The Best Korean Restaurants in Newport News, Virginia

People love to go to the closest Chinese restaurant and order up some Won Ton Soup and General Tso's Chicken on their lunch break. Others prefer to curl up and snack on California Rolls in the middle of their day. Some may prefer Pad Thai for a dinnertime feast. Yet, who ever has a craving for some Kimchi and Bulgogi? I've traveled around Newport News, Virginia in search of the most authentic Korean in the city. Hopefully, you will be brave enough to try some of these places out!

Chung Oak Restaurant

Chung Oak Restaurant is located on 15320 Warwick Boulevard near Fort Eustis. Set in a small shopping center, the humble eatery looks like a hole in the wall. The inside of Chung Oak does not fare much better with its bare atmosphere, but don't judge a book by its cover. Rather than focusing on their interior design, the restaurant owners concentrate their attention on the menu.

Complimentary side dishes, or bangan, are initially brought to the table for munching. They range from radishes, bean sprouts, turnips, and the traditional spicy cabbage dish, kimchi. While the restaurant is mainly Korean, they have some Chinese starters, such as egg drop and wonton soup. For the adventurous, try the traditional Korean Spicy Squid Salad. Served with spinach, cabbage, zucchini and scallions, be sure you have a full cup of water with you.

This modest restaurant certainly doesn't skimp on their portions. Their main dishes consist of soups, which are filled to the brim with noodles, vegetables, seafood, and/or meat. One popular dish is the Dol Sat Be Bim Bap. Pronounced just like it sounds (except the "Bap" is like "Bop), the soup consists of broth, rice, pickled and non-pickled vegetables, beer and a fried egg to top it off. up generous portions of bona fide Korean food. Each spoonful of soup I took, I felt didn't even make a dent in the generous portions.

The service is friendly, despite some language barriers. Luckily for Chung Oak, food has no language barriers and the restaurant will easily please those that enter its doors. As for its pricing, the average lunch can range from $5 to $10 dollars, while dinner will cost you in the range of $5 and $10 dollars.

Kyung Sung Korean Restaurant

Kyung Sung Korean Restaurant is located on 13748 Warwick Boulevard in the Denbigh area. This restaurant is a local favorite. Kyung Sung has been a Newport News staple for over twenty years. In fact, my mother ate there before I was even born. Yet, through every generation the food has remained constantly excellent.

While Kyung Sung does not offer the starting side dishes, bangan, I suggest immediately ordering their mandu. Trust me, your palate will thank you, because this is some of the best mandu around. These Korean appetizers are fried dumplings that are filled with spiced meat. The mandu is accompanied with a tasty red chili paste.

The menu of Kyung Sung is less soup-focused than Chung Oak. One Western favorite is the Jap Chae. This dish consists of generous amounts of stir fried glass noodles with beef and vegetables. Its more mild than most Korean dishes, but if you are feeling dangerous try it with some Korean chili sauce. Another American favorite is their Bulgogi. You can get pork, which is very spicy, or beef, which is milder. Both are marinated in a traditional Korean sauce, served with rice, and come with bangan. While Bulgogi isn't the most adventurous cuisine, it is filling and delicious.

My advice to you, however, is to go against your Western intuition and step outside the box. Try their Jo Gea Zie Gea. This dish is a clams and vegetable soup served with rice. Each bite offers squid, octopus, fish , crab, carrots, onions, and celery. It's very spicy so rice is provided to cool your palate.

The service is also very friendly. After a few visits, they will practically welcome you by name to their restaurant! Their prices are very similar to Chung Oak. Their lunch is slightly more expensive ranging from $7 to $12, with dinner at $10 to $17.

Both Chung Oak and Kyung Sung are fantastic restaurants. Visiting either one will assure you a wonderful experience in Korean cuisine.