Townsville business Sopoong delivers the flavours of traditional Korean home cooking

If you’ve ever wanted to try traditional Korean home cooking, this Townsville business will take your tastebuds on a journey. Check out three of their dishes.

K-food takeaway shop Sopoong is taking people on a traditional Korean home-cooked flavour journey. Pictures: Supplied.

For foodies curious about what traditional foods they might be served when visiting a Korean household, the K-food takeaway shop Sopoong looks forward to taking you on that home-cooked flavour journey.

Sean Kim and his wife Yunmi Jang moved from Melbourne to Townsville in 2020, before taking the plunge as business owners to open Sopoong at Vincent Market Place last September.

Ms Jang said they picked the name Sopoong for its Korean meaning, “picnic”, saying “it was with the hope that customers would visit our shop as if they were going on a picnic”.

The main chef, Mr Kim said food had a special meaning for Koreans, where asking the phrase “shall we have a meal together?”, was the first step in forming a relationship and becoming friends.

“These are not special dishes that you would only find in fancy restaurants or at high prices, but rather the kinds of dishes typically served when guests visit a home that Koreans tend to eat at least a few times a week, and each dish has its own story,” Mr Kim said.

Sopoong's husband and wife team Sean Kim and Yunmi Jang began trading in Vincent Market Place in September 2024. Picture: Kim Rawlins Photography.

He was happy to describe three of their tempting authentic dishes.

Cupbap is a convenient and delicious food dish served in a cup, combining either pork, beef or chicken with flavourful fried rice and sweet potato noodles – a popular choice for people looking for a simple, quick meal.

Cupbap is served in a cup, combining either pork, beef or chicken with fried rice and noodles. Picture: Supplied.

“CupBap can often be found near office areas or college campuses in takeaway shops in Korea,” he said.

Often seen in Korean dramas and movies, Bibimbap is a classic Korean dish made by seasoning and cooking six different vegetables, served with Sopoong’s special gochujang sauce, and a sunny-side-up fried egg, with the option to add beef bulgogi or spicy pork jeyuk.

Bibimbap features six different vegetables, special gochujang sauce, a sunny-side-up fried egg, with the option for beef bulgogi or spicy pork jeyuk. Picture: Supplied.

“The perfect dish for enjoying healthy vegetables in a delicious way, the vegetable bibimbap includes freshly seasoned spinach, onions sauteed in butter, carrots that preserve their natural sweetness, mushrooms, zucchini, and bean sprouts,” he said.

“Bibimbap can stimulate the appetite when you’re not feeling hungry, and it’s a great option for vegetarians or those who prefer gluten-free food, as they can enjoy it without any issues.”

Similar to the more well known Japanese bento, dosirak is a Korean lunch box that showcases a variety of side dishes.

Sopoong offers Korean lunch boxes called dosirak, featuring a variety of different side dishes. Picture: Supplied.

“Koreans always have rice, soup, and side dishes together, and our lunch box will provide this type of balanced meal.

“For the soup, we prepare representative Korean soups such as seaweed soup, soybean paste soup, and beef radish soup, making a different soup each day.

“We always include kimchi, delicious stir-fried potatoes, and rolled omelette as basic side dishes. Additionally, we offer a special side dish every day.”

For more information, visit Sopoong on Facebook or Instagram.

Originally published as Townsville business Sopoong delivers the flavours of traditional Korean home cooking