By Stacey Patton Wallace
We are blessed in Lee County to have a variety of great restaurants at which to dine. There’s pretty much something for everyone in our area.
Last week, I decided to try something which I had never eaten before: traditional Korean cuisine. Mike and I met our friend Jack at ChickChickPorkPork on Pepperell Parkway in Opelika. The restaurant is located in the building formerly occupied by Kitchen 3810.
Jack hadn’t eaten in a Korean restaurant either, so it took us a little longer to read over the menu and choose what to order. ChickChickPorkPork has an ordering feature which I really liked. There was a button at the table, and diners push it when they are ready for the waiter to come and take their orders. This feature was very helpful since we needed the extra time to read over the unfamiliar menu. It was great not to be interrupted before we knew what we wanted. Also, the waiter didn’t have to trot back and forth to check on us. Great idea!
ChickChickPorkPork has an extensive menu. Mike and I chose the fried dumplings for our appetizer. They were amazing – so warm, crispy and delicious. We scarfed them down as though we hadn’t eaten all day. I could have made a meal of those dumplings.
Other tempting appetizers from the menu included Haemul Pajeon, which is a seafood pancake with vegetables, and Bulgogi Salad, which is Korean BBQ pork with vegetables.
The restaurant offers six different categories of entrees. Mike and I both chose Teriyaki Chicken from the Bento Box selections. Besides our main course, we also had rice, salad, two fried dumplings (Hurrah!) and onion rings. Our meal was very tasty.
Jack chose from the popular category. His dish, Beef Bulgogi, was sliced and seasoned beef with vegetables; he also ordered rice. His serving was enormous; it was a savory mountain of beef. He said it was really delicious. I was quite tempted to ask Jack if I could try a bite, but that didn’t seem right since we hadn’t shared our fried dumplings. Yes, you’re right; we should have shared; our parents taught us better. However, to Mike’s credit, he mistakenly thought that Jack had received two fried dumplings with his entrée. I can only hang my head in shame.
Besides having great food, ChickChickPorkPork observes COVID-19 safety protocols. The employees all wore masks. Also, the tables are at least six feet apart.
In addition, our waiter was terrific, being attentive, helpful and pleasant. As we were leaving, the owner asked us about our meal and service; we appreciated being asked and told him that both were great. He told us that we should go next door to Cheetos, which is a Korean Fusion Dessert Café. However, last week I found out that my sugar average is up, so I’m afraid I will have to try the café when my number is lower. Believe me, that was disappointing. Looking at some of the tempting desserts online, I’m sure that I could have done some serious damage; hopefully, I will be able to try the luscious desserts after August 12, my next doctor’s appointment.
ChickChickPorkPork is open from Monday to Thursday from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. until 11 p.m. The restaurant is closed on Sunday.
ChickChickPorkPork makes the grade with an A+ from this retired English teacher. Remember, “Pooh-sized” people NEVER lie about food. Enjoy!
Stacey Patton Wallace, who retired from teaching language arts for 30 years, is a professional diner. Her column, “Making the Grade,” will appear each week in the Observer. Stacey may be reached at retiredlangartsteacher2020@gmail.com