Her Name is Han: Homestyle Korean Cuisine with a Rustic Vibe
Hello again, everyone! Today, we're going to eat at Her Name is Han, a restaurant serving everything from homestyle soups and noodles to Korean tapas and soju-infused cocktails. Her Name is Han, hereinafter referred to as HNH, is the sister restaurant of the place next door, Take31.
If you read our previous review, you'll know I absolutely adore Take31. It's one of my favorite go-to's in Ktown. Take31 has a pub-like atmosphere with Korean dishes that complement the usual Friday night's shenanigans.
HNH is like Take31's more cozy and domesticated sibling. When you walk in, you'll notice that its got a rustic yet modern feel. During my visit, I came for brunch. Now, I don't usually like brunch places because the menus are frequently filled with $18 eggs benedicts or $12 avocado toasts. There's nothing wrong with that but they're rarely interesting. To my disbelief, there are actually some brunch menus worth investigating, as shown by our meal at HNH.
So, in case you were wondering, here's the Her Name is Han Brunch Menu. At first glance, it's refreshing. Even now, the menu is alluring me with those Sunchoke Fries, Cold Ratatouille Rice Bowls, and Brunch Cocktails. This is my type of brunch.
Overall, I'm definitely coming back to Her Name is Han. I want to come back for dinner to try more of their soups and stews. Thanks for reading!
Anyway, I started with the Grilled Pork Sausage with Shishito Peppers appetizer (see above). I can't quite remember if I was hungover when I went but if I were, this appetizer sounds like the perfect appetizer to refuel and resume being a real person for the rest of the day. It was topped with little bits of crispy garlic. And, this hot mess was kind of oily but in a good way.
The Shishito Peppers gave the illusion that you were still eating something healthy as you enjoyed those juicy Pork Sausages. Overall, I'd order this one again and again.
So, the brunch entrees all come out looking like this (see above). It's wild. In keeping with the traditional Korean-style banchan, HNH serves each entree with a variety of small side dishes. I'm sure that these side dishes change frequently but, for my visit, I got some Assorted Vegetables, Breaded Soft-Boiled Egg, Kimchi, Radishes, and Smashed Beets. My personal favorite was the Smashed Beets.
Next, please enjoy their Grilled Salmon (see above). It was cooked quite well and not dry at all. The skin was crispy but had a thin layer of fat that makes me very happy.
For my entree, I got the Hamburger Steak with Quail Egg. For starters, this one was a cute entree. Look at that tiny fried quail egg! It sat on two miniature hamburger patties. On second thought, I was most definitely hungover for this meal and I recall that this dish brought me back to reality.
The best part of this was all that gravy. While all the sides were light and refreshing, the hamburger meat and the gravy was a pool of savory heaven. I dunked all my scoops of rice in that creamy, meaty sauce.
For dessert, I got the "Spring Garden". It came out looking super zen. Over a layer of Green Tea Biscuit Crumbs, there were two large scoops of Black Sesame Ice Cream. If you've never had Black Sesame Ice Cream, I urge you to try this immediately. It'll change your life.
Anyway, it also came with some dried strawberries - the kind you see in Special K Cereal. I liked this because it wasn't so heavy or overly sweet. This was a good end to a very pleasant and homey meal.