing which they were paid for. read more

Kim Jong Grillin' - Me finishing cooking since they didn't - Korean Near Me - Portland, Oregon

The food is soo good and the sevice is Fast the bestbof both worlds next item i Got try is the hot dog read more

Update 8.25.24: KJG food truck is no longer at 4606 SE Division St location. El Sazon de mi Rancho Mexican food truck is now at that location as of four months ago. I was disappointed since I'm from out-of-town and I was looking for my KJG fix, but the mole burrito at this place was excellent. Happy to see another great food truck at that location. read more

I haven't been to KJG since pre-COVID, at the Pine Street Market. Unfortunately, the food does not compare and left me disappointed. The pork was tough and bland, Bibim was overwhelmed by only the taste of Kimchi, and served in a box. This was not nearly the memorable experience it used to be. While I am rooting for Portland's comeback, the Cart Blocks are still pretty scary, and an overall bad place to sit for food trucks. read more

Must visit food truck! We've tried almost everything on the menu and everything has been great! Bibimbox is something that once you've eaten, one day you're gonna be like, hmm I think I want a Bibimbox from KJG and drive 589 miles to get it. Once a year, we make an effort to come to Portland and get food from our favorite places and try new places as well. KJG is one of them. We have first tried it when they were still a part of Cartopia and got hooked ever since. I'd say this is more for the crowd who enjoys Army stew, cupbab, tteokbokki, peach soju, in between traditional and non-traditional Korean food. The first giveaway is the Bibimbox description- it's in a box! What do you expect with that information? It's literally different food (wet/hot/cold/dry) laid in a brown box best eaten after drinking/while drinking or before drinking. We've had the Bibimbox test of time too, it survived a 12hr drive by just being in the back seat of a car. It was still delicious Can't compare it to sit down places, they have no dine-in options. Go take the box and eat it in your parked car or find a bench. It's Portland, there's so many pretty places to sit and eat outside. Look at these pictures though IYKYK read more

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Sadly this place has changed. The beef in the Bibim box I had for lunch today was inedible. It was pure gristle. I sent a message asking about their supplier and never heard back. read more

Great service! The person was very nice and the portion size is generous . Ambiance 10/10 read more

Kim Jong Grillin' - Kalbi and Spicy Chicken - Korean Near Me - Portland, Oregon

I was really craving some food from home so we decided to hit up Kim Jong Grillin' for a bite and end up ordering a small feast for the family. We decided to go by in between the lunch and dinner rush and got lucky with parking right in front of the cart. The staff was super friendly and accommodating as we asked for them to separate a few things in our order into separate containers. We originally came for a bibim box but ended up ordering a lot more. We went with the spicy pork bi bim bap, japchae, kimchee fried rice and galbi. Once our order was done, I packed it up in our hot bag and made the 40 minute drive back home. It was one of the hardest trips I've had to make with the car filled with the smells from our order. There were definitely a few times I wanted to stop and grab a quick nibble, but I stayed strong until I made it home. Where to start...I decided to try the bibim box first and it was great. Honestly my favorite thing to eat is bi bim bap and this one didn't disappoint. The combination of the rice, pork, egg and banchan was great; a nice surprise was the japchae mixed it. The contrasting textures between the crispy parts, the freshness of the banchan and the runny egg yolk were the perfect combination. My wife and I both loved the kimchee fried rice. It was a bit elevated than what we are used to having and a step up from my mom's (don't tell her I said that). The bacon was really helped push this dish over the top for me. It really gave the kimchee fried rice a nice smokey taste I wasn't used to, but never realized how much I needed. The rice also came with an egg, which is something I love to have with rice. The galbi was cooked perfect and had a nice char around the edges. I really enjoyed the galbi and made sure to clean off the meat around the bones. It came with a nice portion of rice to really round out the dish. Last and certainly not least was the japchae. It was the perfect blend of noodles and vegetables. My wife is usually someone who will eat japchae if we have it, but typically won't go out of her way to order it. This japchae was easily one of the best she has had. It was the perfect balance of noodles and vegetables. This might be the closest version of my mom's we have found since moving to Oregon. Every dish came with three different banchan. We are a huge fan of banchan and is why I love bibimbap so much. All three banchan were extremely fresh and tasted great. if you get a chance and are in the area, I would definitely recommend you check out Kim Jong Grillin'. You won't be disappointed. read more

Kim Jong Grillin' - Spicy pork Bibim Box, japchae, Galbi, kimchee fried rice and banchan. - Korean Near Me - Portland, Oregon

We finally made it out to try Kim Jong Grillin' tonight. While the food was good the only reason I didn't give it five stars was lack of current outdoor seating. It's definitely a place we will go back too! read more

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Love everything at this place! Bibimbox is 최고! Highly recommend!! Now I'm craving it. read more

There's going to be a long wait, due to cooking your food fresh. But their food is really effing good. I was visiting from out of town, but I loved every single thing about their food. I got the spicy pork Bibim Box.. Was nice and spicy, along with super massive portions. The dish literally had more pork than rice. Props to this food truck. Will definitely be back whenever I come back to Portland. read more

What a place, ordered 2 vegan bibimbox and it was a top notch korean bibimbap i ever had ! Multiple korean side dishes and the chojang mixes with rice and glass noodles?! Yeap. Pure orgasms 100% read more

All right we went here based on the reviews but I think perhaps they've changed ownership or something since then. There was a new menu posted on top of what you see here online, and that menu was mostly mac and cheese.... maybe their grill was broken? Overall it looked pretty down and out as did the immediate area so we moved on to a different food truck area. read more

I'm debating between 3 and 4 stars for this place. 4 stars means I'll definitely go back but this place isn't quite that level. I ordered the Bibim Box with Spicy Pork. The food took about 10-15 minutes to come out. The two of them were very busy managing pickup orders from all the different delivery services. The entree looks like the pictures with a perfectly runny egg and 2 different types of kimchi. I have several issues with the entree. Several pieces of pork were burned. Not just darkened on the grill but charred so you get a crunch when you bite down. The cabbage kimchi was so sour. I'm no stranger to Korean food but this kimchi upset my stomach. The menu said the base was made up of jap chae and rice, when I started eating it I had to double check the menu to make sure I didn't read it wrong. The base is about 80% rice and 20% jap chae so if you were hoping for more noodles like me, you're better off just ordering the jap chae alone. The outdoor seating area is not heated and quite chilly on a rainy day. I'm OK for having tried this once but definitely won't be back again. read more

Kim Jong Grillin' - Korean Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Dude. I love this place. We drove 30 minutes to pick it up, then brought it home, and reheated it...and it was STILL AMAZING!!! I can't imagine how great it would be if it weren't sitting out for so long and then reheated! I'm pretty sure we both got bibim boxes. It was a couple weeks ago when we went, and I'm just now sitting down to write this. The bulgogi bibim box was amazing. The fried egg on top was awesome! And we didn't have to pay an extra $2 to throw an egg in it. Seriously, why do restaurants charge so much for ONE egg??? Anyway, this place didn't charge extra, and that made me happy! I think my partner got the chicken bibim and equally delighted. Our tastebuds were dancing! We will definitely be back again and again and again. I want to try all the food!! Def go if you get the chance. read more

Went here on Christmas Eve which you would expect most businesses would be closed and IF open, likely not the happiest customer service, but they did NOT disappoint. We will definitely be back. The whole family loved everything, and service was fast and friendly. Putting this on our list of favs! read more