Summer, for many, is a time to be on the move. Go to that swimming hole you’ve always loved, even it’s on the west slope and there are closer ones at hand. Meet friends for a campout at a new spot on the coast. Ride your bike to an adjacent town just to go eat at a new brunch place — which I did, and wrote about, last week.
Or, in another variation of summer bike adventures, ride your bike so long and so hard around an entire mountain (in this case, Wy’east, also known as Mt. Hood) that when you’re done, and it’s time to drive home, the only thing that keeps your eyes from dropping closed on the long miles pointed toward Bend is that there’s Korean food waiting along the way.
That’s exactly what happened to me and two bike friends one recent weekend. We’d packed all the fancy ramen, requisite peanut butter and jellies and other, more exquisite snacks to last us the three nights up and down (and up and down five more times) the mountain. But by the time we’d ended the trip and set our sights toward home, all any of us could think about was a mound of Galbi Beef, tucked alongside some other hearty sides, waiting for us at Imonae, the Korean food stall along the main drag in Madras.
Imonae, its sister stall Akira Sushi and the Mexican stall El Burrito Loco, are made for this type of traveler — hungry for something, not quite far enough from home to stop for the night or a full meal, but ready for good eats that can be procured simply and quickly. Beyond the deliciousness of Joe Kim’s Yoli, Bend, and Central Oregon in general, are pretty slim on the Korean food. With that, I don’t think I’m the only one whose eyebrows lifted at the notion of finding it among the three places at the Reynoso Food Court in Madras, which opened in 2021.
Situated under a permanent shade canopy, the three spaces offer walk-up windows with varying hours. Of course, the food court doesn’t just serve people passing through from other cities, like I was, and it can get lively on the weekend evenings with locals looking for a place to grab some good eats. Generally, though, the space has a mellow vibe. Pull your car up to a parking space on the street along 5th and D streets, order and sit down at one of the tables. Or, in our case after the bike trip, squirm in your seat in impatient paroxysms of hunger, as you wait for the delivery of that glorious Galbi Beef.
Owner Connie Lee apologized for the quality of the Galbi on the day we visited, but she needn’t have. Galbi, also spelled Kalbi, is a short rib dish that is typically marinated in a sweet soy-garlic-green onion mixture. In this case, sweet and umami flavors clung to the generous portions of sticky short ribs. Each bite was well-cooked and marinated so perfectly as to create the right amount of juice, and there was more meat on each short rib than your average portion.
A Dosirak, or combo plate, comes with rice, salad and typically some type of pickled veggie. This time it was more of a potato slaw, but still a great complement to the richness of the beef. A hot tip for travelers looking for this experience: Consider calling ahead if you’re ordering the Galbi, as this dish can take some time to prepare. Also on the Dosirak plate are two mandu, or fried dumplings. Those also come on their own as a side — a yummy and popular menu item at Imonae.
Also worth a try on Imonae’s menu: the Japchae Bap, glass noodles stir-fried in a sweet sauce. Another crowd-favorite: Korean Style Popcorn Chicken, Lee told the Source Weekly. For the less adventurous, Chicken Katsu is a great choice.
At $23, the hearty combo Galbi Beef plates are a lot of food for one sitting, even for someone so late off a major calorie burn. Even with my hearty appetite, the Dosirak held up for two full meals. For those who are coming and going along the highways of Central Oregon, it might mean sharing a plate is the best way not to end up with ruined leftovers. Or, bring a cooler when you travel, and fill it up with all the roadside Korean food you need. Looking back, I should have done that, too.
This article appears in Source Weekly July 11, 2024.
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