East Brown Cow welcomes K-Pop Kimbap to the Old Port Square district

Portland, ME East Brown Cow has welcomed K-Pop Kimbap to the Old Port Square district. The Maine-based Korean food truck has been serving a signature lineup of kimbap rolls and seasonal specialties at 427 Fore St., adjacent to the Old Port Square Garage. The food truck will serve customers every Thursday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. through October 29.

K-Pop Kimbap is the work of a husband-and-wife team, Josh and Yunhee Keough, who created the food truck to share Yunhee’s Korean cooking and culture with their local community. Their menu centers around kimbap – Korean rice rolls made with seasoned rice, vegetables, and protein wrapped in seaweed, alongside kimchi, scallion pancakes, and more. Rotating specials also frequently get added to the menu, from lobster kimbap rolls to fried rice.

“We’re thrilled to welcome K-Pop Kimbap to Old Port Square,” said Jacob Soley, director of development at East Brown Cow. 

“Yunhee’s story and her food add something really special to the mix here, and it’s exactly the kind of local talent we want people to discover in Old Port Square. We’re excited for the district to get a taste of it every Thursday.”

Yunhee was born in South Korea and adopted by a family in the United States, where she grew up on Peaks Island. Throughout Yunhee’s childhood, she had little access to Korean food, media, or community – her mother would drive to Boston or New York to bring home VHS tapes of Korean cartoons. Yunhee taught herself to cook Korean dishes as an adult, through cookbooks, YouTube, and K-dramas, and eventually began sharing her food with others. Bringing that same food to Portland’s Old Port carries extra meaning for Yunhee, who grew up feeling caught between two identities.

“The Old Port is Maine’s biggest stage, and for a kid from Peaks Island who once felt invisible in her own state, that means everything,” said Yunhee. “Korean food is something I had to go find for myself growing up, and now I get to share it with my own community. When you step up to our window, you belong there. When you try kimbap for the first time and your face lights up, you belong there. This truck is about belonging, and now it finally has a place to belong in Old Port Square.”

Located outside the Old Port Square Garage at 427 Fore St., K-Pop Kimbap will be serving its signature menu of rolls and specialties every Thursday through October 29, and on select weekends. For the latest scheduling updates, follow along on social media at instagram.com/k_pop_kimbap.