(Image from Magots blog)

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Korea Times Staff Reporter

Orange King in Seattle, Washington, is well known for its hamburgers, barbeque and teriyaki. Now, its signature dishes are available here in Seoul.

Owner D.H. Han enjoyed going to Orange King when he was a student at the University of Washington in Seattle in the 1980s. He liked it so much that he decided to bring the Orange King franchise to Seoul.

Ten months ago, Orange King opened at its current spot next to the Soon Chun Hyang Hospital in Hannam-dong. From the outside, it seems like a fairly ordinary restaurant with a terrace, but inside the restaurant has a surprisingly stylish interior.

Orange King has a nice, cozy atmosphere that encourages people to sit back and relax. There are framed, colorful prints of Seattle’s best-known landmarks like Pike Place Market and Space Needle on the walls reminding customers that Orange King originated from Seattle.

Orange King’s menu features appetizers, barbeque, hamburgers, teriyaki, pasta, steak, salads and wine. Appetizers include white wine sauteed mussels, Seattle clam chowder and a variety of salads.

There is a lot of focus on the famous Orange King burgers. The deluxe burger is 4,500 won, but with French fries and soda, it’s 7,000 won. There is also a chicken barbeque burger, teriyaki burger and the popular double deluxe burger (6,500 won for burger and 9,500 won for set).

Barbequed ribs, teriyaki chicken and beef dishes are some of the best-selling dishes at Orange King.

The lunch menu, served between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., includes pasta, teriyaki and steak dishes at reasonable prices. Prices range from 5,500 for Oriental chicken salad, 9,000 won for barbequed ribs, 9,000 won for beef teriyaki and 8,500 won for spaghetti pomodoro.

We ordered the rib-eye steak (15,000 won) and the creamy chicken parmigiana (10,000 won) lunch set, which is served with salad and soda.

A good-sized rib-eye steak was served with grilled mushrooms, eggplant and baby potatoes. It was cooked well, but the steak sauce was somewhat weak. On the other hand, the creamy chicken parmigiana was flavorful, although the sauce texture may be too creamy for some people.

On some evenings, singers and musicians entertain diners during their meals. While the kitchen closes at 9:30 p.m., Orange King has an evening menu, which includes burgers, available between 9:30 p.m. and 1 a.m.

Incidentally, Orange King uses Korean beef for its rib-eye steak, and Australian beef for its hamburgers.

Orange King is located just past Soon Chun Hyang Hospital in Hannam-dong. The restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Call (02) 749-5515.

(Image from Magots blog)