K Street is an area known principally for its lobbyists and influence peddlers, but within a block of the intersection of 14th and K Street, two Korean food carts hope to change the way things are done in the nation’s capital—at least when it comes to D.C.’s abysmal street cuisine.
Offering similar servings of simple Korean meals and located just a block away from each other (one is located at 14th and K Street, the other at 14th and L Street), it’s surprising that the two carts are not locked in a bitter, Qdoba versus Chipotle-esque feud. “No, no, no!” Christine, who works at the cart affectionately nicknamed KFC—“Korean Food Cart”—by some of its patrons, said when I asked if a rivalry existed. “We’re friends with them. We come visit each other and say hi.”
The older of the two establishments unofficially calls itself the Bulgogi Cart. For about seven dollars, the bright yellow cart offers its namesake, bulgogi, a Korean BBQ dish, or bibimbap, a mix of rice, vegetables, kimchi and meat, topped with a fried egg and a serving of eye-watering chili pepper sauce.
At first glance, the box of bibimbap seems like a haphazard collection of random foods, and the combination of cold vegetables with warm rice and meat is somewhat strange. But when you take a bite of rice, vegetables, meat, and egg, all soaked in chili sauce, any questions disappear. And the colorful mound of food could easily feed two.
The second cart, KFC, is only about half a year old. Like its competitor, this cart’s food tastes authentic. As the vendor explained, the food is homemade, without artificial additives. KFC offers bulgogi and kimbap—a sort of Korean sushi—and promises to begin selling Korean soup come wintertime. This cart also provides hefty portions, but thankfully gives the option of $4, still filling, small-sized meals.
With finely chopped, tender, and juicy beef, chicken or pork, the bulgogi here tastes like it came out of a real kitchen, rather than a small metal cart. The KFC’s bulgogi is simpler and less flashy than the bibimbap at the Bulgogi Cart, but just as hearty and flavorful.
“Everyone here [in D.C.] has a hot dog cart,” Woo Lee, who works at the Bulgogi Cart, said. “We wanted to show people Korean culture.” Selecting the better of the two peddlers is nearly impossible—both go a long way towards breaking the monopoly of overpriced, bland hot dog peddlers on Washington’s streets. That’s change we can believe in.
