Sam Kim, owner of Hoodadak, remembered his Korean fried chicken restaurant’s opening day of Dec. 21, 2015, as a mixed bag.


“It was the day that my dream came true, and we had too [many] customers,” he said. “We couldn’t handle it.”


Kim said despite no formal advertising and only a Facebook page to announce the eatery’s opening at 1645 Winding Hollow Drive, Ste. 205, Katy, word-of-mouth brought out crowds too large for his staff to move around the dining room. He said  the limited number of Korean fried chicken restaurants in the Katy area—three including Hoodadak—may have been a reason for the demand.


After working in Japanese restaurants for a decade, Kim opened his own establishment. But he wanted to cook something else, so Kim said he spent six months crafting recipes without MSG and after four months of construction opened Hoodadak.


“I would say [the chicken] is more garlicy and soy-flavored,” he said. “The biggest difference between American fried chicken and Korean fried chicken is crunchiness.”


Gochujang, a Korean chili paste, and three types of chili powder are staples of Kim’s cooking. Hoodadak’s signature dish is the dak-galbi, spicy stir-fry chicken with vegetables and steamed rice cakes called tteok. Dak-galbi can also be served with cheese fondue.


The restaurant also serves dishes, such as burgers, spicy sea snails with vegetables, katsu curry, dumpling appetizers and udon noodles. Overall, Kim said his most popular dish is fries with kimchi and bulgogi. Kimchi is Korea’s national dish of spicy pickled vegetables, while bulgogi is thinly sliced marinated beef.


“Kimchi is a little bit spicy and bulgogi is sweet,” Kim said. “Because of that, it makes a balance.”


Hoodadak is surrounded by East Asian eateries in its strip center, including Aji Ramen, Cocohodo-Sweet Vivian’s and Tasty Ko. Although more than 80 percent of Kim’s initial patrons were Korean, he said his customer base has shifted to more than 80 percent American. By American, he said he includes multiple races and ethnicities.


“That’s a good sign,” Kim said. “I like it.”




Hoodadak cooking Korean-style chicken Katy John Sun (left) is a server at owner Sam Kim’s (right) restaurant.[/caption]

John Sun worked at an H Mart Asian grocery store before joining Hoodadak about 11 months ago, and he said being a server at the restaurant gives him a chance to sharpen his English.


“It’s a good chance to share experiences, my experiences in conversations with them,” he said. “It’s good practice.”


For customers unsure of what to order, he said the chicken sampler comes with every flavor of fried chicken as well as kimchi-topped fries.


Looking ahead, Kim said he wants to open a second restaurant in Austin next year, or in College Station. In the meantime, he plans to move out to Katy from Houston.




Hoodadak cooking Korean-style chicken Katy Fries topped with kimchi and bulgogi is a popular dish ($10).[/caption]

“Personally, I think Katy is better to live. I see a lot of [the] population moving down to Katy,” Kim said. “And on top of that, my restaurant’s here.”






Hoodadak


1645 Winding Hollow Drive,
Ste. 205, Katy
832-321-3959
www.hoodadakusa.com
Hours: Mon.-Thu. 11 a.m.-3 p.m., 5 p.m.-midnight; Fri-Sat. 11 a.m.-midnight, Sun. 11 a.m.-10 p.m.